Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-12-14
DO NOT UNDERSTAND.
Cardinal Gibbons Says Amer leans
Have No Idea Of French Situation.

| \
/ public does not understand the present
crisis in France" said Cardinal Glib
bons. when asked this evening for his
! opinion on the French situa lion. He
said in part
France has treated her noblest CT
liens with injustice and inhumanity
ana America. which has sympathy f.:
the oppressed of all nations. has rails
ed no protest nor uttered 4 word Of
sympathy.
IF l believed that my cOuntrymcn
would knowingly see a great and bcnc-
fcent organization unjustly deprived
of its property and the means of con-
tinued usefulness, would knowingly see
tens of thousands of honest men and
noblest men of their just income and
means of support. would knowingly sce
/ hundreds Of thousands and several mill
| lions of people brutality wounded in
what they hold dearest and most s;.-
cred. would knowingly see majority
in the Chambers utterly disregard and
tramrle upon the rights Of the minority
and the rights Of millions OF their coun-
trymen in the name Of liberty, would
knowingly see tens of thousands or mc:I
and women, who happen to be priests
and nuns. turned out Of their homes
for no crime but that of loving God
and serving their neighbors. / say if
my country can and recognize all
this injustice and tyranny and cruelty
i and refuse genuine sympathy to those
| who suffer by them because of their
religious belief. then I will leave life
without the faith in American love IF
justice and liberty and humanity which
has been my comfort and support and
/ ore during long career. Most rcople
| over here have little conception of the
| French anti-clcricals. The majority of
! them have far less love Of the republic
than they have hatred Of religion.
am weighing my words and l say with
deliberate conviction that Che leaders
Of the present French government are
actuatcd by nothing less than hatred of
religion. We have no spirit akin to
theirs in this country We have here
much Indifference to religion, but we
have no body OF men. no great party
that makes it chief aim to weaken the
power of religion and if possible utter
~ destroy It out of the land.
But in France. the Jacobin party is
not dead. They hate God. they hate
christ. they hate His religion as much
as ever their fathers hated them. But
thcE nave learned more prudent and
measured method of attack They are
laimost scientific in the means they take
TO suppress Christianity and yet the
utteranceS of such men are received as
unsuspectingly by meany Americans
as would be discourse by Mr.. Cleye-
land or Mr.. Roosevelt or Mr. Taft
men who recognize the powerful intlu-
ence that religion has in promoting
the welfare of civilization.
IT Is easy To suppose that I am mis-
representing the spirit Of the Anti.cier-
1tals. They make no secret Of their n.
tired OF Christianity. They avow II in
the press and in the Chambers"
cardinal Gibbons then quoted ey-
/ tracts from several speeches in Che
Chambers. among them being one by
NJ. Niviani. the new minister of labor
who. he said, gave utterance to these
sentences.
All Of us together first by our fore.
fathers. then by our fathers. now BY
. ourselves. have been attached to thu
. work of anti-clericalism and irreligion
We have Snatched the human con.
| science from belief in futrue too DS
you think that the work is ut an end
: No. it is but beginning" Continuing
the cardinal said
"The Chamber decreed that the dis
course from which this extract is TAX
en- should be placarded in every tow
and village of France. In the same
0 strain the present minister of publ,
Z worship. and the most strenuous advo
r cate Of the law Of separation, M. Bri
and. said in an address to school teach
ers: The time has come to root ur
from the minds Of French children tn,
ancient faith which has served its pur
pose and replace 1t with the light q
free thoughts: it is time to get rid n
q Christian ideas. We has hunted Jcsll.
!. Christ out Of the army. the navy, tn,
= schools, the hospitals. insane and or
I phan asylums and law courts and nov
7 we must hunt him out of the state al
together
What would we Americans say il ;
cahinet officer were to propose this a.
the great aim Of his administration"
For some reason the sentiments q
. the Anti-clericals are not reproduced
by our papers. But let French states.