The sun., 1891-01-11
xRAxos AND THE cArnOLIc CHURCH.
Dishsps aaA Priests Sending In Their
Aiisetaass 10 she Repusiie

Aisgtaaea TO she Republic
PARIS Dec 8i.-France could not wish for
Y a happier cloae Of the year from an interior
political point Of view. The defeat OF Bou-
lanGism and the revelations following II con-
tinue 10 bear fruit. The centre Of hostility to
republican Institutions Is becoming more and
moro disntegrated and before long tho re-
public will receive that unanimous approval
which 1t needs, in order to place 1t
beyond oil vicissitudes 80 long as q
government has against II q portion OF
the nstion. disputinR It's legitimate authority.
refusing to recognize 1t otherwise than as o
transitory affair OF temporary superior force
and Claiming the right to overthrow II In the
name OF an opposing principle, that govern
ment must necessarily have som thing incom-
plste and precarious within itself. even after It
has lasted. as ours has, for twenty years Its
enemies may be powerless for the realization
OF their threats. but their persistent refusal to
accept 1t as anything moro than transitory
thina compels It to bs tho government Of
rarty. that is to say. q struggling government
Finding itself opposed, IL Is compelled to de-
fend itself. and consequently 1t must neces-
sarily lose something OF it's liberty
OF sentiment and Of action. In its con-
duct party considerations. almost with
out its knowledge. become mixed with the
interests OF the nation. We have more than
experienced all this. The explana alton. II not
the excuse. OF many OF the faults Of republi-
cans must be looked for in the vague instabil-
ty which tho resistance OF tho monarchists.
supported BY the clergy. has maintained
over the future. At present thers arc In
dications that this resistance is coming
to an end. Royallsts and Bonapartists
are coming TO the conclusion that It Is
best not to prolong a hopeless and aimess
war. During the past year We have wit
messed the prsoursory signs Of their dis
couragement and exhaustion. The Boulan-
Stss coalition was a supreme effort for
the so.called conservatives. tho success
of which they believed certain. and the
, defeat OF which threw them into utter
confusion. The formation OF Q constitutional
party among the members OF the parliamen-
tary right. although It remained only In tho
condition OF project. foretold toward the
close OF 1888 the dismemberment moro or less
rapid. OF the anti-republican league Cor
tainly 1t was only q symptom which might
take long time to become developed: but
now wo have something more: the admission
OF an impotent antaeonism. and an admoni-
ton. coming from tho clergy themselves. to
abandon all attacks upon the republic.
This admonition is In the nature OF formal
command by reason OF the circums, ces
under which II has been given and the Pc
'culiar position Of the prelate who has charged
himself with the duty OF sending 1t forth The
occasion was stay for few days In the port
OF AlRiers OF our Mediterranean squadron OF
evolution. 1t was simple incident OF navi-
cation. which had nothing whatever to do With
politics. But Cardinal Lavigarie. Archbishop
Of tho African dioceses. gave a breakfast to
the Admiral and his officers. to which he also
invited the civil and military authorities
OF the colony. 1t was somsthinR new to
see prince OF the Church inviting to
his table such An assemblage Of repu blican off,
| GERS and missionaries. when nothing, not
even courtesy obliged him to do 60. Tho In
vited guests wore the most surprised OF all;
but their surprise became oven greater when,
.: the dessert. Monsignor Lavigerie arose and
gave toast to the French feet and spoke OF
the republic Rs the established government OF
the country. the necessary government and
the only one henceforth possible. That
nothing might be wanting In the scene, his
speech was followed By the "Msrseillaise
played by an orchestra composed Of monks: q
piauant and noteworthy detail.
1t Is evident that this manifestation was pre-
pared and premeditated. On the part Of any
other prelate ono might be disposed to think
that the affair exhibited want OF tact or
merely personal fancy. but the Archbishop
OF Carthage and AlGiers is an important
parsonage. the most important 10 reality
In the entire French episcopate, not
excepting even the Archbishop OF Paris.
During the past forty years he has played
prominent part. not only in our religious
world. but also at times in our political
world. His high intelligence. his frmness
which went oven SO far as to oppose Marshal
MaoMnhon whom tho latter was Governor.
General OF Algeria, toward the close Of the
empire his untiring energy. which has
manifested itself in all thines and
is at present displayed in the crusade
against African slavery. give a special
Importance to any act Of Cardinal La
vigerie's. He is too much accustomed to
| weigh his acts and his words and measure
| their reach and consequences. to permit any
ono to be deceived by the notion that mani
iestation like this breakfast and speech at Al
Riers could possibly be only fortuitous incl
dent When he thus publicly proclaimed his
allegiance to the republic he did not do 1t In
the excitement Of orstory or to please
the guests at his table: he addressed
himself directly to the clergy and to the
whole Catholic population OF France,
precisely for the purpose Of making to them
tho announcement OF his political conversion,
And what proves this. Is the fact that In his re-
marks the Archbishop supported himself In
formal terms upon the authority OF the Pope,
which Is something that he certainly could
mover do Ia le0ere. And. far from having
been disavowed by the Vatican. his language
has received An appreciation. discreet OF
course. like everything that comes from the
PspA court but very clear and very
significant. Moreover. 1t should not
bs forgotten that at the very time when he ac-
complished this oratoricsl coup d stat, Cardinal
LavlRerie had Just returned from a visit to
Rome. II is therefore presumable that, II he
had not received positive instructions he at
least must have been thoroughly coRnizant OF
the Pontifcsl view Of the question. Since bis
speech. moreover. he seems to have endeav.
ored to give to 1t all the character OF
an Official programme. Not content
with developing his argument upon the
necessity OF accepting tho republic
In pastoral address to the members Of his
clergy. he has shown marked determination
to return to the same subject In an interview
which he had with some Of them when starting
out for journey to the interior OF Africa He
has even gone further still Taking the con