The New York herald., 1874-12-14
The Religious strife An Germany-Bis-
marck, Arnim and the Herald.

Those who look at national events in their in
ternational aspects cannot fail to note the rela-
ton between the ultramontane contest in Ger
many and the extraordinary excitement now
pervading England as to whether allegiance
to the Pope is to govern the allegiance OF the
Catholic to his sovereign. The coincidence IN
the two controversies only indicates that Ger
many and England are controlled by similar
emotions. We see what We have seen so often,
that between the two systems, civil govern
ment as seen in the Teutonic and Anglo-Saxon
countries and religious government as seen in
the Papacy, there is an irrepressible and
constantly recurring conflict. The war OF
Luther against the indulgences and of Henry
VIII. against the Papal supremacy were early
phases of the present strife. Those who study
the career of Luther Will see that his success
came. not from any sense OF an outraged
religious sentiment on the part of the German
Catholics, but from patriotic opposition to
Italians and the rule of Italian prelates over
the Catholic world. Henry Will became the
defender Of the faith by appealing to that
sturdy English patriotism which was as strong
then as it is now. The contest in Germany.
the earnest effort to convict Count Arnim, the
bitterness that marks the relations between
Bismarck and the Pope, the efforts of Disraeh
and Gladstone to vie with each other in their
appeal to the Protestant sentiment OF Eng
land, show that we are in q new phase OF the
religious movement known in history as the
Protestant Reformation.
Therefore every phase of this contest, no
matter how minute, becomes Of the utmost
importance. The conviction or the acquittal
of Count Arnim is small matter, so far as
that nobleman is concerned He can have no
more punishment than what he has already
undergone. The world well understands that
there is no crime in what he has done. There
may be infractions Of the Prussian civil SER
vice law. The averment that the publication
OF the questionable documents win be re-
garded a. high treason shows the anxiety Of
the government a. to the moral results Of
the controversy. It Is possible, and no
doubt very probable, that in his efforts
to protect himself against Bismarck Count
Aruim has violated the technical regula-
tions Of the Prussian Foreign Office. But
no one believes that he has done anything
inconsistent with his honor and his duty as o
nobleman of the German Empire. There
fore the harshness of his punishment does
not mean the vindication of German law,
but satisfying the policy Of Bismarck.
It is another phase Of the strife
TOR power. Prussia is governed by q
capricious king-one who Is as absolutely
master as the Tudors. He selects ministers,
commands armies, makes war or peace, as he
pleases, and accepts the advice of cabinet
only when the advice plsasss him. Psrhapa
the protest Of the Reichstag against the sum-
mary arrest Of one Of its members may have
some effect in changing the royal decision.
but we do not 30 anticipate. To be the
Minister Of an absolute monarch has its
advantages. There are no parliameuts to
dread-unless the Reichstag shall really be-
cone q parliament jealous Of its dignity,
as now seems probable-no budgets to
discuss, no ultimate legislation to punish
or reward When it is necessary to WELD
the resources Of . great empire, to make
sudden, swift, unpausing and unexpected
war, when it is deemed best to suddenly
sum up all the resources of an empire for an
instant purpose, then this relation Of .
favored minister to an irresponsible king has
its advantages. Without such . relation 1t Il Q
question whether Prussia could have won
Sadowa or Sedan.
On the other hand, there are disadvantages.
A statesman may rise like wolsey, resting on
the affections OF his prince. only to fall like
Wolssy when those affections grow cold. It
may be question OF grave State policy, or It
may be simple bodily distemper wearing
upon the nerves, this royal power to build up
and tear down is unquestioned and from 1t there
is no appeal. With such power Bismarck has
to deal. He serves . master who may dis
robe him to morrow and no one to dispute
the act. So when he fights it is for power and
not a principle. he Is strong when Germany
is behind him, for Germany will always be re-
spected, even by the Prince who rules it.
Therefore he summons up the same old feeling
for the Fatherland against the foreign priest
and the foreign prince which nerved Luther in
his journey to Worms and which led Prussia
from Jena to Waterloo. Bismarck sees that
in this struggle there is against him power
he cannot but fear. He 10 the Minister Of
. very old man. In the course OF nature this
Kaiser must soon 60 and 'rest with God" In
his place q new prince will come, young
man who will be as anxious to emulate his
ancestral glory as was Frederick when he sent
his fathers veteran generals home from the
wars, saying that king of Prussia could not
''InArch with o tutor in the field" All the
tokens that come from Germany show that
the new Kaiser will not rule with his fathers
ministers IS his military or civil tutors. Be-
tween Bismarck and this Prince there have not
been the most cordial relations. A prince by
tho force of intellect, like Bismarck, is not apt