Year: 1875

DENUNcIATIoN OF THE CLERICAL PRErEN-


sIoNs-THE LATE CONCESSIONS TO THE


CHURCH ON THE EDUCATION QUESTION.


The following is translation Of the speech delivered
by NJ. Louis Blanc at 'privatc meeting recently held
to advance the claims Of NJ Engelhard candidate the
municipal election in the Fifth reimbursement of Paris


REPUBLICAN PROGRAMME


GENTLEMEN DEAR FELLOW CIrIzENs-You wish
that the state of siege should be raised that amnesty
should be proclaimed that the principle OF ac gratu
tous and obligatory instruction should be admitted that
the door of elective functions should be opened TO all


to the poor well TO the richby the payment of
their Abors that no should be able TO be ut the
same time Municipal Councillor and Deputy
lie and your wish has found its expression in the
candidacy OF NJ. Engelhard. TO show how far this
candidacy answers to our innermost feelings single
word is sufficient it is anti i-ccricaL Now, to-day,
always the great obstacle the highest danger cleri
casm Tor Wherever u Is predominant the life of clcr-
icalism is the death OF liberty. What Is in fact
essary in order that the Church may rogn and govern
Must not Reason abdicate before herr Must those
who submit to her give up seeking in themselves for
the rule OF their conduct and the law Of their develop
mentY Must they not Tor their acts, for their
thoughts depend upon a guide whose mission
they are taught to look upon dvineY Consequently
must not their intelligence and their soul be-


long TO them And what is this il IT be not slavery
To understand that there is between clericasm and
liberty guf-an impossible abyss-it is sufficient TO
.remark that clerical parsans claim to bo nallbe To
be nallibe is TO be the truth Can truth
make n compact with error? 'No," says the Church,
and deducIng from the dogma of inlalliblhty
It's logical consequences she judges that she has the
right-what do l sayY-the duty to shut the mouth Of
whomsoever does not share her belief. Therefore she
takes care to sanctfy force to her profit Take the sy
labus You will read In IL, "Anathema to him who
shall say that the Church may not employ orce.n And
this doctrine the Church has not rcraincd from apply


ing. Witness the determination of the Abigenses and
the throat cuttings of St. Bartholomew in France the
1nquison in Spain, the scaolds erected by the Duke
OF Alva in the Low Countries, the fires lit by
Catholic Mary in England, and those in Italy,
which perished Bruno and Savonaroa OH without
doubt the revival of these furies is longer be
earedthanks TO tho progress of light, thanks to the
sofenins of morals But the principle which gave
them birth is there, always there and whoever does
not fall ON his knees before HIM who said, ~ am the
tluth,f q anatheinatiZed. -s.-


INSTRUCTION


When, therefore, the Bishop OF Orleans and the clerical
party OF the Assembly asked for liberty of instruction
they meant only, by liberty, liberty TO be the
masters and this is what win be given them
unless care be taken by the law which has
been voted only wish proof this passage from
NJ Laboulave's report He says:-"With the progress
OF physical science with the universally Of modern
studies superior instruction has become costly thing
Large libraries, considerable collections and fully
stocked laboratories are necessary To establish a
centre oil study Is work OF time destined to increase
with years. Only durable association could suffice
Tor such foundations.n Such, simply revealed,
is the secret of the immense importance which
the clerical party attach to the law which
they demanded and obtained under the deceptive title
OF liberty of superior instruction They knew that the
clergy Is the only durable association in State TO pro-
vide for the immense expenses which the foundation of
universities necessitae The know that the free think
would have great trouble TO struggle against the OK
ercse OF collective body so powerfully and so long or

ganized, especially under regime which
throws many difficulties in the way OF lay asso-
Cations and which causes to weigh the Press
the dominion of certain OF the sword allied TO
of the Church II was liberty which they invoked; IL
"a monopoly which they wanted The researches
and commentaries OF the press cannot be tasteful
those who erect churches to the Sacred Heart, who
make pIlgrimages to Lourdes, and ntrust the Holy
Virgin with the Of curing sick people only To call
in the doctor when they Ill themselves and who say
'the interest OF religion OF the belief of souls Is
peror TO the interest OF science" Progress liberation
civIhzaton-such the enemies against whom
the Church. according to the solemn decla-
ration Of her head, commissions herself to fight and
pass from religious domination to political is an abso
lutte necessity for the Church. Spiritual power tenn
poral power, peoples, governments, she must have all
she must have mans intelligence his soul, his body,
the whole man. II may be said that l exaggerate |
would call to mind the doctrine profcssed by Gregory
VII, by Alexander Ill, by Boniface VIII, by Alex
ander VI, by all the popes: that doctrine IRON which
so many bloody wars issued, and which well sum
med up in the words OF John XXII. ITO the Sovereign
Pontlil God has conhded both rights tho celestial
empire and the terrestrial empire