The Portland daily press., 1875-06-11
European Correspondence.
The Religious QuestiOn.--Efistory of the
Prussiaa Snbsidy-The Abode of snow
American Wine in Erance-Thc Eiuc0iu
TOwer--Americans and Spelling
Matches i'm Europe
GENEVA May "A. IS75.

0ENENA May Il, 100.
What can L write abou: now, that is of more
interest to the world, than the troublesome re-
lgious questions? 1t looks as if the next war in
Europe was not far distant ard that it would
be substantially war for supremacy between
the Catholic and anti Catholic Powers. There
has been for long time an Indefinite, ire
spons ibe prophesy that in the nineteenth cen
tury great war would break out between con-
tending religious ideas in which evidently the
Protestant would prevail. 1t truly looks at
present writing, as if this might prove to be
not mere vagary, but solemn reality In any
event the times in Europe look very portentous,
and an intelligent person will do we'll to keep
thoroughly posted and read .up, in respect to
events that are now happening. The grand
ecclesiastical arena of Europe is being gradu
ally extended and thanks to the pugnaci
constitutional measure of the Teuton Empire
we may witness, and perhaps unwittinely-a
strife that according to DR.. Cummings, will be
merely prelude to the prophesied melee gene
rale at Armageddon. "All along the lne'' the
struggle between the Vatican and its partisans,
ard the dissident faiths, either to the preten-
sioEs of the Holy See, its teachings in the all
theory of the Immaculate Conception, appears
nearly imminent. The passive and covert re-
sistancs developed for so long past in the prov
inces of Prussian Poland has now spread to the
western region of the countries under the sway
of Hohenzolern dynasty, but in a far more vio-
lent form. This agitation is ominous for future
tranquility. The people of this section of the
German Empire have demonstrated their
connections by Orthodox knocks and the
upshot of these disturbances verifies the
native inclination to uphold their faith by de-
cisive action. The riots at Pulsnitz when the
too loyal Roman Catholic priest on his install
lation was maltreated and kidnapped by the
indignant worshippers, for having subscribed
to the new ecclesiastical laws, must be taken
as a sign which way the wind blows This in
ident was gross enough in character and the
German religionists were lively enough to
require the presence of the military to quell
the doisrder. Before this, however the Eug-
lish Roman Catholic episcopacy had come out
ripe for war. The noe of the Anglican Bish-
ops to their German and.Swss conferes is di-
rect encouragement the struggle against the
Powers that seek to curtal and reduce the
powers and privileges Of the Vatican. The ex-
treme violence of the terms employed, the i'm
pertinent and uncalled for bravado of the
phrases used, are not of nature to inspire
sympathy for q cause whose position other
wise might entitle it to the respect that
should ever be shown to q sincerity OF thought
and earnest belief, however mistaken it might be
considered by Others sa matter of consc ence.
Public opinion in Switzerland resents this for
eign interference on more grounds thar ore
and Swiss ultramontanes will certainly receive
Cardinal Manning's rescript with some re-
serve, as it can put aggravate the present sta
tus of differences with the Federal authorities.
The letter from England on the whole, is no
credit to Cardinal Manning, and may be safely
regarded as highly injudicious just now. 1t
would have been far better had the promised
prayers for deliverance from trial and persecu-
ton been accompanied by veiled precepts to
oppose force by force. Prince Bismarck is
moved to Eight it out on this line if it takes
all summer" and forever. The German bill
will simply drive out of Germany every Catho
lie priest who hangs to Rome. 1t is just se-
questration of all their church property and
eventually exile. These are truly heavy thun-
derbolts Berlin knows the temper Of the Ger
man people far better than Rome does; and
Bismarck knew well, when he entered upon
the struggle, that the people would never re.
spond to this last appeal of the Pope to arms.
The Vatican has kept up the contest so far by
merely keeping to one line of action and con-
stanty advancing its pretepsious, in the vain
hoye Of intimidating its opponents; but once
defeated and forced to change its base of opeI-
ations and mode of attack, its weakness will
become apparent to the world.
The history of the g. 3750,00O fir. subsidy which
the German Government has heretofore gran
ted the Catholics there is not well known in
America and few words about it may not go
amss. THIS subsidy has now been withdrawn.
1t would not appear very large sum for
body of nearly twelve million Catholics to lose;
but they are mostly peasants whose miserable
laud hardly enables them TO pay their taxes.
T1is subsidy history fnd is a curious one,
BY the "Reieh's Deputatons Akt"l of 1903,
he German Empire ceded the left bank of the