The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1870-10-06
THE ROMAN CATHOLICS AND
THE FRENCH.

In our last issue we spoke Of the super
ficiality which mislead many even of our
educated citizens to take sides now with
the French, since that nation has been so
suddenly and SO completely conquered,
Just because a few of its leading men
have proclaimed France to be Repub-
lie, entirely forgetting that Republic
wants Republican goeop5e-that is ma
ton of educated and moral citizens, to
sustain it. France wants Governor, no
matter how named, to control it. and by
a general diffusion of knowledge and
right principles bring up that people as
q father brings up his family Of children,
so that, when grown up by such nurture,
they may. and then only acN be ready
and able to take care of themselves.
But We want to speak to- day Of anot4-
er cause Of Ill feeling against the Ger
mans II connection with the present war,
and that IS the most contemplate effort
on the part OF the French leaders. to
make this war not only one between races
but also between creeds. They want to
incite the Roman Catholics against the
Professionals That same French nation
which, when Republic, in the last cen
fury, not only murdered every Catholic
priest it could lay its sacriligious hands
on, but abolished religion entirely and
even decreed the non-existance of God
himself, that same Republic which in
1896 made the Pope pay twenty-one
millions in gold besides masses Of costly
pictures. statutes and other treasures
merely to save himself from dethrone-
ment and the prison; that same Repub-
lie which in 1877 took from the Pope the
city and territory Of Avignon, 1.-THE resi-
dence Of the Popes from 1909 to 1870
and Eenession in France. also large trsct
Of territory in Italy and further sum
Of thirty millions because the poor Pope
tried to free himself from the almost un
bearable yoke Of French aggression.
The same French Republicans who, in
1888 took possession OF the city of Rome
herself, and declaring her Republic,
pillaged her churches and other public
institutions and laid her inhabitants un-
der the heaviest contributions, then
forced the Pope to resign all his earthly
power. and finally carried him, poor,
suffering prisoner. to their own country,
where he died at Valance, eighty-two
years old, il exile; the same people who
compelled his successor, Plus VII, to
come to Paris and there to crown Ma
poleon the First, on December ID, 1904,
in the church Of Notre Dame, and to
aaHoint him, the relentless tyrant and
thousand fold murderer, with the holy
oil. that he might thus be like the other
Kings of the earth-Emreror by the
grace Of God J" the same Napoleon who,
in 1909, during the most profound peace,
and without the least provocation annex
ed all that rapal territory to the Frauch
dominions, and who, on the solemn pro-
test Of the Pope, carried the latter by
force, in the most barbarious manner
from place TO place, as far as Savona,
where be kept him for three long years a
closely confined, suffering prisoner.
Have these French cUer shown the least
regard for the Roman Catholic religion?
Did they not pillage the Holy House of
Loretto, the manger in which Jesus lay?
did they not steal the twelve Apostles at
Nuremburg because they were made of
silver? How would these same French
men with their communicated if not athe-
istical ideas pillage the holy shrines, had
they been permitted to overrun Germany
and still, many Of the clerical party will
take sides with that nation. will forget
the degradation Of the church and the
disgraceful dependence Of the Popes
even until within less than a month, and
support by word If not by deed, the most
treacherous people OF Europe, who have
ever been a curse to their church and It's
Popes.
How long before such misled Catholics
will obtain correct idea OF the present
struggle? Certainly not by such dim
light as they seem at present to be salts
fed with; certainly not before they study
the history of the world and of their
church better :han they have done so far
and then learn that the whole of true re
Ggion consists in loving God, by the pro
motion Of human happiness.