The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1876-08-20
The French Republic.

ton of France Ia gaining confidence in tn
possibility of French Republic which il
not Rouge" France is the most perfec
national exponent of Catholicity. Tru,
Christianity gives every one the grace to bt
good and the liberty to be bad. In point o.
fact we unfortunately find many very bad
Cath olics in all Catholic countries. France
ia no exception, bat rather, as we say, the
most complete type of Christianity in ope-
ration. Her people are essentially Catholic,
yet perfectly free to adopt or reject the vir-
tues of their faith.
AS Rome is the head of the Church, 80
France may be said to be it's heart. From
the pulsstons of that heart, flows the
steady and mighty stream of pecuniary
support and missionary zeal that principally
| feeds the ever encroaching tide of Catholic
progress abroad. France is the Oldest
daughter and the pride of the Church, yet,
with all her fidelity, an immense number of
her children take the liberty of being very
bad Catholics. Sometimes these are even
in the majority, or claim to be 30, and at
such times they take the opportunity of
making an ostentatious display of their
wickedness. They take certain pride in
being thought independant of religions re-
strants, and rush into such extremes as to
leave no doubt on the subject in the minds
of an attentive world.
In reality, however, the actually bad Ca
tholics are never in a majority in France.
They succeed merely through dint of i'm
pudence on their part and timidty in their
adversaries. 1t must be considered that
many, not only in France, but every where
else, who are not actually bad, have very
little zeal. They are torpid or timid or hope
less. They are inclined to give up, especi-
ally before rushing storm of execration
and violence and frenzy like that which the
Reds and Sans culottes know SO we'll how
to get ~ at a moments notice.
At first the Catholics of France had but
little confidence in their Republic. They
identified it with the principles of it's most
noisy nominal advocates, that is, with radi
calism. agrarianism and mob-rule. Leading
Catholic minds, however, have seen a hope
in it, and determined to give it trial. As
time progresses, they take better to the ex-
pertinent and work at it with better heart.
In no possible way could the power of Tie
Catholic party be more severely tested than
in the recent contest over Free Universities,
and yet the Senate triumphautly sustained
the Catholic policy on that question, al
though the government championed the
contrary one. When we consider that the
principal heresy of the age, the chief in
strument relied on by the Devil to work
hor fI..r 3D.
troll by the State, what can be more graft.
flying or encouraging than such a result
The Importance of the victory 10 easily
measured by the rage ofthe Radicals. Their
press and their haraugues boil over with
hatred, and take the form of threats against
Senate which shows itself 80 conservative
an institution. But, as Catholic activity
has gained control of the Senate, can it
not also with sufficient courage and energy
control majority in the Assembly There
can be but little doubt now that Catholicity
is backed by heavy numerical majority in
France. 1t simply requires confidence in
that majority to come forward-and watch
fulness in its leaders in preventing fraud,
to place the Faith in that position of promi-
nence to which it is there entitled.
When the French Republic shall have
put itself in working trim on that basis,
when good people in France clearly un-
derstand that they can maintain their
rights and the interest of society under
Republic only by working for it, but that
they can do it by proper effort, and when
they are convinced, as they will be by pro-
per experiment, that individual rights are
safer and more respected in a Republic
controlled by it's better classes than under
a personal government, we may begin to
look with confidence for permanence in the
French Republic.
We look forward with hope to this con-
summation. Not that we hold one kind of
government to be better per Sc than another.
Our position is that RepublicIn IN or popu-
lar government ia better than a neraonal or