The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1902-10-18

CONVERSATION VII-Continued.
I'VE change our ideas as we do the
fashion of our coats or our hats, and all
that is according to the reigning fash
ion is judged beautiful and CONNIE il
taut. Six years ago it was hardly safe
for a man in France not to profess
democracy, or at least republicanism.
Even the present emperor was repub-
lican, democrat, almost a socialist
The most eminent prelates accepted the
republic, and very considerable school
among the clergy preached the iden-
tity of Christianity and democracy, and
seemed bent upon erecting democracy
into dogma of faith. Now no demo-
cratic voice can be heard in France;
democracy is no longer today a Paris
ian mode, and one of the greatest and
best men in the empire, the greatest
living glory of France, is subjected to
VeXatiouS prosecution, if nothing
more, for a private letter to a neigh
Dor, in which he expresses his firm dis
like of political regime that offers
no guaranty for any sort of liberty,
and which was maliciously published
without his knowledge or consent.
Thousands who abhor Russia because
her government is an autocracy admire
Louis Napoleon, who is equally an au-
tocrat, and pray for his success in sus-
tanning the Grand Turk, the most god
less deSpot on earth, and whose gov
eminent is and has been for 400 years
a blighting curse on the fairest regions
of the globe, and, till it's power was
broken by Russian bravery and perse-
verance, remained formidable enemy
to Christian Europe. When 1 was a
young man the name democrat was a
reproach in the United States, repealed
with scorn and Indignation by our most
liberal politicians; but it is now a term
of honor, passport to popular favor,
and whoever would be elected to the
office must profess to be democrat,
although he despises democracy in his
heart and is thorough going arts
tocrat in it's worst sense in his prac-
tice
The rights of man were all we'll
understood, as clearly and accurately
defined, as well as the nature, Office
and sphere of authority, by the great
medieval doctors, as they have been
in our day and country. You fancy
the church favors monarchy. You have
but to study the acts and the monu-
ments of the greatest pontiffs who have
sat in the chair of Peter to know bet
ter. You hold the memory of Gregory
VII IN horror, ana yet ne suffered ana
died in exile, because he opposed tenn
poral princes in their tyranny and
dared raise his voice and use his au-
thority in behalf of the oppressed and |
the wrong. He told kings and princes |
of his time that their power originated |
in violence, in successful robbery and |
came from hell, OF heaven; and yet |
you democrats, echoing the wrath of |
kings and their courtiers, declaim /
against him and curse his memory. You
speak of the progress of liberty. Con-
fine your remarks to Europe, and the
progress of liberty for 400 years has
been only progress backwards. In
no European country has it advanced.
In England, the freest nation in Eu-
rope, there isnot so large a liberty,
and there is not so mild and humane
4 system of laws, as prior to the Nor
man conquest. In the northern nations,
he ancient Scandinavia, the old es