New-York tribune., 1881-11-21

10 make a full confession of his political faith
in entering upon the Premiership. His pro-
gramme is not to be narrowed to his first Official
utterances. For eleven years he has been the
master spirit of French republicanism. The
whole cause is embodied in the man. The real
political programme of the new Ministry is the
Premier himself-that is, Leon Michel Gambetta
as revealed by his published speeches ana us
public acts.
Gambettas lifelong antipathy to ClencalSm
may be easily illustrated. We may cite either
the celebrated speech in which he gave cur
rencv to his friend Pcyrats phrase, he clerl-
caismc, VOLTA l'ennemi," or to the DEGREES IN
spred by him against the unauthorized rehg-
ions associations. He has held the higher clergy
responsible for the degradation OF France
unGer the Empire and for the reactonary IN
trigues of the Septcnnate, and has denounced
and detestcd them for mcddling with politics
and plotting against republican institutions.
The general election Of 1877 he regarded as
battle between political Liberty and Clerical
ism. and when the victory was won ne lnStl-
tutcl a sy stem of repriSals against the religious
allies of the monarchcal factions, and cspecl-
alIv against the Jesuit directors Nor Is there
any evidence that he has shifted ms ground.
His Minister of Worship and Public instruction
is known as a fanaticll enemy OF Clencalism'
Paul Bert's views on rcli giOus and secular edit
cation were recently expressed most unc1uNo-
cally at a public meeting in the Cirque liver.
He set his face stcrnly against any form oi re-
Iieious instruction in the public schools. il
martcred not whether such teaching was gwen
in or outside the regular school hours, nor
whether the attendance off pupils was optional or
compulsory, nor whether the teachers were lay
men instead of priests; he would not have II
ON any terms The reason assigned for this
rigid exclusion of religious instruction discloScs
the intolcrant radicalism of the new Minister'S
beliefs. "Rcligions teaching" be remarked
is the school of imbcclity, of lauaticism OF
anti-patriotism and of immoraliy.' He con-
demned it because it impaired seli-coniiencc'
causing pupils to distrust themselves, giving
them no weapon except prayer, ana piuhSinE
them into incrtness and superstition. When be
charged Clcricaism with substituting a priest
for conscience rs the inialllbe Judge ot human
conduct. hc did not consider that he was 81! iuE
the worst that could bc said of religious in
struction. Such instruction in his estimation
was distinctivcly immoral. Religion. SAID
he. rests upon false bases, upon unjuStihabic
hyuothrScs, upon erroneous conceptions oi the
nature of man. of his part IN society and IN the
physical world" and whenever it had hap
ncncd TO teach morality it had borrowed from
the sublime and eternal prrccpts of conscience
common to all times and all peoples rs
Gambctta himself prcs led over the meeting ~
which this exhibition of ianatical intolerance
WAS made. hc knew in advance what Wa, hio
future Ministers position in relation To the
Cbutcb. such nm appointment is therefore far
mann significant than ANYTHING that Was left
,,,.oil IN his Ministerial declaration.
p,uI Bcrt's drnunciatIon of the Catholic To-
Iiriou n, something essentially immoral marks
q decided advance upon the Premier, own
record. That record would bc NIltulIy oI rrck-
lcs>ly mi,construcd if the Republican leaders
hostility to the Church were Co be- hccdi,,-iy
assumed. When hc branded CIrricii>m IN
So a . ....,.,. L.. ,,I ,,,t -,,I. o., ,rr,, th,