New-York tribune., 1876-04-22
THE FRENCH REPUBLIC.
THE CLERICAL QUESTION.

| GAMBETTRs PROSPECTS Al AN ECONOMIC LEGIs-
| LAToR
| IFRoM A REGULAR CORRESPONDENT TIE TRBUSE.l
PARIS, April 7.--The question of Church and State
is, as we all know, opened and must be in some
measure solved within the next few months. The
economical and financial one has also suddenly
| sprung up by the unexpected nomination by largo
majority of Gambetta TO the post of Chairman of the
| Committee to report the Budget. These two
questions are equally vital for this country and il is
curious to remark that both, instead of being thrust
upon the Chamber and upon public opinion by the
Republican party, have both been it were, self
impOsed-brought on by the current and by the
force of events 1t has been already seen how out
of the proposal to enquire" iuto the election of Nj.
de Nun there all at burst forth the whole dis
pute of the separation Of Church and State the one
| great difficulty of old countries in modern times
| Shall the clergy be paid by the Government and
therefore submit to the secular power, or shall II be
free to preach crusade against the State, being
unpaidi
Wen. this involves discussions Of snch magnitude
| that the so-called " advanced" Republicans them
| selves are by 10 means sure that it has not been
begun too soon. Upon one thing all are determined
namely that NJ. de Nuns election shall, II 1t he
| humanity possible be validated. The foremost Re
| publlcans feel thoroughly how impolitic 1t wonld
| ie to appear to fear the "ChampOn of the Sylla-
bus" and the fact of the valuation will be stnyen
for with might and main. Bot the progress of the
| Inquiry will lead to complications of which no
one can yet guess the extent or the Importance.
Already in the interrogaory of NJ. Dufaure a. Min
lister of Public Worship, aquestion has been put and
a subject touched upon which may light up all the
flames of religious
The ouestion alludcs the teaching the semina-
ries-to the principles laid down. aud to the fact of
whether they are observed or not-and 1t SIMPLY
strikes at the root of the whole situation France Is
officially Gallican. She is still, at this very hour
subject to the compact enforced in 1852 upon the
Papa See by Louis XIV; upheld by the Restora-
ton Charles y. drove the Jesnlts from
the land; rigidy maintained by Louis
Philippe, and which compact undoubtedly
represents and embodics the degree of Catholicism
that the nature of the Gaul can bear easily and
with some sort of sincerity. The Concordat of the
first Napoleon. after tho sweep made of all belief
during the great revolution. ratified in fact and
fixed firmly the gains of Lous XIV. the rights of
the State in France. What tho famous Bishop OF
Hermopolis Mgr. de Frayssinousl published III 1875
Ias Minister of Public Worship, was true: " In
France" said lie. enthusiastically speaking all
tends toward Rome, but all Is not derived from
Rome" Now this is still the law of the land France
is not Jesuitcalor free to bc anything else. France
is legally Gailican. The Jesuts were allowed tn
was the work of the Spanish Empress, and the Em-
psror dreant of finding in them tools wherewth to
hoodwimk the pcople-but the Jesuits are Illegal
their existence il an oflcnse their teaching II
scandal. still it is patent fact that for twenty
years they alone teaching here. The Jesuit has
everywhere taken the place of the Galican Christian
and Rome rules where till now ruled the French
civil law
But a tolerated illcgality of 20 years standing
above all where priests cOnCernedlis mOnstros
incubus and IL remains 10 be seen now how IT can
be got rid Of grappled with.
NJ Dufaure has promised to examine nj once INTO
the PRINCIPLES taught IN scminaries, and To punish"
all derelictIons of the law. NJ. Dufauro may find |
that he never took rash an engagement as thi' !
Besides VI. Dufaure is clerical bnscf aud llHcs !
surrounded in his own family 10y Jesuits Neverthe- |
less come what will. he must either examine mar
rowly what are the principles inculcaied IN semina-
RES and be prepared to uphold the law of the iand'
or hc must retire from the Ministry for on this point
there will be no compromise possible. The Republi- |
caus tunless it may bc half dozen fanatcs were
not anxiou. to see this subject broached as il has
been suddenly and before people had fixed upon |
their war tactics but that II has been opened
and that il is staring everybody III the face, 1t must
be discussed and siled TO the very bottom so that
nodus rreEdi may be invented by which public |
opinion shall be satisfied. This is question OH
which there are almost IA many so-caled ConserVa- |
tiyes as there are Republicans taking part against
the usurpatons Of the clergy. As a general rule
Won may set down all tho Left Center and
four-ffths Of the Right Center as resolute
anti ,uits, stanch and faithful Gallieans |
This includes men Of the stamp of Casi- |
mir-Pfricr the d'IlluSsonvilles, dAudiifret- |
Pasquier the dlIarcourts, Barautes and all families
whose fathers were among the founders OF the July
monarchy. The Orleanlsts AZ party are Oaillcahs
when they have any creed or religious belief at all
inst "A tc Imperalsts are Jesuits because they do
mt in truth care one straw for any religion save
one whose ministers rely on the fOrco of bayonets
Religious hypocrisy genuine Taruicrie, was never
i'm past times French defect; il was one OF the
points on which people were sincere and tolerant
From Henri ". down 10 the coup dctat III 'ol
men believed or did not believe, but their con-
sciences were Free and their own; and 1t was not
imputed a sin TO man or woman IN any cotcro OF
"sct not to go to mass or confession, ana not ppm
their faith to this preacher or to that Ihis Jesuit
zeal show of piey shocking to true Christians
this necessity for formal observances, and tins neg
lect of all dOctrine-theso are the signs oi the
present moment merely and are inherited from the
Empire The hypocrisy which through its pretended
religious zeal seeks for power place. and money,
dates entirely from the reign OF Napoleon ILL.,, ana
ITS most feryent praciccr are te bourgeois Glass;
the enriched traders and enbcpreneus OF that period
As vet, this sh0w-worship this theatrical form oi
belief has made such pr0digiOus noise throughout
France that II may perhaps hayeSnlsed the public
os IN its strength IL is quite possible that, when
things come to a struggle, in which each side wears
its own true colors We may be surprised by the
large amount of sincere Gallieanism that will be
found among even the clergy, and the solid force
| tI.tt 4 La. la will ma