The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1899-10-10
Militant Attitude of the Catholics to be Fol-
lowed by Far Reaching Consequences.
DREYFUS AFFAIRS USED AS PRETExT
Conservative Catholics Say the Open Hostility Of the Clergy VIII
be Followed by AutI-C Clerical Reprlsas-Pore'S
Encyclcal ignored.

NEW YORK. oct o.--Thc Trlbunes
Paris correspondent says:
rho militant attitude OF tho Roman
Catholic clergy of France from the very
outset of tho Dcyfus agitation may b.
followed by far.rcaohing consequence.
No; since tho clerical encroachments
which led to ,hc coup d'clat ot May 10.
lS11 have the French clergy taken such
violent part In active politics.
". Jonnart. the influential deputy
from las du Calais, a moderate con.
servatlye republican and liberal
Catholic, who occupied the portfolio Of
minister of public works In the Caslmir-
pcricr ministry In 1898. has written a
remarkable letter 60 NJ. Corncly. In
which he points out that the hrcytus
affair has been utilized by the g!gricals
and monarchla,s solely as a prctcxt for
a desperate onslaught upon the rc9ub-
lie and upon all liberal Institutions and
ideas n. Jonnari's vlcws are endorsed
by the Figaro, the TEMPS, the Hatin
the Steele. the Aurorc and by all news
papers that had tho courage or honesty
20 cApoue the cause Of truth and Jus
lice.
Ciear.headed conservative Catholics
like n. Hebnrd. the editor OF the
Temps: NJ, Rodays, editor OF the FL
garo. NJ Corncly and NJ. JonnarI. do
not hesitate 20 declare that the open
hostility OF the French clergy toward
the republic is such that they fear not
only that therc viii be Rnu.clcrcOl re-
prIsals, but that when these rrprlsals
once begin they will become SO vindlc-
tive that on one can say where they
viii end.
The radical and social press already
demands the expulsion OF JesuIts and
all the religious congregations. The
clcrleals utterly ignore the encycllcal
~ aloh Leo XIII recently addressed TO
the French bishops, enjoIning them in
mild academic Language TO USE their
influence TO restrain the partisan zeal
Of the lower clergy, The encyclIcal Is
very different from the forclblc one
Of February I6. 1892. In which the pope
so clearly indicated to French catho-
I.es that It was their bounden duty to
acccpt the republic as the firmly estob'
hsbed form Of government. Both OF
tllcsc papal admouitions arr unheeded
and The clerical nrsa;.s more violently
than ever declare that In order to be a
good Catholic one must first Of all be
''anu-Dr,yfusard."
During the las, Ave years the rell-
sious congregations which wero dis
pcrsed In 1850 have rc-established them
selves, and adroltly prohting by their
former experience, have more than re-
gained their former power. This Is
especially so with the Jesults and the
Assumptlonlsts OF Paris, II is the AS
sumptionlsts who have their headquar-
ters In the Rue Francois Premier and
who began the first propaganda
against Dreyfus,
Under the leadership Of Fathers Pi-
card and Ballly, who threw them
selves into the movement with an Inn
conviction worthy Of Peter
the Hermit, the Assumptlonist news
paper the Croix, was converted into
IN effective instrument to attain their
ends. The Croix was founded twenty
years ago, Although rarely seen outside
" France, II has an enormous influence
with French Catholics, The subscrip-
lion lists opened in It's columns for
he dome Of the church heart ut the
speedily reached a sum of
nearly 100000. It's Paris edition Is said
o have circulation OF 100000. There
ire over 90 subsidiary Crolx through
,ut the country districts, There Is a
-rolx de Rennes, the Crolx d'Auvergne,
he Crolx de Bordeau, and there are
'rolx In every department and lmpor-
ant town Of France. All these Croix
lave the same general appearance In
he left hand upper corner there is a
arge figure Of the cruclhxlon, with the