New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-07-14
A FIRE-PROOF CHdNCELLOR.

Prince Bismarck seems to be receiving a
quite unnecessary baptism of fire. lie saw
the burning Of a good deal of gunpowder in
his youth as a soldier had his share of duels,
took part in two great wars, which after pre-
pairing in the Cabinet he saw through in the
field, and yet all these experiences have not
exhausted his liability to "pay with his per-
"son," as the French say, for his devotion to
his political ideas. 1t seems to be common
phase of fanatical exaltalion in Germany and
elsewhere to take a shot at people in authority,
and no one in the world offers just now so
shining mark as the Prince of Bismarck
SchOenhausen. Even when young Blind came
up from South Germany to put an end to the
existence which he thought menaced the in
dependence of his country, bismarck was a
far less conspicuous personality tnan at present,
since he has united Germany, conquered France,
and is now engaged in the most gigantic OF
all his enterprises, the attempt to secularize
religion in the German Empire. If it were not
for this last enterprise his popularity would
be simply unjounded. The success which has
attended his colossal schemes for the unliica-
ton and ACKNOWLEDGEMENT of his country has
been such as to dazzle and strike dumb even
the most critical and audaciOus of the Liber-
ais. A few strains of the Yacht am Rheln
will turn the head of the most serious of
German scholars or thinkers, and set him to
shouting with more loyalty than logic his He'll
Dir to the Emperor who typiies German
glory. Although Bismarck has sedulously
encouraged this worship of the Kaiser there
is enough also of the popular enthusiasm to
make him universal favorite, il it were not
that his attitude of opposition to the Catholic
hierarchy has gained him the savage enmity
of @ large portion of the population. 1t is
undoubtedly this motive which inspired the
attempt at assassination yesterday at kissln-
gen; as our dispatches state that kullmann
was a devout Catholic, and earnestly inter-
ested in the clerical cause.
But the great Chancellor seems to be re-
served for work which requires his presence
in this world. The attack of Blind was made
with singular and persistent fury. He APP
preached Bismarck in his walk, and when
almost touching him, he emptied his revolver
with rapidly repeated shots, and although he
perforated his clothing he did not scratch his
person. So remarkable was the Counts escape
that it was reported that he wore coat of
mail, and French paper wittily styled him a
Blind6 statesman. This time it appears that
only single shot was fired, and that one
with much better aim than any OF Blinds, as
it struck the hand with which the Chancellor
was acknowledging the greeting of the crowd.
1t is singular instance of his cool adroitness
that he continued his drive, and then visited
the assassin in Jail, doubtless to see what
political profit could be made from the abor-
tive crime.
OF course it would be unjust and foolish to
accuse great community of completely with
the crime of single fanatic. But history is
full of such instances of folly and injustice,
and it is scarcely possible that the cause OF
the Catholic hierarchy, now engaged in a
desperate struggle with the Cabinet of the
Emperor should not suffer more or less by
reached a point where public opinion is of
the utmost value to either side. The action
Of the Government Is now directed to inducing
the Catholic laity to consider for themselves
the matters at issue In cases where
pulpts are vacant through the passive dis
obedience of the priests, the people are taught
that the churches belong to them and that
they ought not to be deprived of religious in
struction on account of the factious opposition
of the clergy to rightful authority. On the
other hand, of course, the clergy maintain that
they are only doing their duty to God and the
Church in refusing to obey unholy and usurp-
ing laws. 1t will be fatal, not only to the
hierarchical supremacy of the Church but also
to the clerical influence among the people, if
the Government party can succeed ~ impress