The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1916-09-15
lun. Their leader carried the flag of

1uS1I NQL 44SN Wv 100
France.
Behind them-as beftted the church
and women-came the EntantS DE
Marie, their bands of pale blue around
their necks. and after them the nuns.
Do you know enough of France 10
know what this means? Do you real
lie the bitter hatred that has been
here between church and State these
three hundred years, asgrayated !et
more the last ten? Have you ever
witnessed or heard OF the cruel perse-
cution which has gone on on both
sideS-a persecution none the less
poignant because it has left its VIC
tins alive?
France has cried loudly, There
must be freedom OF conscience" But
she never granted 1t. The lntoler'
ance Of the anti-clericals was even
stronger and more unrelenung than
any orthodox tolerance. The country
was divided between Catholics ana
anti Catholics, although this last
branch was made up OF CalVlnlsts,
Jews, every branch OF French Prot
estant, and i've times greater than all
these put together, hereucs, or Tree
thinkers.
Frequent Jealousies.,
It was largely a question OF politics:
Whichever party was in power uSeo
! its strength according 10 its tenden'
Giles. The aniclerical deplored I'll
ceasingJy the wish for authority on
the part OF the church, and oYerestl-
mated its dangers. while the orthodox
valued it too highly simply because
they had lost it.
! There were certain zones, spheres,
where the TWO were always IN CONNECT
charity, education, and the appoint
; ing of religious heads.
The army and public government Of
fees were the two places where the
effect Of religious belief was most dis
astrouS.
The nonclericals employed the Free
masous, who are strongly against the
| church, 10 act for them in the matter
of secret reports on the religious ten,
! denotes of certain army officers, AND
| il is common talk around Paris that
two of the best known French gen
erals were transferred TO unlmportani
posts until even the most anti'clerlcal
paper, La Victoire, then Guerre so
ciale, took it up. Just because tney
were supposed TO be too strongly
church men, and as such the anti
clericals held that they could not be
loyal.
All politics, as you see. But Grim
inal at time like this. Each side
talks about liberation, but liberty OF
conscience is not yet-or rather was
| not before the war---a part of the hon
| est faith of either. They only believe
that they believe in freedom.
Change Comes with War.
At the beginning OF the war on ac'
count of the large number OF religious
orders occupied in nursing. and OF
converts used for hospitals, there
; were many complaints Of favorltiSm
shown by the "religieuSes' to Cain
olics. until Godart had TO put notice
up in all the hospitals announcing
that any defender OF the country had
right to his own beliefs and that Ill
treatment Of man who refused TO 60
| to mass would be punished.
In the carly days of tn" war that
! spirit still rcignrd. But If brittany, the
! most Catholic OF all the provinces. can
! decorate all her churches with flags
Saint Malo. Dol. Quimper-all of them
can start their most traditional religious
procession with little hoys in the uni
| form OF the army. there is better
| spirit a broader one growing.
Result to Be Lasting.
| had tea Il few weeks ago with Emile
| Routroux, one of the oldest members 81
the Accidents Franchise. a man narticu'
! larly interested in the slow lnctamor-
; phoSes which war makes in the character
! Of people. We spoke Of religion and
he said:
This war has proved that. faced with
| Il common duty, tho French. IN spiic nt
:he barriers which politics has tried Il