Good out of Evil

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIII, Issue 16, 20 April 1905, Page 18

Good out of Evil

Sampsion took meat from the eater and from the lion's mouth honey ; and your manufacturing chemist 1 nows how to draw a healing essence from the root of the deaidly aconite. In the same way Providence has drawn a measure of good from the religious persecutions in France. ' One of the unforeseen results of the expulsion of the religions Orders from France,' says the ' Aye Maria,' ' has been the new orientation of the French popular mind with reference to England and Englishmen. We dhould judge thiat nothing which has taken place within the past three quarters of a century has dome sio m/uch to lessen the traditional dislike and distrust entertained for " perfidious Albion" by' the bourgeoisie and proletariate of France as has England's kindly and generous treatment, during the past year or two, of exiled French priests and Sis>ters. No habitual leader of French journals, clerical or secular, can be blind to the depth of the impression that is being made upon the Gallic mind by the welcome accorded and the kindness pioffered to the successive ban3s of religious who in recent months have sailed from Calais or Dieppe for Dover or Newhaven. 'Tis an ill wind that blows to nobody's good, and this incidental outcome of rabid anti-clericalism may well do more toward maintaining permanent friendly relations between the old-time foes on opposite sides of the Channel than the most elaborate diplomatic alliances or the most advantageous commercial treaties. Such bitterness as has survived the disasten of Waterloo bids fair to be forgotten in generous appreciation of courtesies shown to French religious of both sexes.'