Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-08-18
RELIGION AND THE WAR.
A Quarrel in which Religion
has no Part. =

-rod . ii A .r4orEs
Interesting Facts as to the Re
1igIous Opinions Held by tn
oi People of Prussia and France
I 81 r.saa rs ,Ia sUr@b7 s0I
4 1 a.E t2 se-7- ~ ;bir aol
From the New York Tribune, Aug. 10. lA,
| III has been said-and there are man,
peopIe who believe it-that the presen
war is instigated by desire on the par
of France to stay the spread of Protest
antism. Z In other words, that it is q re
ligious crusade of Catholic France agains
| Protestant Prussia, This is a very absurd
surposition. The large Catholic ,elemen
that exists in Prussia and throughout Ger
MANY, and the influence, if not the mum,
bers, of the Professionals in France, ough
to convince any one that in the presen,
religious aspect of Europe such war /.
impossible. In France, though greai
majority of the people Belong to The
Church of Rome, it is well known thai
many of the leading statesmen an6
prominent personsges 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 be-
long to the Reformed or Calvinistic
Church, all christian denominations en-
| JOY the same privileges, and are equally
eligible to places of trust and emolument.
The Protestants are divided into two
branches, Lutherans and Calvinists, and
comprise, according to the census of
1857, more than 60 per cent of the en-
tire population, while the Catholics
amount to nearly SO per cent the rest,
about 2 per cent, being made up OF Is
raelites and other sects. However, in
some portions of the Prussian dominions
the Catholics actually predominate, and
among these may be named Posen, West
phalia, and the Rhenish Provinces. Jews
are to be found in ali the provinces of
Prussia, but principally in POsen; while
members of the Greek Church and other
sects are scattered throughout the mon
archy. The PIotestants form the greater
part of the population of the provinces
annexed in 1856; Hanover alone
added 1852, III Protestants and only
226,0O Roman Catholics to the popula-
ton. Professionalism is gradually spread
ing among the population, and Roman
Catholicism decreasing. When Silesia
was acquired by Prussia, in 1853, its
population was mainly Catholic; but now,
out of its three provinces, in the two
most important the majority of the popu-
lation 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 50, 345, to which were
added ], 1928 Jews and " of other creeds.
The great mass of the population 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 consider
able proportion of Catholics. According
to the enumerations of 1866 and 1867,
the inhabitants of North and South Ger
many were divided as follows; r
Counties. Protestants. Catholics
North Germany 81, 1874 S,l3l ,l36
South Germany $3.50, 1893 5,127,3O4
TotaI......... ,........,.94, 67s,ss3 1925 4IO
. In other words, in the North German
Confederation the Protestants were more
than II per cent, and Catholics % per
cent. In the South German States (Ba-
varia, Wurtemburg, Baden and Hesse)
the Catholics are 60 per cent, and Protes-
tants SO per cent. The only State in
which the Professionals predominant 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
comprising 273, 1882 Catholics, $50, 1l9
Protestants, 13,042 Israelites, and 1928
of other sects. If we take the total of
North and South Germany, which in this
war at any rate are one, we find that
about two-thirds of the people are Protes-
tants and one-third Catholics.
In France, by the census of 1865, there
were sc, 400, 664 Catholics and 1881, $50
Protestants. This official statement, how
ever, is, in regard to the Protestants,
greatly at variance with the numbers of
worshiping members as given by the
SynOds and Censistories, the heads of
which estimate the members of the Re-
formed Church at $50, 900, and those of
the Lutheran Church at sos, 200, making
the total less than million of Prutes-
tants. The larger amount stated above
is, therefore, made up by those who are
nominally of the Protestant faith, but
not in church fellowship. r
The State recognizes all religions, but
it only endows the Roman Catholics, the
Protestants, and the Jews. The allow
ance made to the Roman Catholic clergy
in the last budget amounted to 1919, $50
francs, and that of the Protestant Church
es to l, 493,436 francs. These amounts,
when compared with the population re-
turns, show that the allowance per capita
is about the same in the two denomina-
tions. '
Thus, with Germany, more than one
third Catholic, and with large proper
ton of Catholics in her armies, and with
France endoYing 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 Amerl-
ca have given their good wishes to Prus-
STA it is not because they look upon her
as the Protestant champion, but because
she has a just cause and has been our
good friend.
DESCENDANTS OF HIGHLANDRRs IN
NORTH CAROLISA.-A writer IN the Lu-
therdn VgSitOr says: II
Four counties back of Cape Fearriver are
II