The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-07-26
Letters from Germany, Austria and Russia.
BERLIN, June Goth, 1874.


of Julian the Apostate, but if we would fully
comprehend the idea of Bismarck in forcing
his Cultur-Kampf" on the Church, must
| regard it as an attempt at servile imitation
! OF Russia in her treatment of unhappy Poland
His system is the counterpart of hers, in all
| save one particular. He has not as yet dis
| covered Prussan Siberia. Bismarck's talent
in statecraft has been successful hitherto in
making it believed that Dollinger and the
! men of science were the originators of the
Old-Cathoic" movement. 1t was not so,
| however; the conception Prince Bis
marck's own. His idea was National Church,
| with the Protestant Emperor as it's Supreme
| Head. 1t took we'll at first, bnt it was worked
ont with too much haste and too little caution.
Bishops, priests, ard 3aymen harassed, fined
and imprisonedS -the bhing went on too fast for
popular feelings; nation has been produced,
and the general result has been far from favor
able to the designs of Bismarck or to Prussan
popularity throug hout Germany, now that it is
SO clearly discerned that Prussian statesmen
are little less than the subscribe tools of the
| ambitious Chancellor.
On the other hand, his ontrages against the
Church have cast a dark shadow over the for
egu policy of Prussia. 1t seems impossible to
expect that policy to prove either honest or
honorable. Prussia is the secret favorer Of
revolution every where. She is coHspirator
against the peace of Europe for the sake of her
own aggrandisement 1t is a remarkable fact
that we find men who were amongst the
rebels of tS45-men certainly of intellectual
attainments-now holding posts of power
Z.
Prussia's first rise was by revolution; she is
still the determined opponent of the principle
of legitimacy, and therefore of the Catholic
Church. new step which she has taken in
the promotion of the "Cultur-K ampf" is her
treatment of the Cathedral Chapters of Posen
and Gnesen whose Archbishop, Ledocho wski,
is at present her prisoner. Those Chapters
have been served with a ukase from Bismarck,
manding them to elect Immediately sue
cessor. to their lawful superior. The two
Chapters have manfully made answer that
Count Ledochowski is and must remain their
Archbishop by the law of the Church and by
divine ordinance, and that neither the clergy
nor laity of the two Dioceses can recognize his
deposition by the mandate of the State. They
must, they added, obey God rather than man.
Upon this. in right Prussian fashion, the Gov
eminent has appointed two administrators,
both Protestants, one for Posen, the other for
Guesen The principles of these two func-
tionaries are, it need hardly be said, firm
belief in Bismarck and in the eternal duration
of the German Empire. and in little else
What would Engiishmen say if they saw a
Protestant Bishop deposed for denying Papal
Infallibility and his See given over to be ad.
ministered by an Ultralnontane :"
AUSTRIA.
VIENNA June 81, 1S74.
The Emperors pr nicely promise aud Herr
Won StrernayeE's word of honor, as to the nom
execution of the Confessional Laws having
put the Liberals into a state of disccntented
excitement, the Council of Ministers has
attempted to apply pallation in the shape of
profession that the said laws should after all
be carried into effect NOn otstants anything
that the Sovereign or his Minister may have
said to the contrary. These contradictions are
pitiable, nay. contemplate they do not
however, wholly fail in their object, which is
to afford satisfaction to the Liberals. 1t is
useful also as showing in a strong light the
desperate tenacity with which the party at
present in power cling to place and pay, and
the uuscrupulousness with which they do not
hesitate to mislead tLeir supporters. Doubt
less it is intended to keep up as long as possible
belief in their intending to execute the laws
against the Church, but in the face of the En-
perors declaration and against the convc-
tions of the great majority of the populations
of the Empire, it will not be possible for them
to carry their intentions into effect. Since
last wrote the Emperor has given new proof
| of his intentions by appointing Baron Pos
singer Choborski Governor of Moravia. The
| Baron IS no supporter of the Ministry, bu pos
sesses the confidence of the Emperor.
In Hungary the firm and fearless attitude
assumed by the Catholics has obliged tho
President of the Chamber to propose and carry
the removal of the Ban for Civil Marriage fron,
the list of Parliamentary business. 1 core
| this as victory modern ideas: the first
for long day under Austrian rule III
PEIERuoF, juno 2sth, 1874.
HHsstan Rtorm.-Not one of the reforms so
much yaunted during the last twenty wears
| has succeeded, because they have been isolated
reforms commenced III a desert land like
camel!las planted without shelter in II sandy
plaln. Tho soil being unprepared, the uu-
| Iehded Niauts, however good in themselves,
| have persisted. Thus it is observable that ali
the innovations introduced by the Government
| have produced effects the exact opposite of
that which was ostensibly intended. 1t was
by bureaucracy that the emancipation of the
serfs was planned and carried out, of course
with the intention of running the owners of
| landed estates. The sole result is that the
peasantry has been reduced to poverty and
distress. This very year the democratic party
| continued the obligatory military service in
oSder to crush the propertied classes, but in
practice it has been found that these last have
been able to escape he'action of the law by
means of paid su bstitutes, and by undergoing
sham examinations and that the new instru.
ment of torture only takes effect on the poor
and the illiterate. Nothing" as Tchadacaf
remarked, gives better illustration of
Russia than the great bell of Ivan Velkoi,
which lies half buried in the ground at the
hremlin of Moscow. 1t is big, hollow, and
| cracked" y.
NM. p. FRERET, EsQ.-By a notice in an
other column it will be that the firm Of Davis g.
!