The Irish standard., 1906-12-29

congregations Of their property, valued
at 4s5,000.000 francs, and drove them
penniless into exile.
.Au this was accomplished before
Plus x. was elected Pope. and yet with
bold effrontery they stand before the
world and say that the gentle. white
robed Shepherd In Rome has created all
the trouble, q statement which NJ. Ri
bot, ono Of the former prime ministers
of France. denounced as ian historic
lie:a's 1t is the old, old story of the
wolf dsvouring the lamb because it
was muddyipg the stream below.
We are told. that the gentle Sisters in
the hespitals. the orphan homes and
thstrpfuxe for the poor and unfortu-
matte are tho aenemies of the republic
and : peril to the nation. They must
be driven out Of the country at any
cost, but the hundreds Of thousands of
vile prostitutes that AL the great cities
Of France and make it cesspool of
national corruption may remain unmo-
Tested. to continue their work of moral
destruction.
The real reason for the Punishment
Of the Aisterhoods was given by one Of
the supporters Of the government when
he pEo9leimed that the Church must
Undergraduates to exploit charity"
The Church through her works Of
mercy kept alive the spirit Of Christ in
the hearts Of men. The spectacle Of
thousands Of men and women, devot-
ing their entire lives to the oftimes
heroic service of humanity. out Of love
for God, was one of the strongest
proofs. Of her divine mission.
And as the infidels could not find
aanong their ranks those who were
willing to emulate the splendid EXAM
ple OF this army Of Christian workers.
but only. anereenary hirelings. they re-
solved to destroy charity, which they
could not practice. by sending into ex-
lie these angels of mercy. While in
our own country all denominations are
reaching out more and more into so
called institutional Christianity as
typifying in the highest degree the
spirit of Christian charity and infldsl
rulers Of France would annihilate tho
very memory thereof.
Driving Issuits Into Exile.
lThe- teaching orders of mon. also,
s4ah as: the Jesuits and the various
h4iotherhods, are menace, we are
a. to the nation and to republican
institutions, Hence without a trial.
without as much az a hearing, the
property was aonhseated and they. too.
were driven into exile. The truth Of
the matter is the inndel rulers Of
France feared the power and influence
Of these men on account of their learn
ing and their skill in the present,nent
and inculcatton Of Christian truth.
They felt that France could never be
completely dechristianized as long az
these champions Of Christ are per-
United to remain in the arena. Find
Ing themselves baff1ed, then, ON the
battle-ground of reason and argument.
they resort to the barbarous methods
OF violence and prescription, and ex-
pulsion becomes the order Of the day,
sThese. msn in power identify their
own iFreligious ideas and anti Chris
tan laws with the republic itself, and
consequently brand all others who dare
to dtnsr from them as enemies Of the
state and a menace to the government:
80 70 they must. With us in America
If oMelals are dishonest or enact I'M
: Just Of Ubiquitous laws the public will
r;aisa the sry: Put the rascals out"
Hut IN france this would be construed
az TREASON against the republic and
weuld NEST certainly entail heavy fines,
imprisonment or even exile. Liberty
Of thought thsre means liberty only to
think q the inhdel rulers think.
Socialists and Anarchists Blamed.
The greatest enemies of France at
home are the socialists and anarchists.
But because they are the sworn ene-
1niss Of Christianity they can openly
preach the very destruction Of all gov
sramsnt and tho oonf1scation, not only
st ecclesiastical. but all private prop
srty, and they are not only not mo-
Isxtsd., but with their 1s2 votes in par
llantht7 they constitute the backbone
ofthA, present government, and Mr..
YiViaAi. a member Of the cabinet and
minister OF labor. boldly proclatms his
program in these two significant
words: "The stars in heaven which
were extinsuishsd were never relight-
ed. AS a compensation for the de-
stxuetiea Of their hope in future life,
from which mems minds have been
4pa1ly emaneipated, their happiness on
s. earth rollat hA ,incroa sad sry,1a m =, ,,~1,,