Omaha daily bee., 1889-06-22
THE CONSTITUTION OF FRANCE
Jules Ferry Strongly Opposed to
Revision at This Time.
CHURCH AND STATE RELATIONS.
Religion n Moral Force Which the
Civil Power Can Not Disregard
Severe Criticism by the
Radical Journals.
Ferry Sticks to His Assertion.

lCopHrigm 1889 bp James Gordon Bennett.1
PARIS, June 2i.-l New York Herald Cable
Special to THE BEE. lin q speech deliv-
cred last Monday at the National Republican
association banquet M. Jules Ferry accent
uated the declarations he had previously
made in the chamber Of deputies. He was
very energetic in his condemnation of the
agitation in favor of revising the constitu-
tion. The idea of convokiug tho constltu-
ents and modifying the constitution at time
when republican institutions were exposed
TO attack on every hand was said by M. Ferry
TO be an alteration. The terms in which the
opportunist leader insisted on the necessity
OF concluding peace between the church and
state were not worthy. 1t was this part of
his speech in the chamber which most excited
the ire of NJ Clemenceau, but, far from re-
tracing any Of his opinions, NJ Ferry reiter.
ated his statement, that religion in France
represented great moral force which the
civil power could not disregard, and with
which it should avoid all quarrels.
AS might have been expected, the radicals
have taken umbrage at these declarations,
and their organs take M, Ferry severely to
task. The Justice, Lanterne and other news
papers of the same shade of opinion declare
retrograde policy of Tonklners can not be
accepted by the republican party. A re.
vision of the constitution is, they say, both
necessary and urgent in some instances
They pretend that the national assembly was
not qualified to draw up constitution for
France.
The conservative journals join with the
radical organs in critcising M. Ferry's
speech. M. DeCassagnac is for once with
M. Clemenceau. Accordingly, in his defense
of the existing constitution, M. Ferry has to
deal with radicals, monarchists and Bou-
langists. However. he has the support of
all members of the moderate party, and his
programme exactly answers to the desire of
the majority of the population, as the whole
people OF France want not q change of gov
ernment, but order, tranquility and religious
tolerance. NJ. Ferry's language would con-
sequently be well received throughout tho
country if his personal situation and remem-
brance of his past policy did not detract
from its effect. The conservatives, for their
part, have no confidence in him. In his
mouth liberty Of conscience, religious peace
and tolerance are but as VAN words, for it
can not be forgotten that it was Ferry
who expelled religious orders from the soil
of France; that it was Ferry and the oppor-
tunist party who weeded out from the ranks
of the magistracy those who were suspected,
with or without reason, of clericalism; that
as SOP to the Cereberus of radicalisn the
opportunists adopted the formula, Les
cures sac au dos,'' and that regulation of
schools and hospitals was in the beginning
their work. Nor can it be forgotten that in
obedience to the iniunctions of the radicals,
the Ferrys were among the first to declare
themselves in favor Of partial revision of
the constitution; that their policy, when they
were in power, was a constant pandering
to radical opinions. If it were possible to
believe the opportunists sincere at this juno
ture, the past might be forgotten, but they
have not broken their faith with the ad-
vauced section of the extreme left. Their
camps are still allied in view of the election.
When the requirements Of the situation will
force on Ferry's partisans to vote for an ex-
preston OF the budget, and for
q revision of the constitution, the moderate
republicans allied with the x-communists is
certainly curious spectacle.