The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1906-12-29

the state is the great power and all
must think and act as the state wills
and as We will" This is certainly the
spirit of the infiGels who now rule the
| country; and l am not at all sure it
were not to some extent, at least, the
spirit Of some good Catholics, who,
were they tomorrow in ascendancy,
should believe it their duty to make
every one go to mass, as the present
government assumes it as their duty
to let no one go to mass.
Combine together in the present gov
eminent of France the idea Of deep
seated hatred of religion. and that IF
tile omnipotence of the state, and you
can understand how the law Of separ-
alton with its associations OF worship,
has come to be enacted.
Let us understand, however, what is
meant by the government, lest we be-
lieve things to be worse than they
are. The law Of separation was car
ried in the chamber Of deputies by a
vote of 341 against 233, and in the
senate by a vote of ISL against 1O2.
1t would not have required a very
NAKED change in membership in either
Of the chamber or of the senate to have
defeated the law. Sound sense and a
respect for the rights covers yet more
benches in the French parliament;
and no wonder We're it If one day it
claimed supremacy.
What is the matter with France?
Why does there come from the urns
of France the anti-Catholic majorities
in parliament?
France is a Catholic country; Of this
We must not doubt. Inf1delity has
made it's. inroads among her people:
the test of active faith, attendance at
mass and the reception Of a sacra-
nent is wanting among many. But
their hearts are loyal to the old relig-
ion, and summoned to take their stand
around the banner Of the church the
millions will not hesitate. know
France from the channel to the Med
iterranean; l know her cities and her
villages; l know her people-her aris-
tocracy. her bourgeoisie and her peas
antry-and I know them to be Catho-
lie. How, then, explain the political
situation? There are several causes
to be noted. The masses are not used
to political life. For ages they We're
governed; they do not comprehend the
art of governing. Put a party lower
it names the hundreds of thousands Of
officials from the perfect Of Il depart
ment to the humblest schoolteacher, to
the village constable; they obey the or
der received from Paris; they speak to
the crowds around them-crowds who
read so little, who think little, and
the crowds in their turn obey the man
date. An independent, self-argued
suffrage has not entered into the pop.
ular life. Nor is there among the
masses the ambition to gain political
victory. Paris for a century and half
has ruled France. established a new
regime, monarchial or republic in Par
is this evening; the provinces awaken
tomorrow morning monarchial or re-
publican. 1t will require long years
to decentralize power in France to give
to each citizen consciousness Of per-
sonal independence to obtain through
universal suffrage true expression Of
national will.
The peasantry of France is naturally
apathctic for all things outside her
own field, or family l1earthstone. If it
moves at all it is at the call Of the
loulest voice, in response to the liveii-
est agitation--and the loudest and the
liveliest are the professional agitators,
or the self interest officials. There is
no other country whore a we'll organ-
lied and stirring fraction Of the popu-
lation can sway SO easily tho masses
and impose upon them It's will.
The clergy, who are the chief suf-
ferers, are much to blame. They, too,
have retained. even at the altar and in
the pulpit. the spirit of passive obedi-
ence inherited from old regimes. Ad-
mirable in teaching the catechism. in
administering the sacraments-they
have never learned the virtues of pub
lie life, they have never quickened be-
meath the activities of the battlefield.
Their example and their preaching
have left their disciples in the same
passivity-and these know nothing Of
the public defense Of principles; saints
before the altar, they are towards be-
fore the electoral urn.
Then. French Catholics have been
unfortunate in many of their leaders
and spokesman. These remain dream
ers of the past, partizans of buried po-
litical regimes If the masses Of the