The Daily Texarkanian., 1900-07-30
PARIS LETTER.
-Erom oar ReruIar correspOndent.

way the French celebrated it. Yes,
celebrated is the word, for the
Stars and Stripes in miniature were
seen on almost as many French bo-
SONS as Americans. l spare you
the speeches made at the Washing
ton and Lafayette ceremonials but
may notice the idea expressed by M
Delcasse', minister for foreign af-
fairs, that France and America
never can quarrel. 1t is probably
true. The republics are not, and
are not likely to be in competition
for trade or territory, the two chief
causes of modern wars, though it is
possible, and may say probable that
America may one day have to stand
shoulder,to shoulder against France
and other Latin countries in an
Anglo-Saxon struggle against the
world.
1t was part of my duty to see
the Minister of Commerce on. Mill
erand) a fw days ago in connection
with the said Fourth, and while
waiting for him l passed the time
looking through Fermand Labori'i
"Grand Review" as he calls his
monthly magazine. Labor is vel
known to Americans as the heroic
advocate of Dreyfus-a tall, burly
young man with immense vitality
and strength, and any amount ot
fighting power. He is married tC
an Englishwoman and speaks En-
glish better than his wife speaks
French, no doubt, as he tells yor
himself, because he makes her talk
English so that he may not forget
that language. ''If she wants d
lesson in French let her come anc
take one in the courts, he adds.
Well, in the Grand Review anoth,
er Dreyfusite you know of in Ameri
ca, Yves Guyot, suggests rather
than prophesies that France will
some day become Protestant, Does
that surprise you? Yet it is not
so surprising if you think of it. The
qualities of the French mind and
character are eminently adapted
for protestantism-shrewd, logical,
not easily deceived once the first
glamour of some precious dogma
has worn of, such are the French,
But first let me say that when
speak of France do not mean Par
is nor when l speak of Paris do
think of France. They are two
countries, almost two nationalities,
and though, politically and artistic
ally, Paris rules France, it is only
superfcially and she gives France
neither religion normorality. That is
done by Rome, for the priests edu,
cate the intellectual and moral for
ICes of the nation and the priests
take their instructions from Rome,
But for Napoleon the First
priest-despiser if ever there was
one-France might easily have
become Protestant at the Revolu
ton: in fact Napoleon was widely
reviled for supporting the foreign
influence Of the Pope and for sign
ing the Concordat with him in 1901
The conordat is the base of thu
present French religious system
But Napoleon could not do withou
the Pope, or rather his ambition
made him suppose he could make
the Pope his vassal, and through
the Pope foreign countries, H,
brought the Pope of his day to Par
is, you remember, for his coronation
and when the Pope offered to plac
the crown on his head, he very clev
erly seized it, placed it on his hea,
himself, and then on that Of hi
Empress, Now the result of tn
Concordat is that the foreign Cath
olic system has grown into tn
French mind and habits and th,
government cannot get rid of it i
it would. The government, it /,
true, nominates the 66 Freucl
bishops, but the Pope has an abso
lutte veto, and as the 5000 cures ar,
irremovabIe, and the 5000 vicar
entirely in the hands Of the bishop
the government cannot dispossess
them, l am far from from saying
or thinking there is a disposition OF
a large scale in France to turn tc
Professionalism, Country life il
France is the abomination of desc.
lation and the Catholic Church with
its glittering ceremonial, its fetes,
and its clever priesthood are almost
the sole means of intellectual dis
traction and amusement for the
people, Literature is not spread and
read through France as In the Uni
ted States. only say there is a