The Topeka state journal., 1899-10-09
CATHOLIC CLERGY
Taking a Prominent Part in French
Politics.

Paris correspondent says:
The militant attitude of the Roman
Catholic clergy of France from the
very outset of the Dreyfus agitation
may be followed by far-reaching conse-
quences. Not since the clerical en-
croachments which led to the coup
d'etat of May 16 1877, have the French
clergy taken such violent part in active
politics
NJ. Jonnart, the influential reputy from
the Pas Du Calais, a moderate conserv-
atiVe republican and a liberal Catholic,
who occupied the portfolio of minister
or public works in the Casimir-Perier
ministry in 1893, has written Il remark
able letter to NJ. COrneIy, in which he
points out that the Dreyfus affair has
been utilized by the clericaIs and mon
archists solely as a pretext for making
a desperate onslaught upon the repub-
lie and upon all liberal Institutions and
ideas NJ. JOnnart'S s views are indOrSed
by the Figaro, the Temps, the Matin,
the Steele, the AuTOre, and by all the
newspapers that had the courage or
honesty to espouse the cause of truth
and justice. Clear headed, cOnserVa-
tive Catholics like NJ. Hebrard, the edi-
tor of the Temps; NJ. De ROOdays, edi-
to rOf the Figaro; NJ COrnely, and NJ
Jonnart, do not hesitate to declare that
the open hostility of the French clergy
toward the republic is such that they
fear not only that there will be anti
clerical reprisal, but that when these
so Vindictive that one one can say
where they will end. The radical and
sOcialistic press already demands the
expulsion OF the JeSu1tS and all the re-
HgiOus congregations. The clericals ut
terly ignore the encyclical which Leo
XIII recently addressed to the French
bishops enjOining them in mild acade-
mic language to use their influence to
restrain the partisan zeal of the clergy.
This encyclical is very different from
the fOrcible era of 1889. in which the
3
Catholics that it was their bound duty
TO accept the republic as the firmly
established form of government Both
of these papal admOnitiOns are unheed-
ed, and the clerical organs, more viO-
lent than ever. declare that in order to
! be q good Catholic one must first of all
I be an -Dreyfusard.
During the last five years the relig-
1 ious congregations, which were dis
! persed in 1880, have re-established them
| selves, and, adrOitly prOhting by their
| former experience, have more than re-
| gained their former power. This is es-
| pecially so with the Jesuits and the as
sumptiOniStS of Paris. It is the as
| sumptiOnists who have their headQuar-
! ters in the Rue Francois Premier. and
] who began the fierce prOpa ganda
! against Dreyfus. Under the leadership
| of Fathers Picard and Bailly, y,who threw
] themselves into the movement with an
| impassiOned conviction worthy of Peter
| the Hermit, the assumpionist newspa-
/ per, the CrOix, was converted into an
| effective instrument to attain their
| ends.
! The Croix was founded 20 years ago.
/ Although rarely seen outside of France,
/ it has an enormous influence with
| French Catholics The subscription lists
| opened in its columns for the dome of
| the church OF the Sacred Heart at
| MOntmartre speedily reached a sum of
! nearly $500. 600. It's Paris edition is es-
! timated to have a circulation of 300, 600.
| There are over so subsidiary Croix
| throughout the country districts. There
! is a CrOiX De Rennes. the CrOix D'Au-
| Vergne, the CrOiX De Bordeaux, and
| there are CrOix in every department
! and important town of France. All
| these CrOiX have the same general ap
| pearance. In the left hand upper cor
/ ner there is a large figure of the cruci-
| hxiOn. with the motto "Aveniat, Reg
! mum Tuum.'
| There is a prominent RUbric, enti-
/ tied lie Courier Militaire, in which
purely military topics are treated, and
/ in which answers are given to all sorts
/ of queries from soldiers relating to
/ their comfort and welfare in barracks
| or elsewhere. La CrOix has a large cir
| culatiOn in the army, and it is distri-
J buted to soldiers gratuitously. The
price of the paper, which usually con-
4 SiStS OF eight pages, IS one cent1me- 1t
| was in the CrOix that the subscription
| was started to commemorate the mem
/ Ory of the late Col Henry, the fOrger.
/ The CrOix on September Il contained
! the following editorial reference to the
| RenneS verdict;
/ Justice has been done. DreyfuS has
/ been condemned. AS Frenchmen we
( rejoice over it. AS Catholics we praise
/ God for it"
| When Dreyfus was pardoned, the
| Croix published the following explana-
! tion in large characters:
| The Dreyfusards were themselves
/ astOnished at the haste with which
/ President Loubet signed the pardon.
| Many of them counted upon another
! trial, from which they anticipated an
! acquittal They were forced to aban-
/ don this project under the threat of the
production of a. photograph of the orig
inaI bOrdereau, upon which was an an
notation in the German emperOr's own
| Handwriting, of which the following
Z copy is certified as absolutely authen-
tic:
/ 81 Send me as soon as possible the
/ Canaille Dreyfus hurries up.-Wi-
/ helm "
The Croix of September %, published
/ telegrams from Cannes announcing
that Dreyfus had passed through the
/ railway station on his way to Monaco,
/ where he would pass the winter" AS it
( is a matter of common notoriety that
Dreyfus is with his family at Carpen-
! tras, the only inference is that this
! false news was published to prejudice
! the public against Dreyfus, whom it
| usually refers as that traitor
It must be remembered that the
! CrOix is the most popular and widely
| read religious organ in France 1t en-
/ joys the highest ecclesiastical patron
/ age. and has done more than any other
instrument to poison the public con-
| science in regard to Dreyfus, as may
| readily be imagined from the instances