French policy erred through rigid anticlericalism, not inconsistency.

Evidence

Delafosse’s criticisms of past administrations were not, however, entirely fair. Dakar had not suffered so much from inconsistency in its vision as from too much emphasis on one principle: the eradication of “feudal” vestiges. Numerous exceptions had been made in the application of this policy, which may have caused Dakar’s apparent indecisiveness; but there was nothing chaotic about the decision to make exceptions. — Alice L. Conklin, A Mission to Civilize_ The Republican…, 638