New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-11-02
Tle Clerical Conspiracy Against Liberty

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Tie Clerical Conspiracy Against Libert,
in France
The following trenchant Article with re
gard to the sinister influence of cericalislr
Ia French politics. which appeared il a re
cent Number OF the organ of the radica
republicans. Lirnt1o National. of which
NJ Edouard Portals is the chief editor. i:
! from the inc!sive pen of a famous unknown
! contributor, the ':Junius" of current French
politics. and is wei! worthy the perusal Of
thoughtful American readers:
| A more than semi-ot1icial journal com.
| plains OF the mixin. of religions with DO.
! li.ical discussions. It accuses the Demo
cratic party of this irreyerence. 1t cites
! tie opinion OF NJ. de Tocque VILE, who at
] tributes the development of democracy in
| tie United States to the fact that religious
! questions are never mixed with politics
The argument makes apparent at once the
! Justice OF NJ. dc Tocnueville's observation
ard the usual bad faith .: the sheet which
appropriates 1t tor the purposes OF the una.
| chinatI0ns.
There is a per.mpterv reason existing in
France for constantly mixing religions ques-
tions with political discussions. 1t is to be
found III the Concordat. la @he effort of the
privileged classes te get held again of the
estrays OF the Old World and to seize every
means Ot recovering possession OF the null
ticude, we must take into account the con
tract entered int" between Church and
State. Under the Valois and the Bourbons
the Church had been an instrument OF power.
1t Is through the ancient completely OF the
Church and the mon 1rciT. the spiritual
and the temporal. that .he French people.
SO long fnthralleG. dad come. during the
years preceding the revolution. 70 such a
deg ee of.misery that the King himself wac
frightened.
The revolution made 'ile clergy 6i=rorse
Thank. TO the revolution and the black
band which CSuvier So Justly defended
more chan one chateau became a farm and
more than one abbey wa. converted into
peasants holdings. What is good 20 take
!. COOS! 20 keep. The State was FAR from
losing anything by the creation Of so many
new taxpayers. 1t salared the priests; but
it had It's ministry OF worship and all irs
consequences. Since then. under a new
form. the clergy became a political instru-
ment, such as WAS seen under the restor.-
ton and the second empire. The priests led
the peasants to the polls. The bishops made
their orders'the means of polemics against
the revolution and politics. The pulpit is
today the tribune of reaction. The Bishop
Italy, and the Pope is condeming civil soci-
ETY., such as proceeded from the revolution.
AIRY Genesis.
Everywhere in France ehe religious ques-
ton is mixed with politics. 1t is not only
in France hat this evil exists; it is also in
spain, Italy and Germany. When a little
trouble agltates peaceabie Belgium, it is the |
mixing OF religion with politics which |
causes ito The clergy, in each Belgian eIec-
ton, plays role of 'devouring activity" |
1t is the religious question which is now di-
NlGlng the Representative Assembly. II |
the federal principle is attacked in Switzer-
land. on the occasion of q revision Of the |
constitutional compact. it il the Catholic re. |
i gion and the mixing Of it with politics |
that gives rise TO this modification of q svs. |
TEN which makes the Swiss the fIeest peo- |
pie in Europe. 1t is through the necessity
Of resisting the intrigues and encroach-
ments OF the Catholic clergy that Switzer-
land tends 90 give to the State more ex
tended powers, at least temporarily, not
the peril of this innovation
NJ de Tocgueyiiie i therefore decidedly |.
:! ght in caYiIug attention 10 the tact that |
democracy in the United States has BEEN
able to develop itself because IL has NOT
been arrested in It's political unfolding by
the religious obstacle. Bat French democ-
racy is IN the true way when, constantly !
on the political arena che old
-nemy OF progress AID liberty. it eon5ats il
1y reason and philosophy.
II is easy for any enc who wishes 50 east
/ glance over our history from the Reform.
alton up to the present time 10 SEE lat this
mixing of religion w3th politics il the en-
iemlc disease 81 Southern, Western and
Central Europe. The connection Of former
With the eonterUporaneous events Is
il. Die III The interview OF Frohsdort, in Che
n'ylgHes CT the parliamentary night, and ia
he clerical aGitations and manifestations.
The men who wanted 20 draw from the pe0-
Ne more than they were able to give have
made of Catholicism the scOUrge OF the hui
nan race. Even one half the American
ointment has been deluged with the blood
i the victims OF the Inqui7itlor and Of
esuitisu!. The indian tribes have been de-
Cured
Clerical domination is still wcishi1. down
hese belated republics as it does IA Spain
trough Tie bands Of Don Carlos. England
Uttered horribly under Che Stuarts. nOta-
y under James H., through the instiu-
Iental.y ot Catholicism, mixed, there as
lsewhele. with the political question.
he JUDICIAL tours cf Jeff,eys have se-
.aincd legendary There have been mis-
rabie rof Faces i'll Europe. The Stua.ts.
re Hap@Ourgs, the I3Ioi-, the BOurbons 81
pain ana France, who made q con pact I
it'll tie Catholic clergy il order to assure ! |
ne double desp0tlsm OF she Churca ana
le monarchy, have attempted, with the !
ID OF arms and fortunes, to arrest the de- I!
eiopmenJ of the human mind. The judi c
al ana military plans of part OF Eu- i
,pe. those of wars and Of represslons by l.
.e tribunals. have been moldei upon the r
onarchlal and clerical plan. The history
the Church since tue Reformation is o
ixed<with the history of the battles 5
ught upon European fields. 1t Is also :,
liked with the most OF our civil wars. u
In England, Germany, Hungary aud Bo- e
mia the reformation triumphed at the -
~ of | know not how much bloodshed. Q
u one can estimate the extent OF the sac !;
ices which people have to undergo when I,
,htng tor liberty by recalling the thirty =
ars' war, which alone cost the lives Of o.
lrty millions Of men. CT
day, at least. the people among whom "
e reformation triumphed are free. or in G.
~ of becoming so. The obstacle has u
en- removed. Everywhere, on the con- u