The Irish standard., 1907-01-12
PLAIN r r STATEMENT
|Jndge Morgan j. 0'Brien, Of
$3.50 s5-sss# New York, Says the
French officials Have Scheme
:5 to Take Church Property.

SM The following article on the Church
I situation in France, from the pen of
SAfnrsan ]. O'Brien, former justice Of
\ 4 the, appellate. division of the Supreme
aC6Art of New York, recently appeared
In the. New York Eveneins Mail. 1t
4 A&ias Clear, concise and to the point.
sVJndge .o'Brien says:
ss.sslr making the following plain state
ksment, shall strive earnestly to di-
Ssvest myself not only OF the prejudice
t3but of all theological feeling. 1 shall
Asset down only undisputed and lndis-
putable facts, shall write, not as a
fEatholic, not even as Il Christian
As..American. but merely as an American.
J es9s::This is my purpose, because 1 be-
I 3heve that the merits of the conflict be-
lgfwsen the Church and the present gov
s3ernment. of France are confused in the
lssmfnds of the American people.
ssIt is natural that the first instinc-
4 tive feeling of citizens OF this Repub-
jlic should be one of sympathy with an
II other republic that is an ancient ally.
b sIts is natural that the demand for the
i | separation of Church and state should
al strengthen that sympathy, knowing, as
a sAmerican do only such separation as
j. sexists in this land OF complete religious
n freedom.
!. ,sIt is natural that non-Catholic
y Americans should unconscious!y feel
Il 4 compelled to align themselves mem
I tally jim opposition to any organization.
gsireligious = or secular. accused of inter-
4 ference with the internal affairs OF &
4 nation and OF rebellion against its laws.
III Question Needs to Be Laid Bare.
Il s..It is natural, and l say this with
s3all Difference, that the most eminent
d OF: American Catholics have left the
4; ilninds of the mass of the American
|; I,pepple still cloudcd, after they have
4 spoken upon the questions at issue.
!, FOR these great prelates, speaking from
H. the fullness Of their acquaintance with
L every incident of centuries of Church
hi history, have prcsupposed too great a
SSa knowledge in the minds of many who
1 heretofore have given little thought to
III the subject.
sRThey have failed to strip this con-
III troyersy to the bare bone, so that
i'll there should be left only the question
4 OF right and wrong. Yet believe that
n tits barring OF the issue is all that is
ta needed to allay the non-partisan, nom
II sectarian American spirit of honesty.
truth, fair dealing and contract-keep~
ing in support of every essential con.
tention of the Catholic Church today.
"a glance backward to the year 1901
lis necessary to an understanding OF
the present conflict. In the French rev.
II oiutfon the Church was one OF the
chief sufferers. Napoleon was quick to
s.sr9tognixe the tact that liberty of relig-
GUS worship was necessary to the sta
IN bttity of the state then passing under
IA his control,
lA 1.-The compromise known as the con-
Ja eordat was the result. For the $780,
sfIs O00,0 worth OF Church property that
Ssf'Iad been contiscatcd the Pope agreed
aa to- make no claim.
lin return for this pledge to leave
Hi the title of the holders of the land un-
III questioned, the French government
I'D bound itself to give the use and con-
IN seminaries, etc, to the Church and to
fM provide d certain revenue from por-
III stions of the confiscated properties to
sA support the clergy.
IN This was not u gift nor a temporary
IN appropriation from state funds. 1t was
IA intended to be, and was declared to 1oc,
9Y nation. Reduced to present-day bus-
IN ness terms, it was an agreed re-entry
into. a. portion Of Il wrongfully con-
u Verted property and a mortgage upon
III the remainder, given in consideration
Sa pf5 no attack being made upon the title
ofs those in possession.
assssss..7hs First Breach of Contract.
tgThis solemn contract was settled
and signed by representatives of the
Nply See and the first consul in Paris
nn July Is, 1901. The ratifications by
IasRSpe Plus VIII and Bonaparte were ex-
Sehanged OH. September 10. 1901. 1t was
nat published by the French govern
AsIHAnt, however, until April 8, 1902.
s.Meanwhile, Bonaparte and Talley-
l4And had caused the Legislature to ap-
s3aUreve a series Of provisions known as
4 tAe organic articles, and these were
E1ublished. together with the concordat,
ioas part and parcel of that treaty.
The Pope had never seen these or
laGaaic articles until they were pub
hsd. The moment they We're known
E.aRoms solemn oncial protest was