M. Millerand, the Socialist member of the present French Cabinet,
made on Sunday a striking speech at Limoges. He declared that the present Ministry had been formed to defend the Republic from the attacks of "a hybrid coalition," which, despairing of winning over the electors, now proposes to re- sort to force. They pretend to want a plebiscitary Republic, knowing that that ends either in Napoleon I. or Napoleon III., —that is, in the soldier or the man of craft. "France no more wants the masked Empire than the overt Monarchy," and rejects with disgust the everlasting enemy "whom we have found behind all anti-Republican conspiracies, known as Clericalism." He inveighed bitterly against the "cursed Press of blackmail and calumny" which has for its emblem the Cross (La Croix), and hinted that measures will be brought forward to control the Press, and "to render amenable to the law the unrelenting factions which conceal under the mask of religion political enterprises." It is rumoured that these latter words cover an intention to expel the Jesuits, who are even now only tolerated by the forbear- ance of the Executive. That the Church is bitterly hostile to the Republic seems certain, but the Republicans will but repeat an old mistake if they recommence once more the policy of persecution. You cannot fight a ghost with a bludgeon, as Prince Bismarck found, and the way to defeat Jesuits is to disbelieve in them. Expelling them is mere waste of strength, for they always return under another name, and are as formidable in exile as at home. They were strong in Rome if anywhere, yet Rome rose against the Papacy.
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