Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-12-04
s.ENES IN FRANCE.
ENFORCING THE DEGREES AGAINST RE-
LIGIoUs ORDERS.
Decorating Graves of the Departed with
Beaded Ornaments, Bouquets and
Wreaths-An Annual Custom
PARIS. November s. 1850.

PARIS, November s, 1880.
Throughout France, as well as at Paris,
has this last week been marked with ex-
citing incidents, owing to the execution of
the DEGREES, which have taken place with
unusual energy and promptitude. The re-
ligious orders, in proportion as they have
been disbanded and had their dwellings
and chapels closed, have grown more and
more rebellious and in some instances have
resorted to extreme measures. In some of
the monasteries the younger and even some
of the older priests made their escape
through the windows, so frightened were
they at the war-like preparations going on
within. Rifles, pistols and ammunition
were gathered together with the purpose
of making desperate defense however,
nothing very murderous has as yet oc-
Cured within the monastic walls. The
accidents notwithstanding have grown
more numerous, the religious ardor has in
creased and the signs of resistance have
been more accumulated. At Bourges the
entrance to the convent of the Fran
ciscans was so barricaded and fastened
that the workmen with all their tools
were unable to demolish the door
and they were eventually obliged to scale
the walls by means of ladders, and by
breaking the windows effect an entrance IN
the upper part Of the building. Even on
reaching the interior they found the
stairway barricaded SO effectually that it
required very near one hour to make their
way through. Pretty much the same cere-
mony has taken place in all the different
cities, and at ali the different monasteries.
Each door
HAD TO BE BATTERED DOWN
With hatchets, and on entering number
of noted Legitimists were found within,
who had lived shut in with the friars for
number of days, and who on becoming
offensive in their protestations were many
of them arrested. The priests and friars
shut in their cells were taken out one by
one, when the women on the sidewalk
rushed towards them to kneel for their
blessing OF kiss their hands and the hens
Of their garments, or else they threw flow
ers in their pathway. The crowd cried in
part 81 5as les decyetS," while others
exclaimed L" ViUeat les decrets," and an
alteration, which sometimes ended in a
skirmish, generally took place. At Lyon a
young workman, looking on the scene with
indifference, without taking any active
part, was attacked by a band of young
Catholic students and struck several times
with cane swords. He died the next day.
A number of these belhgereBt young men
were arrested and passed in review before
the victim, who however failed to recognize
among them his murderers. This sad
event caused the religious orders to reflect
on the consequences OF exciting religious
zeal, and many were so affected as to pre-
sent no resistance whatever to the execu-
ton OF the law. In some monastries as
soon as the officers penetrated into the
court friar rang the alarm bell from the
tower, whose signal collected the faithful
before the doors When considering that
it was G o'clock in the morning and that
the mornings are at present very cold, 1t
would scarcely be too much to canonize
them for their devotion.
ON ONE OCCASION
The friar rang the tocsin for two whole
hours without stopping, and ceased only
when he was arrested and conducted into
the street. as had been the others. The
mise en- scene prepared in the provinces was
already remarkable In its ectat for those
more quiet cities, but Paris, which has
pretentions to more life and activity, was
not wanting on this occasion to prove
her superiority. So as to avoid all
manifestation which may become more or
less dangerous in large city, convocation
letters were carried by agents to twenty
two Commissaires de Police and their Sec
retaries, who were recommended to act
with the greatest promptitude so as not to
allow riotous meeting the time to take
place. There were ten congregations to be
disbanded, dispersed IN eleven converts,
and at 10 o'clock i'll the morning the Com
missaires OF Police were to be found before
the eleven monasterles. Forty persons,
among whom We're about a dozen journal
lists, had slept at the Convent of the Order
OF Franciscans, prepared to assist their re-
ligious friends In their opposition, for 1t
was supposed the authorities would call at
o'clock in the morning, as had heretofore
been done, so that on the arrival of the
Commissaires de Police they found the
doors open and all celebrating mass. The
authorities waited until mass was finished,
then begged the faithful there assembled
to evacuate the church. There were
scarcely any but women present, who,
instead of obeying, began singing "PAce
nsa1fs stetta " with all the force of their
lungs, and they had to be expelled
by force one at time. They held on to
the banisters, screaming and throwing
over the chairs, and several had to be car
ried out by two police agents. In the
mean time the reverend fathers assembled
in the choir, which strong iron railing
separates from the rest of the church, sing
ing "Tantum Ergo" One man about so
years of age remained seated in the church.
When asked to go out he answered that he
was paralyzed, and on the question being
put to him as to how be got there if para
iyzed, he Immediately threw himself down
on the floor, drew forth from his coat the
cross OF the Legion Of Honor, which he
placed on his breast, then got on his knees.
What are you doing? p The agent asked
him. 81 am praying for you, your chill
dren and your family" They were obliged
to carry the paralyzed man into the street,
and on his there offering violent resistance,
he was conducted to prison. When the
chapel was emptied the officers
KNOCKED AT TUE DOOR
OF the convent, where they were kept a
long time answering questions through the
wicket and repeating their mission. On
the Franciscans refusing to open the door
it was beaten down with hatchets as the
others had been while the sounds of the
Ratchet were heard, piercing cries filed
the air OF ''Thieves. Thieves. !" On en-
tering, all the officers of the Government
who had taken part in the execution OF the
decree were communicated by the SUI
psrior of the convent, by virtue of the
power bequeathed him by the Pope. On
Mr. Clement, the Commissioner to the
delegations, ordering all to go ont, he was
answered by injurious remarks, when those
J.