The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1875-06-11
The 1'ressi0n bishops Protest.
THE LATEST CHAPTER IN THE RELietoUs
STRUGGLE IN GERMANY.

THE LATEST CHAPTER IN THE RELie'oos
STRUGGLE IN GERMANY
The full text of the reply of the Prussian
bisbops to the escript of the Prussian Gov-
ernment dated the 9th of April last, is puo-
lished in the Gernadntd OF Berf'n. ~ years
tho date of s'the end of April, 1878" and
is signed by the Archbishop of Cologne,
the Prince bishop Of Breslau, the bishops
of Limburg Mayence, Culm, Treves. Osna-
burg, Er,nelaud, Munster, IliidesheIm, and
the administrators OF the dtOceses OF frel-
burg and Fulda. A considerable portion
of the documents deals with the curt re-
futations contained in the ministerial le-
ecript of supposed statements made In
the bishops memorial, which, the bish-
ops point out. are falsely or enormously at
tributed to them. and are certainly not
contained in the memorial as an answer
This objection applies in the first instance
to the remark in the rescript that Prussian
bishops refuse obedience to laws winch are
else where obeyed by Roman Catholics with
out scruple hesitation. The bishops
have, on the contrary, pointed to the exam
ples of other Christians and Catholics, from
the Apostles downwards, refusing obedi-
ence to certain laws in support of their con-
tention that the Church of Christ does not
command unconditional submission to all
secular laws which may be proclaimed. -
The new ecclesiastical laws OF Prussia con-
tain provisions which are not enacted or
obeved elsewhere, and which initiate
against the law of the Christian Church.
The bishops declare that a friendly under
standing with the secular power would have
been most welcome to them, and even at
this present moment they will be glad to
meet their antagonist, provided always the
secular power does not propose terms con-
trariant to the fundamental rules of Chris
tan religion. The bishops next roint out
that their objection to the provision which
foi bids the proclamation OF divine truth"
has been wifully distorted by the writer of
the rescript. Nevertheless. the new laws
do fol bid such proclamations. as appears
from decisions Of the law courts which are
quoted. The bishops disavow the com
plant ascribed to them-that the State
paid salaries have been taken from the Ro-
man Catholic clergy at the very moment
when ministers of other denominations are
treated with marked and iHdiscriminare
liberality. They did not complain they
only ventured to point out the effect which
llIis unequal way Of dealing must have upon
the Roman Catholic population. The hiSh-
. ops furthermore lepel the charge brought
against them that they have un unbeconlingly
appealed to the Emperor for the rejection
of the impending fresh laws. Every Prus-
. sian is coustitutionaly guaranteed the right
/ of personal appeal to the King, and in us
ing their Just right they have certainly not
mfriuGed the spirit of the constitution, see
irg that they have exercised it on behalf
aud in the name of eight millions of the
Kings subjects. With equal indignation
do the bishops repel the accusation that
( they hare made obedience to secular laws
dependent upon 'the approval ofthe Pope -
! They have never SAID this. They have
made obedience dependent upon the appro-
val of their conscience. The aliusion to
! their conduct at the Vatican Council in
which the ministerial rescript INDUCES, is
/ quite beside the mark. in the first place,
/ that conduct is grossly misrepresented 10y
/ the writer of the reScript Never. for in
! stance, have any of the PruSSiar. bishops
} predicted troubles and disturbances of the
( public peace as the inevitable, and there
/ fore preventable, consequences of the then
/ disputed doctrine of infallbilty. More
over, after the resolution of the Council in
J favor of the doctrine has become part and
! parcel of the Roman Catholic faith, and is
! binding upon the conscience of every Cath
o'ic, to reject or to question il is to reject
the Catholic religion. Prince Bismarck
himself, on January 80. 1872, in publicly
speaking OF the dogma Of infallbilty. said
! that ''every dogma believed in by millions
/ of subjects Of the state must necessarily be
. held in reverence by every fellow citizen
and by the Government" There is reason
T to believe that the Government will not
again reply to the bishops memorial, being
unwilling to prolong the controversy.
; GOLD DISCOVERIES IN TENNESsEE.-A
correspondent of the Louisville CoUriel.
J0urUdi, writing from Clark svlle, Tenn,
says:
The discovery of gold in this State
alnrr the Little Tennessee River hetveer
McGhee's Ferry and its mouth, has created
no little excitement ill East Tennessee
Nearly fifty years ago DR.. Troost, Pro:es
SOr of Chemistry aud Minni..llnnu in tIa