Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-14

daily they hate injustice, tyranny and IN
humanity.
and yet France has treated her noblest
citizens with injustice and inhumanity and
America, which has sympathy for the OPP
pressed of all nations, has raised no pro-
test nor uttered word of sympathy.
IF believed that my countrymen would
knowingly see a great and beneficent or
ganization unjustly deprived of it's prop
erty and the means of continued useful
ness; would knowingly see tens of thou
sands of honest men and noble women
robbed Of their just income and means of
support; would knowingly see hundreds of
thousands and even several millions of
people brutally wounded in what they hold
dearest and most sacred; would knowingly
see a majority in the chambers utterly
disregard and trample upon the rights of
the minority and the rights of millions of
their countrymen-in the name of liberty:
would knowingly see tens of thousands of
men and women-wdo happen to be priests
and nunS-turned out of their homes for
no crime but that of loving God and serv-
ing their neighbor-I say If my countrymen
can see and recognize all this Injustice and
tyranny and cruelty and refuse genuine
sympathy to those who suffer by them he
cause of their religious belief, then I will
leave life without that faith in American
love of justice and liberty and humanity
which has been my comfort and support
and hope during long career.
Hatred of Religion.
But the American people have not had
these things put fairly before them Our
own press has been to a considerable ex-
tent the reflex of the Partisan antf-clerical
press Most people over here have little
conception of the French anti-clericals.
They look on the leaders of this party as
ap1 ierIf toko
the republic from the attacks of an ag-
gressive clergy.
There have been honest and sincere low
ers OF republican government among anti
have far less love of the republic than
they have hatred of religion.
Il am weighing my words, and 1 say
with deliberate conviction that the leaders
of the present French government are ac-
tuated by nothing less than hatred of re-
ligion.
I'VE have no spirit akin to theirs in
this country. We have here much indifYer-
ence to religion, but We have no body of
men, great party that makes II a chief
aim to weaken the power of religion and
If possible utterly to destroy it out of the
land.
Jacobin Party Still Lives.
"But In France the Jacobin party is not
dead. Their spirit Is as living today as It
was in the last decade of the eighteenth
century; they hate Gsd, they hate Christ,
they hate HIS regilion as much as ever
their fathers hated them.
But they have learned a more prudent
and measured method of attack They are
almost scientific in the means they take
to suppress Christianity. And yet the ut
terances of such men are received as I'M
suspectingly by many Americans as would
be a discourse by Mr.. Cleveland or Mr.
Roosevelt or Mr.. Taft-men who recognize
the powerful influence that religion has in
promoting the welfare of society.
'1t is easy to show that / am not mis-
representing the spirit of the, anti-ciericais.
They make no secret their hatred OF
Christianity. They az it in the press
and in the chambers.
Sweet Words; Bloody Deeds.
For some reason the sentiments of the
| anti-clerieals are not reproduced by our
papers. But let a French statesman utter
counsels of moderation and sentiments Of
| liberty, when he wishes to check his follow
| ers and prevent them from foiling his plans
| by too great haste and zeal, then his fair
words are spread before the eyes of our
people. They are taken as the expression
of wisdom and fair play.
"For spinner of beautiful discourses
breathing humanity and justice, the French
demagogue cannot be surpassed
"It is common observation of historians
| that in the most bloody seasons of the
French revolution the air was full Of sweet
words about fraternity and liberty, coming
| from the very men who made the streets
| run with blood These men and those who
| inherit their spirit can talk more uivinely
| and act more diabolically than any other
on earth. They do not. of course. want
blodshed now, but the spirit of hatred ex-
| lists in them just as strongly.
Confscation at Revolution.
I'm order to understand the present sit
uation 1t must be borne in mind that before
| the French revolution all churches. all &C.
clesiastical lands and properties belonged
to the church by as just a title as property
| Is owned in our own country by the Cath
Ollie. Methodist or any other religious de-
nomination.
AT the revolution all buildings. landed
properties. funds. ETC., were confiscated by
| the revolutionists. But the injustice Of this
was soon recognized. and the constituent
assembled publicly and solemnly pledged
itself to render some sort of justice to the
church by giving for the support of the
clergy and the maintenance of worship an
annual budget. This amounted to a little
| more than per cent on the values appro-
priated by the state.
@Iet II be remembered. too, that this act