The Irish standard., 1907-02-23
cLEMENcEAu IN TROUBLE,

clEMENcEAU IN TROUBLE.
Reports Of the impending downfall
OF the present French ministry con-
tinue. Clemenceau, who has brought
about the downfall of so many other
ministries, is about to witness his own
undoing. The Separation Law is the
cause Of his troubles. a few months
ago the task Of destroying the Church
seemed comparatively easy. Clemen-
ceau had at his back large ma
jority of the Deputies. He had d law
specially framed to appeal to the ma
tional spirit Of the French people. In
the name Of Liberty. Equality and
Fraternity" he knew that he could
command the support OF those who
hate religion and its restrictions. In
provisions OF a law calling for regu-
latien Of all French churches by French
officials, he thought he had law that
would appeal to the French national
spirit. The law had no sooner gone
into effect than he found that the
French bishops and priests We're loyal.
not to the French government, but to
the laws of the Church as laid down
and construed by the Pope. Then be-
gan a series Of retreats OH the part Of
Clemenceau, which has led him into a
position where retreat no longer seems
possible.
The passive resistance Of the
French clergy, acting under instruc-
tlons from Rome. took the French gov
ernnent completely by surprise. Glenn
enceau first declared that he would not
close the church, but offered special
inducements to all clergy who would
compromise themselves by accepting
some of the provisions Of the law.
None responded. He then fell back
upon an old law providing for public
assenblages which simply required
that some one should make a declara-
ton of intention to hold public meet
ing. The clergy refused to do that.
He then declared that it would be suf-
ficient if such a declaration We're made
once a year. The clergy refused to
do that. The result was that Il few
weeks ago the law requiring declara-
tions was repealed. The government
then resorted to fines Of all priests
celebrating mass. This procedure
threatened to cause popular uprising.
The bishops of France then met and
offered compromise to the govern
ment. but Clemenceau and his sup
porters could not accept terms offered
by those who refused to obey the
Separation Law. The radical sup
porters of the government threatened
to desert Clemenceau if he accepted
the offer of the bishops. He finds HIM
neither enforce the Separation Law
nor accept terms Of settlement offered
by the Church. There seems no other
retreat for him except to resign. His
resignation would not help the Church.
1t might even be followed by another
rule OF Conbes. The F'renci, govern
ment has found that, while 1t is {: COM
paratively easy matter to rob the
Church OF it's property by repudiating
the solemn compact entered into by
Napoleon in 1901, it is an entirely diff
ferent task to drive the Church from
France. The forcible taking of church
property from its rightful owners has
brought down the condemnation of
the act for they see in it not only an
attack upon the Catholic Church but
an infringement upon property rights;
denial of that liberty about which
the French are SO much accustomed
to talk. 1t is plain that the effort Of
the French government has been to
in some way obtain an admission on
the part OF the Pope of the right Of
the French government to interfere III
the rule of the Church in France. This
struggle has not been to separate
Church and State. 1t has been an
effort to deprive tho Church of all its
rights under an agreement entered
into with the State and to still retain
to the State the right of interfering in
the government of the Church.
cAR.FARE ORDINANCE.
1t must be gratifying to those who
Fo,.cr ,o,,p;n;p,1 o,,,persI,in of the