River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1878-12-05
Napoleon Bonaparte and the Catholic
Church.

When Gen. Bonapaue seized the reins
of government by the coup d'etat of
Brumaire. lac soon resolved to put an end
to the Independence OF the Church, which
was incompatible with his intention Of
concentrating all power in his own hand.
His genius was too clear-sighted for him
not to perceive that religion was. after
all, the highest moral authority,
the strongest influence in
human society. Hence It was
his design 70 make it dependent upon
himself, by protecting and Substituting it,
1t is altogether enron eous to speak of
him, as il has been common to do, as the
restorer Of the alters of worship. All
that be restored was a throne; the alters
had already been reared again
under the impulse of that deathless
religious sentiment which can never be
long stifcd ia the heart of man. Bona
parte only found il convenient to prop up
his throne by the altar, as aff)rd,ne it the
most SOLID support, ard at the same time
enabling him, while sustaining himself
by means IF religion, to keep it under
his control and dependent upon himself
We need only recall his own words, as
they have been handed down to us by
his contemporaries, in order to see clear
ly that religion was nothing 10 him but
an instrument by which 10 govern. This
pretended yestorer of the Christian re-
ligion had two years before, in his
Egyptian campaign, used the language
of thorough Mussulman to please the
followers Of the Prophet For myself"
he said in his Council of State, II see in
religion, not the mystery Of the Incarna-
tion, but tAe mystery Of social order. II
connects with heaven an idea of equality
which prevents the massacre of the rich
by the poor For him The Gospel was
all summed up in one verse, 10 which he
referred perpetually, quoting il, however.
only in part. This was the text which
commences, "Render unto Caesar tho
things which are Caesars but he always
stopped there; he never admitted the com
plement, "Render untO God the things
treated rs a mere gloss invented by tho
priests. / must be clearly understood,
therefore, that he only concluded the
Concordat with The Pope VITA the fTm
intention g. lettering religion and max
ing it sub rviant to his will. After long
and diilicu negotiations with the Court
of Rome, in wh'ch the Court found it inn
possible TO proceed with its usual cautious
slowness, sinca it was dealing with man
of war, accustomed rather 20 command
than to persuade, the Concordat was at
| length concluded betN cen the two powers.
This was Immediately supplemented by
the laws Of Gtrminal, wear 10, which were
the complement and Interpretation OF the
treaty, added to it after it was concluded,
and without any intimation given TO the
Pope Napoleon had embodied all his
own views in this addcndum, which has
always called forth vehement but inef-
fec;ual protests from the Papacy.
When tbf TIE Deum was chanted in Notre
Dame, after the proclamation Of the Con-
cordat, Napoleon declared that the peace
of religion was henceforth assured. 1t
was soon evident what that peace would
mean, il the clergy did not yield their
master the same implicit obedience, as
did the Army. The first Consul had said
at the very time when ne was treating
with the Papacy, 81 can always rely ON
the support of the French armies" He
knew too we'll that the armies of France
were ii bis bidding, for him to daily long
with an ed man who had nothing to OPP
pose to lAm but conscientious scruples
and the traditions of his Church He did
not hesitate, on the frs show Of resistance,
to have him carried off from the Vatican
by a body of gend armes, and dragged
from prison TO prison, while his estates were
confscated. More than 500 priests were
incarcerated at the close Of Bonaparte's
reign, aud the conflict OF the two powers
between whom he had pretended to
cement al alliance was becoming daily
more bitter. Hence his exclamation at
st. Helena "Th3 Concordat was the
greatest mistake ofmy reigu."--Zhe Con
temporafU Re0ielo.