The Irish standard., 1903-06-06

place OF worship n0t Il parish church
be closed, and threatening to close
even these latter il amy priest belong
ing to the suppressed congregation be
allowed to preach in them. Practically
every bishop has declined to execute
this ukase. The denunciation of the
Concordat and the reputation of the
national debt in SO far us the main-
tenance of the clergy is concerned Will
be the next step. probably.
In 1901 France was i'll Il state CT
anarchy and dissolution. Trade. COM
merce and agriculture We're at
stand still. The pillage of neishbor-
ing states alone provided money to
carry on the government and it's civil
and foreign wars. Above all there
was Il profound disturbance in the
real estate market.
In 1888 the convention had seized
and thrown on the market all the
property of the Church, pious dona-
lions which had accumulated during
many centuries. From prudence and
common honesty, if not from fear of
communication, few purchasers
could be found for this kind of prop
erty. Two classes OF proprictors were
formed; those who could give Il clear
title and those who could not Civil
and religious discord was perpetrated
,;.,l
most anxious to restore normal condi-
tons, and there was but one person
who could give Il clear title to the con-
tiscated lands in the eyes of Catholics.
To him Napoleon appealed. But Plus
VII. could not fore"o all claims to
these lands without adequate compcn-
sation. The French government then
undertook to pay i'll perpetulty the
stipendS of an adequate number OF
bishops and clergy and to guarantee
the free exercise of the Catholic re-
for which the pope as supreme head
of the Church, gave clear title to
these lands by condoning the spolia-
ton.
The payment of these subsidies to
the Church is not Il tribute or
gratuity, such as the state allows to
Jew and Protestant ministers; nor is
it a salary, as is falsely represented.
1t is strictly the payment of Il ma
tionai debt in the same way as the
interest is paid to holders of ) per
cent bonds.
The spoiation of the Catholic cler-
gy, the suppression of Catholic schools
were the chief means adopted by Jul
ian the ApoStatc when he undertook
to restore pnganism. This pagan
Third Republic is rcsorting to the
same means.
To mask their plans they mean to
establish IL kind OF a State Church
served by servilc state functonarles
chosen among apostate priests. line
First Republic tried the plan and fail
ed conspicuously. Most thankfully
would the Catholic clergy here S:!crl-
flee the subsidies to which they are
legally entitled if ut this price they
could purchase liberty such as they
enjoy in England and the United
States. But the denllnciation OF the
Concordat will only mean for them
omen and violent persecution-prison,
death and transportation, as under the
First Republic in 1890. when the
Catholic clergy were gulllotlned,
drowned and transported by tens OF
thousands, while apostatc priests
were 2arrssed and enriched by the
pagans in power.
Capetguc in the third of his ten
volumes Oh the consulate comments
on the singular fact that. from the De
ginning, the First French Republic
bitterly nnlHYoliZru the Rtplihllc ol
Washington. that owed its indepcn-
dence to the murdered Louis WI. lie
explains this peculiar phenomenon"
nv the fact that the French Republic
was one of tyranny and anarchy,
while in the United States law and
liberty prevailed. What was true
then is equally true to-day. Ihere
can be no sympathy between the two
Governments but that of sectaran i'll
tolerance Nj. Combes says he be
lieycs in that mysterious force called
nrourcss' and he has put back the
hand of progress to lGS3-niy, to
1900.
When | say NJ. Combes. mean the
occult society that governs France
Civil religious war is raging all over
the country The regular army mas
been called into reuuistion to aid the
mounted police in sweeping 'hlck inc
multitudes who manifest everywhere
against the expulsion Of the con:re%a-
tion,,ists. Several officers have re-
fused to take part in these operations.
Many arrests have taken place. n
Madcmoisellc de Moreno was con-
demned to eight days Imprisonment
for having cried. ''Nive la libcrte,
and said to Il magistlite that ne WAS
a coward Here in Nice, on my houle-
ward. three companies of cavalry ana
some infantry were at WORK recently
clearing the streets at ) Il. III. llitller'
to the weapons used have been sticks
n