The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-05-13

| benefit Of tho workingmen OF the country,
It had better give them the money in silver
dollars than waste 1t in this manner.
The Pope and tho French Republic.
The new brief sent by LEO XIII. to the
French Cardinals will put stop to the at
tempts to evade or minimize the purport OF
| the Popes former letter. directing French
Catholics to support the republic. What
has seemed during the last few months to
be on the surface o controversy between the
French Government and the Bishops, has
really been a conflict between the monarch
| ical party in the French Episcopate and the
head Of the Church. A review Of the Incl
dents that have followed one another since
| the beginning OF the year will show how
necessary it was for the Pontif to assert
his authority in clear and peremptory terms.
It will be remembered that after direct
ing French Catholics to recognize the re-
public. the Pope commissioned Cardinal
RICHARD. Archbishop Of Paris. to explain to
his colleagues the reasons for abandoning
the monarchical principle and for frankly
accepting the republican regime. Instead
of carrying out the Papal commission in the
spirit as well as in the letter. Cardinal
RICHARD. while protesting to recognize the
republic. proceeded to enumerate the OBJ
staces in the way Of such transaction
and to dilate on the oppressive acts Of
which the republic had been guilty. The
effect OF this declaration. which was pub
lishcd on Jan. 16. was precisely contrary to
what the Pope had desired. Tho Catholic
reader lost sight Of the perfunctory recogni-
ton Of the present regimein the catalogue Of
wrongs to which his co-religionists had
been subjected. The Pope saw that II he
desired the success OF his programme Of
reconciliation, he must put it forth in
more definite shape. and this he did on Feb.
IS in the well-known Encycllcal. Even then
some Of the French Bishops. while obeying
every affirmative injunction Of the Encycli-
cal. continued to take every step hostile to
the republic which was not expressly pro-
hibited. Just before the recent municipal
election half dozen of them signed docu-
ment in which all the mischievous acts of
interference with the Church by the civil
power in France since 1871. were recapltu-
lated. and the doctrine was proclaimed that
nobody is bound to obey laws Of which
he cannot conscientiously approve. The
French Government has punished the
signers Of this paper by suspending the
payment Of the salaries allotted to them
under the Concordat. Against this sus-
pension Of salaries the Pope has protested.
but at the same time he has rebuked the
offending Bishops in his own way by pub
fishing brief which reA1lrms. extends.
and emphasizes the injunctions issued in
Ak4 tno1 NJ Nil ia 80
in this now brief that any form Of legally
established government which furthers the
common veal. should be obeyed by its SUBJ
jects: and he then proceeds to give this
doctrine such special application as to leave
the royalist party in the French Eplscopate
without ground on which to bubble. Nor
Is this all. Cardinal RICHARD had gone to
Rome. not by invitation. but voluntarily.
with the hope Of obtaining from the Pope q
new communication which would soften
the Encyclical of Feb. l6. Not only has he
failed to obtain this, the new letter being
more rigorous than the old, but he has been
ordered to dissolve. the association known
as the Union OF Christian France. which
was founded ostensibly to protect Roman
Catholic interests. but In reality to further
the monarchist propaganda.
It Is settled. then. that the French Cath
olics are to be republicans II the Pope can
mako them SO. By this new brief LEO XIII.
has dealt the death blow to the cause Of
monarchy in France. Divorced from cler-
icalism. the monarchlcal principle has abso-
lutely no support among the mass Of voters.
Among the mobiles. and among the present
conservative members Of the Senate and
- %hn 10 D.
may still have some adherents; but they
will be henceforth Generals without an
army. That great body Of electors which
cast at least two-ffths Of all the ballots
thrown in 1889. have been transformed from
Monarchists into Conservative Republicans.
political factor destined. probably. to play
great part in the State. The effect OF the
disappearance OF the monarchical party ON
political programmes and combinations will
not. OF course. be visible until after the cleo
ton OF new Chamber Of Deputies. In tho
present Chamber the Mlnisterialists live In
terror Of the advanced Radicals, who detost
the Pope and desire to abolish tho Concor-
dat No matter. therefore. how gratified
the Ministers may DO by the policy Of LEO
XIII. and how eager to accept his over
lures. they arc forced to maintain an un-
gracious attitude by the knowledge that
M. CLEMENcEAU and his friends can. through
coalition with the Right. turn them out
OF Office at any moment. When. however.
the Right consists not OF avowed enemies
Of the republic on whom no Republican
Ministry dare lean. but OF Conservative
Republicans whose support may lawfully
be sought. then the power Of the advanced
Radicals will be irreparably broken.
There is something singularly impressive
in this act OF divorce pronounced by LEO
XIII. between large fraction of the people
and its monarchical proclivitles. No mod.
ern Pope has performed more difficult
achievement Or has used his tramAndnus