The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1877-10-21
The Silent Vote In France.

y
strong production, energetic animated anu {
to some extent, logical. In our opinion IL
is also illogical to a certain other extent.
The Bishop is evidently patriot, man
IF action and q man of nerve. His treat
ment of the flimsy excuses of citizens who
| refuse to vote is truly scorching. He con-
victs them of cowardice and Elm ; OF treason
to their country and to God. You let your
adversaries, he say 8, do all the voting you
let them take possession of the government;
YOU put them in position to insult God
and persecute religion, and then you rely
on the axiom that truth lie eternal and can
| not be put down by miscreants. "Truths"
to quote his own words-"do not defend
| themselves If left -sleHe.-IfL they stand
their ground, If they survive, If they tri-
umph, it ia by the courage of those who
love and defend them" And again "Aide
tot, 10 Ciel taidera"-help yourself and
God will help you.
But, they reply, we dc not vote for these
bad men; we merely abstain from voting
they do not get in by our action. You
deceive yourselves, replies the Bishop;
abstention is action every vote You fail to
cast. counts one the more for your opponent
Truth will prevail in the end, but in the
meantime you have the Girondists and
Danton and Robespierre you have the
guillotine and the torch you have invasion
and ruin. Is all this the punishment of no
SIM Yes; it is the vengeance of Heaven
upon your sin of cowardly abstention from
the polls, your fragrant treacheTy to your
country.
But in the Bishops manifesto we find
reference to two very significant facts. The
first ia that in the elections of l646 and lS49
= citizens voted there was no abatention Of
t moment: the second, that at the election
y for the Chamber recently dissolved there
l. were three millions Of votes uncast. The
former of these facts suggests the reflection
that abstention or timidity is not inherent
= in the Conservative vote; the latter leads
"a us to suppose that something deeper than
K indifference or tinidity may influence the
N Conservative masses.
AS we understand the situation in France,
the Conservatives at this recent election
were reduced to the alternative OF three
7 kinds of candidates. They we're obliged to
n vote either for Legitimist, for an Orlean-
T. list or for an Imperialist. Then, where was
"a room made for . Conservative who might
chance to be a Republican? 1t would be
saia to him That makes 10 difference, tor
- the Republic is guaranteed by the Conetl'
.s tuition, and all these candidates are pledged
At. to support it. But there is fslsehood hid
er den under the truth of these words. The
en- Republic is guaranteed until the year 1885,
'u only. 1t is merely provisional Republic
ed it is on probation, and the meaning o
OF Imperia,ist party, Legitimist party ant
Is Orleauisu party is that each of those poll
cies hopes 80 to commend itself to the pop
,rk ularo good will that when the election for
to fnal choice of government shall be heio
,oh will obtain the popular majority.
is What, then, can q conscientious Reput
los, lican do Must he vote nolens VotenS for OF
ian of these policies when he detests them al
IL Must he strengthen the hands of tue Nap
w. leonists under penalty of not being go'
~ Conservative citizen if he does not, wh'
nth in reality he is aIdently DESTROYS OF esta
fishing Conservative Republicf T.
alternative certainly presents case of gre
In hardship, and it is wrong on the part OF t
'ei- Government aud of Bishop Dupanloap
force honest people into such predl'
of ment.
saes Suppose the three millions of voters to
.0te Catholic Republicans. They wanta dec'
Republic and are averse to any form
nun- monarchy. Though by far the most pc
If to erful section of the national vote, Il
o III have not single candidate. They can
'i'u- possibly vote for the miserable abortion
Republic intended by such fire brandt
IL, Gambetta-a Goddess government, an
"a Of ganized crime, hybrid spawn of FreeI
the sonry and Communism, that openly
yern- nounces it's war on religion. And ye:
Mar are not willing to vote for strengthen
n, is the pretensions of any form of monsrE
Earl because they are Democrats.
'tri0t What then shall they dot
''an0 They have beeA doing wrong, they b
""o abstained from voting. In the place
" SSH nopAi6ntpa