The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-12-17
IN. INV rnps.. .aa II. rs.rn., caarea.

The Hsv xnpirs and the ,xtsraa, ch.reh.
The die is cast. Nov Germany has elect.
e. 90 70 be numbered among the perseoutors Of
nicated Hohenstau6en, the Imperial force il
again to be the assailant Of Catholic ihertv
They have learned nothing, those Imperisi
conquerors. The lesson Of al time. from
the Caesars to Napoleon, is lost upon them.
The last Of them 10 oven a. the first. II il
now the H0henxoiiern'e turn, and, doubt
less, he will play ont the game to the old
termination.
The address of the Catholic Episcopats
of Prussia TO the Emperor William. and
the reply of that Potentate, given elsowhere
in our columns, are the evidence that the
religions crisis in the new empire has come
to a head, and that there is no longer room
for favorable doubt a. to the resolution of
the German advisers Of the Crown.
On the 9TH of September the German
Bishops addressed to the Emperor William
the respectful remonstrance which the con.
duct Of the.Prussian. Government had rem.
dered unavoidable. In language Of the
wisdom and Justice Of the monarch to cause
tho removal Of grievances which already
cast q deep shadow on the inner peace and
prosperity of the Fatherland. They re.
minded him how, having been summoned
by tho Supreme Pastor to the tomb of st.
OtOX W k0AC CVUuClI WIFI C06 OGuQx DIG.
1ates OF the Catholic world upon the mea.
sares of safety demanded by the evils Of
the time, their discharge Of their episcopal
duty had been made the object Of calum-
mics, directed not only against their spirit
nal character, but against their reputation
~ loyal subjects. From the frat it has
been one Of the most perAdious machina-
tions OF their INSCRIPTIONS opponents to
represent the ssemblage of the Vatican
Fathers ~ inimical to human progress and
to the safety Of the State; in order, AZ the
Bishops 30 justly complain, to excite the
temporal authorities to take hostile steps
against the Church. They had disbelieved,
s1sn psn p ess Of
this respect for justice and morality Of their
iilnstrious dynasty-the annexers Of Silesia
and Alsace and Practitioners Of Poland-was
rooted in their hearts. To their grief they
have learned that even in Germany there
can be slight regard for justice and morality.
upon the only too well-grounded com,
plants of the Prussian Bishops. This
dutiful petition concludes with the prayer
that the protection Of the Almighty may
continue to guard their Sovereign in peace
as in war; 80 that, con the basis of rever-
ence for God, justice and civilization the
may complete itself as splendidly Gas the
heroic leadership Of your Majesty has glo-
rieusly begun It."
The answer of the Monarch 30 loyalty
addressed was an i'll requital for 90 fervent
wishes and such respectful language. The
Emperor William declares that he did not
expect to see Prussian Bishops endeavoripg
to shake the confidence Of his Catholic
subjects. He will, however, be on his guard
against those defenders OF the dangerous
"innovations" of the Vatican Council. He
apparently knows better than Pop. and
Bishops what Catholics ought to believe.
He means to legislate on the subject-in
what sense he does not say /; and till then
he intends to persevere in q course which
involves an obvious violation of religions
liberty. Such are virtually the meDaces
which the Emperor of Il, OOO, 600 of Catho-
lies, the commander of 30 many gallant
Catholic armies, thinks fit to use to veneer
able pastors of the Church.
Bismarckism isjubilant. Thefree- thinker
and the Jew unite in predicting with exulta-
ton the approaching destruction of Catho-
licity. Vigorous measures, it seems, are to
be adopted forthwith against us. A pro-
position lies before the Bundesrath or Coun-
Gil of the Empire, consisting Of the repre-
sentatives of the various German Govern
ments, for the purpose of further extending
the legal competency of the Reichstag over
the whole of Germany. At present. the
internal affairs of the different medistized
states are regulated by domestic legislators.
AS q consequence OF THIS wise precautiOu.
it is impossible for the Catholics of Baya-
ria, Baden OF Wurtemberg to be overruled
in the management of their own religious
concerns by Protestant or infidel maiorities
from the shores of the Baltic and though
the Southern Governments-even the one
which is nominally Catholic-are very diff
ferent from what they ought to be, and, in
ded, unworthy to rule Catholic popula-
tions, still they cannot venture beyond
half measures Of hostility when the result
might be to rouse even lukewarm Catholics
to resistance. 1t is calculated that when
the Imperial Parliament gets the legal right
to interfere in local affairs, local feeling
will be unbalanced by the bigotry of the
anti Catholic two thirds of the Empire
Not even a reawakening of Catholic zeal in
Southern Germany will any longer prevent
the enactment of penal statutes and infidel
education schemes; for, though every
Southern member of the Imperial Parlia-
ment were to unite in protesting against
the threatened injustice, Prince Bismarck
would inform him that Germany was now
one single Fatherland, and that, as neces-
sary result, respect for Southern rights of
would be an infraction of the