The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1876-04-30
FRANCE.
rLondon Tablet, April 81

fLondon Tablet April g.
THE DEtPoTIsM OF THE FRENCH MAJORITY.
The intolerance of hostile opinion of
which the French Republican majority
had already shown symptoms is msnifesting
itself more aud more. The election of the
| Marquis de la Rochejaqueleiu for Bresuire
| in the Deux Sevres has been quashed by
223 votes to GIG, on the ground of clerical
| influence and calumpies against Republi
can institutions alleged to have been utter
ed by the candidate. Aud on Saturday the
| Bonapartist Due de Feltre was ousted be-
| cause he had SD Inscribed to some charitable
| associations, because drunkenness was al
legged to have prevailed during the election,
and because placard had been posted up
| announcing the outbreak of an instruction
in Paris. The Due de Feltre affirmed upon
his honor that neither he nor his friends
had anything to do with the preparation
! or publication of this, which was probably
device of bis adversaries to get his cleo
| ton aDnuiIed. And as to the drunkenness or
treating, another of the deputies from Brit
tany protested ag 4inst the charge as quite
uufou nded, but TO no avail. The election
of another Bnnapartist, the Baron de Car
denau, for OAK in the Lnurdes, was also
invalidsted, because the Project of the de-
partment had distributed to the sufferers
| from the late haiistorms and inuudations
money which Lad been collected in the
| neigh horhood some time before the cleo
ton, and NJ. de Cardenau was supposed
to eEjny official aud clerical support. On
the other band a charge of fragrant
bribery was brought against young Re
publican deputy, 81. Corentin- Gu tho, and
his election was confirmed after a strong
party speech which he AIDE as his sole de
fence. Even the correspondent of the
Times. who has of late been steadily Re-
publican in his sym pathies, speaks of 3" the
all powerful Republican majority" as Gin
auenced, as usual, more by party spirit
than by arguments" and observe that
50 with the present majority suspicion is
almost equivalent to proof" The commit
tee charged with Investigating into the
circumstances of M. de Nuns election has
been displaying the came animus. and has
been neutrality-suspicious. to M. Daf@ u @ about
the Concordat and the Syllabus, and about
his readiness to prevent the clergy from
taking any part whatever in politics.
THE REPUBLICANS AND THE BISHOPS.
The Republique Franchise, M. Gambet
ta's organ, goes even further in its preten
sions to stifle opposition. The Bishops
who were the founders of the new Free
University of Paris have been holding
at the Archeveche their first annual meet
ing to receive the report on the organ
ization, recently completed, of the three
faculties of Law, Literature, and Science,
and to consider certain proposals " for the
development of which the University is-
capable" They naturally avail them
Selves Vi CnlS opportunity I'd say some
| thing about NJ. WaddiDgton's Bill, which
they could hardly pass over without notice,
| and they sent joint communication to
the papers expressing their dissatisfaction
at the Introduction of measure which de-
prives the Universities of the right to confer
degrees, thus disturbing an enactment on
the faith of which 80 many moral and ma
terial Interests have been riaA+d. There
| upon the Repablique FrancaiSe. Tenounces
| the meeting of the Bishops az NJ iDfraction of
| the law, and demands that the clergy
should be put down, and taught that they
| are no longer the masters. The law To
which the Radicals appeal is one of the
| First Republic, by which it ia enacted that
No national or metropolitan council, or
diocesan Synod, and no deiiberative as
sembly can take place without the express
permission of the Governrent"; and they
| also quote the 6 n article of the Concordat,
| which exacts from the Bishops an oath" Fnot
| to assist at any council, and not to en- ter an y
| league within or without the kingdom. con =
! trary to the public peace" That a meet
| ing of Bishops as trustees governors of
| a University should be treated by tae ad :
vanced champions of personal freedom as
| as an ecclesiastical - council" or IA delibe-
| Tative assembly," or "A 9 league" prohib-
| tied by law, is straDgr indeed. We used
| to hear a good deal anruO the right of as
| ISOLATION, the right OF pu bile and private
| meetings, aud the :'I't of petition and
protest, but when s.,,cations Cath
| olc, meetings episcopal, and protests
| Conservative, the Radicals are all for the
| application of the most " reactionary -
| laws.