Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1873-11-05
The Pope and King william.


Pope is IN accord with the spirit Of the
ancestors of the people over whom be
rules. His first Minister of State, Bis
marck, is also heartily in the work at
checking up the influence of the Pope.
The following letters, the one by the
Pope and the other by the King, are
exceedingly interesting and significant :;
VATICAN, August I, lS73.-Your
Majesty; Measures which have been
adopted by your Majesty's government
for some time past all aim more and
come at the destruction Of Catholicism.
When seriously ponder over causes
which have led to these very han mea-
sures, confess that | am unable to
discover any reason for such a course.
| On the other hand | am informed that
your Majesty does not countenance tn e
proceedings Of your government, and
does not approve of the harshness of
the measures adopted against the Ca
tholic religion. If, then, it be true
that your Majesty does not approve
thereof, and tn c letters which your au-
gust Majesty has addressed to me for
merly might sufficiently demonstrate
that you cannot approve that which is
nov occurring; if,I say your Majesty
does not approve of your government
continuing in the path 1t has chosen o!
further extending its vigorous mea-
sures against the religion of Jesus
Christ, Whereby the latter is most in
juriously affected, will your Majesty
then, not become convinced that these
measures have no other effect than thai
of undermining your Majesty's own
throne! | speak with frankness for my
banner is truth. | speak in order tC
fulfill one of my duties, which consist
in telling truth to all, even to thoss
who are not Catholics, for every one
who has been baptized belongs in some
way or other, which to define more
precisely would be here out cf place
belongs, | say TO the Pope. l cherist
the conviction that your Majesty vii
receive my observations with your usu
al goodness, and will ADOPT the mea'
sures necessary in the present case
While Offering to your most graciou!
Majesty the expression of my devotion
and esteem, | pray God that He may
enfcld your Majesty and myself in ono
and the same bond of mercy. Pho.
The Emperor replied as fsllows.
Berlin, September 3, 1873; | an
glad your Holiness has, as in former
times, done me the honor to wiite e
me. rejoice more at this, since a,
opportunity is thereby afforded me o
correcting errors, which as appears from
the contents Of the letter Of your Ho
illness of 9TH of August, must have oc
CURED in German affairs. II reports
which are made to your Holiness re
specting German questions only star,
the truth, it would not be possible fol
your Holiness 10 entertain the suppo
sition that my government enters am
path which do not approve; Accor
, ding to the constitution of my States
such case cannot happen, since th'
laws and government measures in Prus'
sia Iequire my consent as sovereign
To my deep sorrow portion Of my
Catholic subjects have organized fo
the past two years political party
which endeavors to disturb by intrigue.
hostile to the state, the religious peace
which has existed IN Prussia for cen
turies. Leading Catholic priests nav,
unfortunately not only approved ihil
movement but joined in 1t, to the cx
tent Of open revolt against existing
laws. 1t will not have escaped th,
observation of your Holiness that sim
liar indications manifest themselves a
the present time in several European
and in some transatlantic States.
1t is not my mission to investigate
/. the causes by which the clergy anC
faithful of one of the Christian demon
nations can be induced actively to as
sist the enemies of all law, bat it GER
tainly is my mission TO protect the in
ternal peace and preserve the authority
Of the laws IN States whose government
has been entrusted to me by God.
| shall maintain order and law In m,
States against all attacks as long a.
God gives me power. l am in dut,
bound to do it as Christian monarch
even when to my sorrow [ have to full
Gil this royal duty against the servant.
of church which acknowledges 10 les.
than the Evangelical Church that the
commandment of obedience to the sec
ular authority is an emination of the
revealed will OF God.
Many of the priests in Prussia, sub
ject to your Holiness. disown, to nv re.
gret, the Christian doctrine in this re-
spect, and place my government under
the necessity, supported by the great
majority of my loyal Catholic and Evan
gelical subjects of extorting obedienc
to law by worldly means. l willingly
entertain the hope that your Holiness