THE JESUITS IN FRANCE.
THE Anti-Jesuit Party in France have achieved one of those victories that lead to nothing. The General of the Jesuits, in consequence of the representations made by the French Govern- ment at Borne, has instructed the heads of the houses of the order throughout France, to break up their establishments, desist from receiving novices, and dispose of the lands belonging to the So- ciety with as little delay as possible. There will henceforth be no official Jesuits in France: But to have been, or even to be a Jesuit, will he no offence in the eye of the law. Every Jesuit at present in France may continue to live there, and if he have a mind, make proselytes to his church, disseminate the peculiar views attributed to the Society, and intrigue privately to mould the policy of the French Ministers into conformity with those of the Papal Court. If the Jesuits are the reckless intriguers and conspirators that some men profess to believe they will be more dangerous-working in private, without acknowledged concert or union, than working publicly, as a recognized corporation. In the latter case, the public has a check upon them—their fear to compromise a well-disciplined order respon- sible for the actions of its members ; in the former, the individual may go more recklessly to work, for it will be more difficult to bring home his misdeeds to the Society. This is true of more than Jesuits. Governments entertain an exaggerated fear of associa- tions, religious and political. Associations are perhaps more use- ful to governments of resistance than to the cause they are com- bined to promote. They show a government who are its- oppo- nents, and what their numbers and position in society. If the objects of their members are dangerous or-verging towards- ille- gality, they are in fact so many houses of call where government can find the culprits when any overt act is committed. An asso- ciation is necessarily a herd of implicit followers with one or two leaders. The same leaders would be actually more powerful were their followers disseminated through society without any visible bond of union:; for an association excites quite as much distrust- and. antagonism in. society at large as in a cabinet.
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