New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-11-21

Information reaches us from Europe how
the Jesuits, and the Ultramontanes generally,
are hard at work fighting progress and free
thought step by step, with degree Of irasci-
BILE persistency and Obstinacy quite equal to
the malignant spirit which they always mani
tested in former times, in their struggles with
the secular power. In Prussia they have
boldly taken up the gauntlet thrown down by
Prince Bismarck, and actually defy the re-
Gently enacted laws which were intended to
deal blow to their influence. Some time
ago a number of Bishops held conference at
Fulda, and have since issued memorial in
which they set forth their demands on the
State. They contend that no priest or teacher
Of religion can be recognized as legally APP
pointed, unless he has been regularly nomi-
mated by the Bishop under whose ecclesiasti-
cal jurisdiction he stands, and no Bishop is
to be recognized unless he has received his
appointment from the Pope. AS part of
their right to profess their faith in its full in
tegrity, they claim legal power to expel from
the ecclesiastical body all those who do not
accept every dogma of the church, or refuse
to submit Internationally to its authority.
They protest against every Infringement of
the privileges and Of the integrity of religious
orders and societies, as trespass on the
guaranteed rights of the church. They insist
not only on the inalienable right of the
Catholic Church to educate its servants in
accordance with the ordinances of the church,
h,,t to ovorc;oo thar ,Arapoo llo,yso ~, Al
Catholic schools in such a manner as to guar
antee thoroughly Catholic education to the
pupils, and further claim the privilege to
found, own, and direct educational and SCI
entific establishments. Finally they insist
on the sacrament of marriage, and the rights
of the church in reference to this sacrament,
on the strength Of an alleged divine regula-
ton.
These are the essential points of the docu-
ment, of which large number Of copies has
been printed in every bishopric and dis
tributed among the clergy in the different
dioceses, with directions to give it the
widest circulation. It will be seen that it
is about as categorical declaration of war
to the Government as the Church ever
made to the State. 1t means nothing less
than that the Church insists on the power
of retaining in Office all those Bishops and
priests who have shown themselves refrac-
tory towards the Government, and on the
other side, to expel all those who either re-
fused to accept the infalliblity dogma, or in
some other way have been found too yield
ing towards the secular authorities. 1t de-
ies the law through which the supervision
of the schools has been taken from the
hands of the clergy, and insists on the right
of the Jesuits to establish universities, SEM
inaries, and colleges of their own, and fur
Their refuses to acknowledge the validity of
civil marriage and denies the right of the
Government to regulate at all about this
matter.
What will Bismarck do under the crctim-
stances? He is certainly not the man to
shrink back and to be bullied by the COM
bined priesthood of the whole world. He
knows moreover the energy, the tenacity
and acuteness Of the enemy, and is well
aware that neither concessions nor half meas
ures will avail against power that would
not be satisfied with anything short of abso-
lutte independence of the authority Of the
Government. Thus, in spite of his own con-
sentative tendencies, he will be compelled to
secure the support Of the Radicals and Lib
erals in order to encounter the adversary
with due energy, as he was compelled to do |
before when it was a question Of the law
concerning the supervision Of the schools
and Of the prohibition of the Jesuitic estab- |
lishments; since the Protestant Ultramon-
tanes, though bitterly hostile to the Catho-
lies, are even mere hostile TO anything tend !
ing tocurtail the influence Of the clergy, and |
to extend the power Of the State, and con-
took sides against him. 1t is
also stated that Bismarck has concluded |
to put an end to all the fluctuations and |
troubles caused by the intolerance Of the |