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Temporal Power by Marie Corelli
page 97 of 730 (13%)
"Shall we be told this, I ask? No! Ten thousand times no! The refusal
of the King to grant the priests any wider dominion over us is merely
an act of policy inspired by terror. The King is afraid! He fears the
people will revolt against the Church, and so takes part with them lest
there should be trouble in the land, but he never seems to think there
may be another kind of revolt against himself! His refusal to concede
more place for the accursed practice of Jesuitry is so far good; but
his dismissal of Perousse would be still better!"

A perfect hurricane of applause from the people gave emphatic testimony
to the truth of these words.

"What is this man, Carl Perousse?" he went on--"A man of the people--
whose oaths were sworn to the people,--whom the people themselves
brought into power because he promised to remain faithful to them! He
is false,--a traitor and political coward! A mere manufacturer of
kitchen goods, who through our folly was returned to this country's
senate;--and through our still further credulity is now set in almost
complete dominion over us. Well! We have suffered and are suffering for
our misplaced belief in him;--the question is, how long shall we
continue to suffer? How long are we to be governed by the schemes of
Carl Perousse, the country's turncoat,--the trafficker in secret with
Jew speculators? It is for you to decide! It is for you to work out
your own salvation! It is for you to throw off tyranny, and show
yourselves free men of reason and capacity! Just as the priests chant
long prayers to cover their own iniquity, so do the men of government
make long speeches to disguise their own corruption. You know you
cannot believe their promises. Neither can you believe the press, for
if this is not actually bought by Perousse, it is bribed. And you
cannot trust the King; for he is as a house divided against itself
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