The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-02-20


Of the wheels Of It's administration: and rathea
than submit TO this servitude they ought tn ha
ready to sacrifice everything. and be dsposo3
to undertake everything for resistance" Fur,
thor on the Bishops qualify this language bv
| adding: In word. our programme is ro.
spect for tho laws OF the country. except In
cases where they come In contact with tina
| exigencies OF conscience. respect for the ron.
resentatives Of power. frank and loyal accent.
ance OF the existing political institutions, but
at the same time firm resistance to the on,
croachment OF the secular power upon thu
spiritual domain" This is fighting bro,
| grnmme. as clear. as categorical. and as enor.
| getic rs possible.
| The manifesto. when first published had
| five signatures only. those OF the five mem.
| bers OF the French Episcorate who are clothed
| with tho dignity OF Cardinal. namely. the Arch.
| bishops OF Paris. Of Lyons. OF Reims OF Renne,
| and OF Toulouse. But since its publication II
| has successfully received the adhesion O, all
| the high clergy. including even those prelate,.
| who had associated themselves with the great.
| est ardor and sincerity In the movemen. ~
| Cancellation last year. The explanation n,
| this apparent contradiction in their conduct Ia
| found in the ability Of the authors of tho man.
| ifesto. who have found n way to envelop thelr
| appeal to anti-republican sentiment with ths
| appearance OF a simple vindication of tho Ia.
Ultimate rights OF Catholicism. Under this
form no mombers Of the clergy could refuse 10
join their voices to that OF tho others without
exposing themselves to tho imputation of do.
sorting the common cause. That lisa reproach
to which none would dare to expose himself.
not even the Archbishop of Agier. who was tls
first to proclaim that religion must hcnccforth
remain separated from politics. 1t is n great
success for the organizers ofthe now movement
and probably the principal result which thcv
had in view. to have cut short the concilla;ory
propaganda by oblging those who had becoms
its advocates to recognize publicly that tho
Church has interests distinct from those OF tho
State. and that 1t can live with II only upon
the footing Of an armed peace.
This distinction is precisely what tho mod.
crates in tho republican party. as well as in
tho clergy. have directed all their efforts to
obliterate: and now it comes up again mora
bitter than ever at a time when there was
every reason to believe that it was about t,
pass away. Instead OF tranquility il is new
and open hostility that We are In tho presence
Of: because, while affecting loyalty to the re-
public. tho Archbishops in reality preach q
crusade against its laws, and treat as enemies
all men who take part In the Government,
Vainly. to weaken the scope OF the manifesto.
the fact has been referred to that it contains
no allusion to the monarchcal cause. and that
tuO COuuSelS loT TeSlSttHCo arc given IN mo
tho name Of religion only. These counscls
are none the less formal. and none the less
made to revive the moral trouble which was
beginning to disappear. and to confuse the
public conscience by leRitimizing political in.
differentiation in the name Of religion.
1t is great mistake to judge OF the general
state OF the public mind in France by Partisan
irrcligion. even by the Indifference mixed
with skepticism which great portion OF the
population manifests toward tho manifesto.
ton Of religion. Notwithstanding this outside
appearance OF Independence in regard to tho
clergy. the latter preserve their power over
minds and their influence over IDEAS lnn-
nitely moro than is generally believed. Sus.
tanned by tradition. by custom. and by old-tims
prejudices. this power and this innu.
ence exercise an action all the more
profound from the fact that in many
cases it Is not ostensible or direct. 1t
is to these causes. more than to purely poti-
cal discords that we should attribute tho
s!owness Of the national fusion under the re-
publican regime. and the resistance which 10
meets with among number of men OF liberal
tendencies who would have frankly accepted
it long ago IL they had not been hindered by
tho thought that the republic Is incom patible
with Catholicism. The immense evil OF tho
;Shieh has Just been issued will be
10 give new food to this thought at time
Wnen IL was beginning to weaken
1t will have another consequence no less
dangerous in an opposite sense. 1t will fur.
nish pretcXt and a sound argument for tho
ldversaries OF the Church to demand that It
should be absolutely thrown out OF the State,
They have now the precise language Of tho
tpiscopate to support their position and to
show that there is no room to hope for a sin.
'ere and durable reconciliation. because tho
clergy will always try to put themselves boz
7ond. IL not above. the civil power. That isa
POINT In the question which the Bishops did
lot, perhaps. sufficiently reflect upon before
ssuing their declaration OF war. which will be
urned against themselves. Tho effect has not
ret been completely produced. because tho
manifesto was published in tho absence of tho
'hamber 81 Deputies. but In few days. when
he interrupted sessions shall begin again. We
nay be sure to Gnd the Intransig6ants calm:
moro ardently than over for the abolition Of
no concordat. which. since the beginning
Il the century. has formed tho basis OF tho
eace between France and Rome. Certainly
hey will not carry their point i'm ediately: but
hey Will have with them more or less openly
many modcrates. who have resisted them up
0 the present time In tho hope and the con.
lotion that an open rupture between tho
hurch and the State might be averted. To-
ay this hope and this conviction are shaken,
ecnuse tho clergy themselves have disarmed
heir defenders by tho irreconcilabo attitude
hat they have now taken.
E. MAssERAs.
Bride and Widow In One Day.
From he Chicago Herald