The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-10-25
Germany, the Papacy and tho New Game
Of Bismarck.

Inc reStOraLlOn OI tue herman empire unuer
William the First, so far as can be judged
from certain recent movements, Is not looked
upon with disfavor at Rome. Since the COM
mencement of the sorrows of the Holy Father,
William, as King of Prussia and as Emperor
of Germany, has uniformly acted and spoken
as if he were friend of the Holy See. 1t is
not, therefore, wonderful that the Holy Father
should look to the Emperor William, now that
he finds himself ia tight place.
The empire and the Papacy have always
gone together. The Papacy was almost dead
when Charlemagne, at the beginning of the
ninth century, took it by the hand. Under
the patronage of the great Charles the Pope
became almost as mighty as the Emperor.
After the death of Charles, and when the en-
pire was divided among his sons, the Papacy
lost Its power and sank into contempt. With
the rise of the First Ohio and the establishment
of the German empire, properly 80 called, rose
again from its ashes the ruined Papacy.
Under the Second Ohio, who lost influence,
and who permitted disunion, the Papacy again
fell. The Third Ohio made Rome the chief
city of the empire, and threw around the Pa
pacy all the attractions Of imperial splendor.
The times of Frederic Barbarossa and the
times Of Charles the Fifth gre equally illus
trative of our principle. With the unity Of
the empire and with strong secular govern.
ment the Papacy, as a rule, has prospered.
The first French empire and the second French
empire claimed to represent the empire of
Charlemagne. The First Napoleon and the
Third for this reason assumed the protectorate
Of the Papacy. In both cases the protectorate
was powerful, but in both cases 1t was to the
Papacy rather misfortune than a benefit.
while they have been associated with the mis-
fortunes of the Chair of St. Peter, have given
birth to conditions which inspire the Papacy
with hope.
The ecclesiastical authorities at Rome,
always wise in their generation, see in the
new German empire, in spite of its Protestant
proclvities, great and permanent Power and
more than possible ally. They see, or think
they see, the empire Of Charlemagne, Of Ohio,
of Frederic Of the Red Beard, of Charles
the Fifth, revived. They know Bismarck's
ambition, and they are not wholly ignorant Of
his secrets. South Germany, already an inte-
grail portion of the empire, is Catholic. For
South Germanys sake Berlin needs the SYM
pathy and cooperation of the Holy See. Aus
trian Germany must soon become an integral
portion of the empire; but Austrian Ger
many, which is Catholic to the backbone,
needs to be assured that in becoming part of
the new empire which Bismarck has created
it will not be either denied its rights or lost to
Rome. Then, again, Bismarck has his eyes
on Poland. What he contemplates is not the
annexation of Poland to the German empire,
but the establishment of the Polish king
dom and the building up Of powerful national
barrier wall between Germany and Russia.
Poland is Roman Catholic, and Bismarck and
the Pope are equally we'll aware that the
Chair of st. Peter must not be despised In the
proposed reconstruction Of the map of Europe.
These things being well considered IL will not
be thought so wonderful that Rome and Ber-
lin should be so we'll agreed. The empire is
restored. The Papacy may yet revive.