I could not help observing during
my two and a half years' premiership,
that the religious policy of my Govern-
ment bewildered a considerable section
of Liberal opinion in England and was
not appreciated with all the equity
which might be desired. I confess to
having observed this with regret. For
it could not be a matter of indifference
to any public man as to whether his
action enjoyed the approval of so en-
lightened a community as that of
Great Britain, where every social ques-
tion is discussed with the utmost free-
dom, and is judged as a general rule
with considerable impartiality. I
frankly recognize that it was only as
regards our religious policy that a sec-
tion of the British nation seemed dis-
inclined to do justice to the Govern-
ment of the Republic. In every other
sphere, notably in the field of foreign
policy, there was little or no criticism
of my Administration, while the man-
ner in which French diplomacy,
directed with so much ability by my
colleague, M. Delcassé, handled the
various questions arising between the
two Governments, earned warm and

COMBES'

MINISTRY.

widespread eulogy for the Cabinet of
which I had the honor to be the Presi-
dent.

Our religious policy was less clearly
understood and less impartially judged,
because British critics allowed their
opinions to be swayed by British
principles and British practices without
making due allowance for the different
social conditions and political neces-
sities of the two countries. In Eng-
land the Catholic Church does not con-
template, and has no reason to contem-
plate, challenging the national institu-
tions, and would be unable, even were
she willing, to utilize the complete
liberty she enjoys for the purpose of
destroying them. Moreover she is con-
fined to her proper province and denied
opportunities of encroaching on the
rights of others. In France, on the
other hand, the Catholic Church is in
open revolt against the Government,
and wages ceaseless war upon every
legislative effort to escape from the
toils of the theocratic theory. When
it is also remembered that France, un-
like England, is rent by conflicting
political factions, Bonapartists, Royal-