The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-08-16

Editorial Opinions Of the Leading Journals
upon Current opios-CompiIed Every
Day for the Evening Telegraph.
RELIGION AND THE WAR.

1t has been said-and there are many peo-
pie who believe it-that the present war is
instigated by a desire on the part of France
to stay the spread of Protestantism. In
other words, that it is religious crusade of
Catholic France against Protestant Prussia.
This is very absurd supposition The large
Catholic element that exists in Prussia and
throughout Germany, and the influence, if
not the numbers, of the Professionals in
France. ought to convince any one that in
the present religious aspect of Europe such
a war is impossible. In France, though
great majority of the people belong to the
Church OF Rome, il is well known that many
of the leading statesmen and prominent per-
sonages Of the Empire are of the Protestant
faith The State, in its endowments, knows
no difference between the two creeds. In
Prussia, though the royal family of Prussia
belong to the Reformed or Calvinistic
Church, all Christian denominations enjoy
the same privileges, and are equally eligible
to places of trust and emolument. The
Protestants are divided into two branches
Luthersps and Calvinists, and comprise, ac-
cording to the census of 1867, more than 50
per cent. of the entire population, while the
Catholics amount to nearly 33 per cent, the
rest, about . per cent, being made up of
Israelites and other sects. However, in some
portions of the Prussian dominions the Catho-
lies actually predominate, and among these
may be named Posen, Westphalia, and the
Rkenish provinces. Jews are to be found in
all the provinces of Prussia, but principally
in Posen; while members of the Greek
Church and other sects are scattered
throughout the monarchy. The Protestants
form the greater part of the population of
the provinces annexed in 1866; Hanover
alone added 1,692,77 Protestants and only
226, 009 Roman Catholics to the population.
Professionalism is gradually spreading among
the population, and Roman Catholicism de-
creasing. When Silesia was acquired by Prus-
sia, in 1868, its population was mainly Catholic;
but now, out of its three provinces, in the two
most important the majority of the population
is Protestant. In the religious statistics of 1862
it was shown that the Protestant element in
the army at that time amounted to 1874, 767
men, while the Catholic comprised S2,345, to
which were added 1928 Jews and II of other
creeds. The great mass of the populations
of the other States which are included in the
North German Confederation is Protestant
next to Prussia, Oldenburg being the only
State in which there is any considerable pro-
portion of Catholics. According to the
enumerations of 1866 and 1867, the inhabit-
ants of North and South Germany were
divided as follows:-
Countries Protestants. Catholics
North Germany. ...........2l,3 ,3l2 334 s,l3l,136
South Germany. .......,... 3,360,999 5,127,3
Total "a, ,673,333 13,25S,4
Ia other words, in the North German Con-
federation the Protestants were more than
II per cent. and Catholics 27 per cent. In
the South German States bavaria, Wurtem-
berg, Baden, and Hesse) the Catholics are
80 per cent and Protestants 80 per cent
The only State in which the Protestants pre-
dominate is Hesse. Bavaria is nearly three
fourths Catholic but that detached portion
of the kingdom which lies between France
and the Rhine, known as the Palatinate is
not quite half Catholic, its population COM
prising 273, $50 Catholics, 1886, 1l9 Protestants
1902 Israeites, and 1928 of other sects. If
we take the total of North and South Ger
many, which in this war at any rate are one,
we find that about two-thirds of the people
are Protestants and one-third Catholics.
In France, by the census of 1866, there
were sc, APO, ,G64 Catholics and 1 1,591, ,250 Pro-
testants This official statement, however,
is, in regard to the Protestants, greatly at
variance with the numbers of worshipping
members as given by the Synods and Consis-
tories, the heads of which estimate the men,
bers of the Reformed Church at $50, 900, and
those of the Lutheran Church at 3O5, 900,
making the total less than million of Protest
ants. The larger amount stated above is,
therefore, evidently made up by those who
are nominally of the Protestant faith, but not
in Church fellowship.
The State recognizesssall religions, but it
only endows the Roman Catholics, the Pro-
testants, and the Jews. The allowance made
to the Roman Catholic clergy in the last
budget amounted to 1888, 936 francs, and
that of the Protestant Churches to 1,493, 436
francs. These amounts when compared with
the population returns, show that the allow
ance per capita is about the same in the two
denominations.
Thus, with Germany more than one-third
Catholic. and with large proportion of Cath
olics in her armies, and with France endowine
the Protestant Church in relative proportion
to the Catholic, it is not easy to see how
either side can claim our sympathies on the
score of religion. 1t is quarrel in which
religion has no part, and If the people OF
America have given their good wishes tc
Prussia, it is not because they look upon hel
as the Protestant champion, but because she
has just cause and has been our good friend
THE SECRET TREATY.
From the London Saturday Reuiec.
Events move so rapidly in times like these
that all this history of the endeavors, sue
cesses and failures of the English Govern
ment seems already out of date, although il
is scarcely fortnight old. The news of tn.
secret treaty said to have been proposed by
France to Prussia has made all discussions al
to Prince Hohenzollern and M. Benedetti a
Ems seem trivial and uninteresting. treaty
offered to Prussia by France, in which Prus
STA was to bind herself to help France to con
quer Belgium and hold it against all the
world, was startling in itself, and was espe
cially startling to Englishmen, who saw tha
they would be instantly dragged into the wa
if French conquest of Belgium was to b,
one of its incidents or consequences. w,
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