The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-04-12

parishes OF 81. Joseph the Nativity and Our Lady
care q tks af Rev. Father Joseph McSsmee, Tor
many years assistant pastor OF tho Church Of Our
LADY q NJ Mercy es
ture The frontage OF the church and lot on Gas
son avenue viii Ne III feet and on Butler street
beginning OF June, anu the building covered Ia
for divine service by next November.
The New German Empire and the Cath
Ollie Church.
To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD:-
The public interest concerning the struggle be-
tween the new German Empire and the Catholic
Church increases with every incident reported by
the cable or the press. Are the 10000 900 or
40 600 600 OF Catholics who belong 10 the States
represented in the imperial Diet TO share the fate
OF the English Catholics under Henry vIII.-that
is TO see themselves Protestantized within one or
two generations by the slow but sure process OF q
legislation which has no thought of justice and an
administration which cares nothing Tor public
opinion Remembering what has happened in
England and IN Japan and In Christian countries
conquered by the Mahometans, one might well look
forward to the utter extinction Of the Catholic
Church among the German race, and that, too.
within no remote period; for Austria Ii now join
Ing hands with the Prussian Chancellor.
That IN the breast OF Bismarck and OF those who
blindy yield to his will share his passions in the
rectitude or any inconvenent dread OF the judg-
ments of God or man all know well who know
these men at all. And had they any regard for
public opinion they would be encouraged to per.
sst in violating the most sacred rights OF the Ger
man Catholics by the voice OF Exeter Han and the
encomiums OF the Evangelical Alliance.
But, setting aside the determined resistance OF
the 10000, 600 aggrieyed by the enforcement OF the
recent laws, and the improbability OF long sue
cessiul coercion Of mems conscences in such
country as Germany and Ia this nineteenth
century, there are other and peremptOry reasons
why this most unjustihable persecution should
come to speedy and ignominious end. The first
is because it Is persecution, which no one act
either on the part OF the prosecuted or
that Of their religious guides can justify before
the public opinion Of Christendom. Within Prus.
sia proper ard every State forming the present
Empire the Catholics are admitted to have been,
before the Franco prussian war, law-abding and
patriotic citizens inferior to none other in culture,
morality, social distinction and devotion to the
public welfare. During the war Catholics were
second to none in bravery, efficiency and endur-
ance. Witness the praise bestowed on the Bava-
rians by the North Germans themselves and by
the English and American correspondents with
the army. Nor was the public voice less unani-
nous or less hearty in lauding the priests and
nuns who ministered during the war to the
spiritual and bodily comfort OF the German SOL
diers Even these dreadful Jesuits came In for
goodly share OF the 'iron crossn or merit and of
the nerous gratitude which the popular heart
awards wien following Its own instincts, and not
fred by political or religious bigotry.
Did any thing happen either at the proclamation
OF the German Empire or in the first stages OF It's
organization to cast suspicion on the loyalty OF
ton Of dlslrust on their part toward the present
Emperor or ms dynasty, based on the fact OF his
being tn Wa ~ the mead Of those
TO Welhem ]. was the Catholic King OF Bavaria,
while It is q matter OF public notoriety that no
portion OF the EmperOl's native subjects were
more devotedly loyal TO himself and his line than
the Prusslan Catholics.
full humiliation OF France ana the sudden exalfa-
ton OF Germany which mas causal connection
proclamation at Rome Of tho dogma OF Papal in
lallibihty And II your readers viii open
subsequent policy IN the attempt made by
the then Bavarian Prime Minister, to unite the Euro
Council OF the Vatican. The man, who since became
Bisnarck's chief counsellor, but who was then, ap
tnIodwir Victor Hohenlohe. in ises Prime
Minister OF Bavaria, afterwards first Vice
men and now WE it IS sa GERMAN Apas.
sador In Paris. And you may be sure ne Is
there for no other earthly purpose than to Justify
toward the Catholic Church and to obtain from the
French government promise OF abstentiOn or in
into execution the new coerclve measures against
the Holy See concerted with Italy and Austria
There would appear to be no logical connection
between the professions and conduct OF Wilhelm l.,
as King OF Prussia, toward his Catholic SUBJECTS
has been made TO pursue But ali IS explained
by seeing in the Emperor and his Chancellor only
the unconscious toois q, OF Monenohe In 1858 THIS
opposition OF what was known IN Bavaria as the
'patriotlc party the Chief supporters Of which
were Catholics adverse to the Prime Minister'S
principles. He had just before endured diplo-
matc defeat. as mentioned above. in endeavorlng
to prevent the holding OF an EcumenIcal Council.
He mad been pattlng DR.. D1linger on the back and
encouraging the formation OF the sOd Catnolic
party or sect, which he hoped would rally TO It's
stan lard OF orthodoxy powerful minority. If not
actually the majority, OF German Catholics. T
Tue downfall Of the French Emperor IN septem-
new German Empire the means Of obtaining q
Crushing victory over ms old enemies at Munich
and at Rome, and az Paris as wen. The King OF
Bavaria, who had never for a moment ceased to
give him his most unlimited confidence, was ad-
the beginning OF the war, and later to take the
initiative in Offering the crown of Charlemagne to
the stout old conqucr0r at Versailles.
What cared Hohenlohe that the independence
OF Bavaria should be Tor ever sacrificed to the
Presdemt Of the new Imperial Parliament ~ insteeS
Of a de Gated leader In q small Bavarian Chamber
And would lie not, as the Won Moltke OF the poll
tco-rellgious campaign which he would make
Bismarck and this Emperor undertake against
Pho Nono have q golden opportunity tor taking
his revenge on Rome : Poor Bavaria
Well, when we see kings and statesmen besrow.
ing their whole care on regulating dogma, and for
getting all national interests ID the aratihcaton or
theological animOsltles, we may ioretell that some
great calamity is at hand. We're not the Greek
Emperors presiding at councils and framing doc
trina edicts while the barbarlans were wrestling
from them their lairest provinces And was not
Napoleon ILL.,, in 1859 and 1870, more pusied with
worrying the Pope than In watching Prussla's for \
midable preparations or looking at home into the
utter neIiicency of his own military establish
ments?
The Bavaria, which, since the days OF Charlie
magne, had been an independent and not IN
glorious member vi the great German family OF
States, II now but satellite unsteady glimmer-
ing around the Prusslan central umiuary. She mas
been for the last ty years one OF the ostinsidious
and cowardly enemies Of tine Papacy, favorlng in
an especial manner every writer who chose to
raise the hue and cry against the ultramontanes.
And she mas forfeited forever the secular
OF France. God help herI We have. then, in the