The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-07-16

axe 1aniSned wou 81 the throne
and throttled il 20 death. Dur
ing ali this terrible period bat
one bright spot relieves ail its black
ness, the reign of Henry the Fourth, who
by the edict Of Nantes. granted religious
freedom to his 10000 political subjects,
but the edict was revoked by Louis the
Fourteenth in 1858, and not until list,
when the FIRST mutterings Of the coming
storm began TO be heard, did Louis the
Sixteenth return 10 the liberal policy Of
Henry the Fourth; that is. Louis the
Fourteenth had put back the hands of the
clock of liberty full century, for France
in 1851 was in religious liberation behind
Prussia Of 1856. behind England of loss;
behind Catholic Austria Of ISL, and be-
hind Germany, whether Catholic or Pro-
testant.
The French constitutional convention
OF 1883 made Peotestants eligible TO all
public Offices. and the republican consti-
tuition OF 1898 proclaimed the free exercise
OF religion to be an indefeasible right.
Napoleon, the child of this great revolu-
ton, while he concluded a concordat with
the pope, upheld the legal existence of
Protestant churches. and legal!Zed divorce.
The effect of the enormous waste OF the
best blood of France IN the Napoleonic
wars from 1876 10 1915 Is seen in the feeble
life of France under the Bourbons from
1915 to 1880, when revolution sent Charles
Y. into exile.
The government of France under LOUIS
Philippe was mean and sordid; its foreign
policy was ignoble. shabby and treacher-
Gus; its home policy was narrow minded
and repressive. 1t endured until 1SiS,
when the king, who had fought like a hero
in his youth in the armies of the first re-
public at Valney and Jemappes, ran away
to England in a panic. He was brave
solder. a bright man, bat treacheroas,
avaricious. cowardiy king. He had the
domestic virtues OF Charles the First IS
well as his incurable political untruthful-
ness and deceit; he had been a soldier,
teacher in exile in both Europe and the
United States, but adversely and immense
experience had taught him so little that
when he died IN 1880 brilliant English
man described him correctly as 1.-The clever,
unwise, grand, mean old man"
The national reaction from the mean
and shabby rule OF Louis Philippe made
France welcome the glittering and pomp-
ous policy of that shallow adventurer.
Napoleon the Third. The Crimean war,
and the victorious campaign against Aus
tria that ended at Soiferino in 1859. Gre
ated an Elusive popularity that lasted ten
years and then tumbled into ruin at the
first prick of Blsmarck's bayonets.
Since lS70 Republican France has had a
hard and not altogether encouraging
struggle for a new and better social and
political freedom. Under Theirs and
Gambetta, men of genius, France made
decided progress; under Grevy she slowly
but steadily seemed TO deteriorate, but
since the election of Carnot in December,
1857, affairs in France have assumed a more
hopeful look.
Carnos. the grandson of the great war
minister who served France splendidly
until his stern republicanism led him TO
refuse longer service under the first Ma
poleon, is dis tinguished for uprightness of
character, rectitude of conduct, urbanity,
executive ability, courage, conservatism,
GOODNESS, frmness, decision and resolu-
ton. His concise and simple oratory
makes him very effective speaker, and
his practical experience obtained in his
profession "a a civil engineer, has enabled
him TO address with great effect the
trades and workingmen of France
The vigor of his character was
proved by the prompt dissolution of the
Boulanger League by measures which not
only made Boulanger an exile. but utterly
endorsed him for ever as a political figure
of the slightest dignity or even decency.
The French republic owes much today
10 the present pope. who during the past
year suddenly deprived the Conservatives
of their rising power and activity. BY Of
fcially announcing that the opposition the
Catholics were manifesting against the
republic could not be sanctioned by him.
He added that the republican form of gov
eminent was as acceptable TO the church
as any other form. and that the first duty
of Christian was TO submit absolutely
and Loyalty to the government which was
established.
This action of the pope forces the Cath
Ole clergy, hitherto hostile, to use their
immense popular influence in favor of the
perpetuity of the republic. 1t was an act
OF far-seeing wisdom on the part of the
pope, who sees that the drift of the age is
toward republicanism and away from
ROYALTY; the pone moors his church in the
safest harbor when he ties up TO the
French republic which is fact. rather
than 10 the baseless fabric OF political
visions represented by Legitimists, Or
leanists and Bonapartists.