: STATE -PAPERS. 
- aecepiance of the new Constitu- 
_ tion is carefully removed, so that 
th most distinguished members 
of the clergy, according to the 
expressions, of your Majesty’s 
proclamation, are not among the 
persons most worthy of the con- 
fidence of their fellow citizens; 
lastly, that they are not allowed 
toinscribe theirdisapproving votes 
on the lists of the notables. © 
All these are measures which 
(we say it with grief to your Ma- 
jesty), can appear to us only as 
an unhappy omen for the future, 
since your Majesty’s ministers al- 
ready account the opinions and 
votes of the whole clergy for no- 
thing, upon subjects which are as 
much within their cognisance as 
that of other private persons, 
nay, their peculiar province, as 
far as the interest of religion is 
concerned. 
It is impossible to calculate all 
the ill consequences thatmay arise 
from the continuation of such a 
plan. For if the Catholic clergy 
are no more to be consulted upon 
the concerns of the church—if it 
is decided that they can have no 
share, or at least only an acci- 
dental share, in making the laws, 
especially those relative to eccle- 
siastical jurisdiction, how can 
they hinder any encroachment 
upon the inalienable rights of the 
episcopal dignity, which belong 
to the existence of the Catholic 
church, and to the privileges 
which your Majesty insures to it? 
May they not be arbitrarily les- 
sened in national assemblies, 
when the clergy have no influ- 
ence, or, at the most, a very pre- 
carious one ? 
Experience has proved how im- 
portant it is that the clergy pos- 
Vor. LVIT. 
401 
sess a high rank in thestate. The 
respect they enjoy, extends to the 
religion itself, which teaches it. 
However great the personal merit 
of the servants of the church may 
be, yet, in our times, if it is not 
supported by high rank andlegal 
privileges, which ennoble the 
functions of the priesthood in the 
eyes of the people, the clergy can 
oppose but aweak bulwark to the 
disorders which they have continu- 
ally to contend with. The in- 
ternal peace and welfare of a state 
depends chiefly on the state of 
morals. 
There are no good morals 
where there is no religion, As 
things now stand, religion is 
more or less respected in propor- 
tion as its servants are more or 
less honoured, and respected ac- 
cording to the existing laws. It 
is easy to confine the good in due 
bounds, but the wicked dare 
every thing agajnsta clergy which 
does not enjoy a certain respect 
in the state. 
Your Majesty has doubtiess re- 
marked thatthe Catholic religion, 
which was established again in 
France by the Concordat, did not 
produce the expected effect, be- 
cause by the system of the Sove- 
reign the Clergy enjoyed no rank, 
no consideration, no influence in 
the state. They were to be ac- 
counted as nothing. They were 
oppressed by all the inferior au- 
thorities ; they soon became, as 
it was intended they should, in- 
capable of doing good, or of pre- 
venting evil. 
We have the confidence that 
your Majesty will deign, in the 
submissive and respectful repre- 
sentationswhich we make to you, 
in the frank expression of our 
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