Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1907-08-24
The Recent Onslaught on the church.

The first step in the final cam
paign was the violation Of the
"Concordat." Without notice 10
the Holy See-the other party to
the solemn treaty between it and
the French nation-the radical
party in power proceeded to declare
the ''Coneordat" at an end, and
entered upon the task of determIn-
ing the conditions under which the
church should be permitted to exist
in France.
Was the Pope consulted on the
subject, were the bishops and the
church authorities IN France called
into counsel on this vital and over
whelmingly Important question?
No, not at all! Who were the men,
what their character, who thus
Undertook TO force the law and
determine the status and future ex
istence Of the Catholic church in
France? It is almost needless to.
characterize the men who initiated
and are leading the present on
slaught on religion and religious
civic rights; men known and pro-
nOunced in public hostility to reli-
gion, who scott at the existence of
God and future state, and who
have not hesitated to avow their
determination TO destroy and up
root in France the religious faith OF
the people. It is unnecessary to
give names and determine the guilty
precedence in this infamous work
Combes, BRAND, Clemenceau each
and all God-defying infidels intent
like their ferocious prototyper of
the French revolution on carrying
out the work of destruction.
Poor short sighted mortals 1t is
beyond their power even with all
the agencies at their command to
destroy the church III Franch
Danish religion from the homes and
hearts of the French people. Others
before them have made the effort
and failed. The present inidel cabal
viii not be more successful.
It was a renowned pulpit orator
who, himself. a member OF one OF
the religious orders, pleading for
their rights, sought to Yindicate, the
traditional Catholiclty Of France: i
''The Catholic religion" he de-
eIared, sis the religion Of the French
people. Born of an act of falth:up
on the battlefield, France is nald
full of her origin, and has never
ceased to combat for the church
during fourteen centuries; She it
was who on the plains Of Burgundy
and .Aquitaine. vanguished ATian-
ism, almost mistress Of the world;
she it was who by the sword Of
Charles Martel arrested fine Mcslem
invasion and gave its final and solid
position to the Papacy w the sword
of Charlemagne; she it was Who
opened the Crusades, that vast war.
of Christian civilization against
Oriental brutality. and was always
III III Wall VI D1Lkl1, oAO II was
who IL the sixteenth century, when
the church was breaking up in ali
directions. threw herself between
England and Germany, both grown.
n6d8l, and arrested by her massive
.sistance the torrents Of skeptlcism
! and servitude.
ssShe. in fine, it was. who for the
last forty years, Notwithstanding
che violence perpetratsd in her
name against the church. has saved
her faith from UNIVERSAL assault.
France is Catholic, by the triple
virtue of her history, her splrit/of
devotedness, and the lustre. of her
genius. Her Catholiclty shall cease.
only. In her tomb, y - $50.
The conspiracy organized by the
radical leaders. against the church,
which was ffsSl made plain by tie.
suppression Of the religious orders.
! and the rbltrary closing of fhe
Catholic colleges and schools, has.
since been consistently followed UP
Is