, 1875-05-08
P0LITIC0.REuGlOUS WARFARE.
bismarck and ,Ire Catholic Church.

speeches, announces that he is not an enemy
of the Catholic Church, that - ne warred
only against the PApacy, which had adopted
the principle of the exterminatiOn Of hereties
and was in enmity with the Gospel as well
rs with the Prussian State" It Is difficult
| to follow the exalted, and at fines feverish.
! temper of Prince Bismarck's recent speeches.
/ He has told Us that he believes the Jesnits
forced France into war. Now he insists
that the Pope means to renew the Inquisition
and the "acts of faith" We can hardly
believe that Prince Bismarck thinks tha. if
the Pope had his way he would " "extermi-
nate heretics;" that he would insist upon
putting to the rack or the sword all the Ger
mans and Americans and Englishman who
do not subscribe to the dogma of infallibility.
We could comprehend statements Of this
Kind from street preachers of the fervent
schools, who have given their minds 10 the
study of the Book OF Revelation and who
know the meaning of the different vials but
We cannot imagine Il temperate and responsi-
BE minister, charged with the peace Of a
great kingdom, seriously expressing an ap-
prehension that if the old Pope had his way
he would throw him into the embrace OF the
Iron Virgin at Nuremberg or condemn him
tc the noisosne depths of Madrid dungeon.
The feveriNhness of Prince Bisruarck's rbe-
tc.ic throws strong light upon the exact
position of the Holy See in EuroTe. The
German Chancellor makes war upon a in
tinence he cannot reach. He aims MS blows
at the Pope. who is really an intangible.
evanescent power. He Is, 50 far as the mate
rial forces Of the conflict are concerned. sin,,,-
ly venerable and rather stubborn rcclesi.sti-
cal dignitary, who exists in Rome by the
sutferance of the Hing of Italy, and who
could be sent over the frontier tomorrow by
an Italian policeman should Victor Emman-
uel so will. He has unlimited command Of
communicative and anathemas, bat not a
soldier. What has Prince Bismarck TO lear
from this old clergyman? Nothing in one
way and many things III Ctarr ways. The
powerless priest is in truth the must power
ful Of potentates. rs prince he Is nothing
as an influence everything. He Is the chief
OF the largest body of civilized people in
Ciristenion. His authority Is o5eved to the
uttermOSt ends Of the earth. he has NOT
shown the full meaning Of his authority.
Bismarck makes war upon the Pope as the
minister of Il monarch wEo reisns by the
grace Of God. In this capacity he disiains
and aSSaI!s the Roman pretensiOns to iufIlli-
bIlIty, which he regards a. 4 scheme Of the
JeSnits to strengthen the Holy See But
has the Pope not as much right 70 assume iu-
| fa-ihle power rs the Emperor has TO claim his
crown by Gods grace? Ii one is the legend
Of princes, and, even from a worldly view,
one has as much right to the support OF man
kind As the other
Bat IN this struggle between divine right
and infalli6ility there Is an agency open 10
the Pope which he has not welded; an
agency of irresistible power. We mean the
dogma Of democracy. The Pope at the out
@et Of his poutifeate showed disposition 10
cultivate liberal ideas and act with the Iber-
al party in Italy. But he was prevented by
the iUAnrDee oi ibe Ita];an parry xaicA ,Iea
surrounded b.m. He preferred the support OF
the kiags-a support that has vanished. He
! sees now that the kings have only used ham
for their advantage-that there was no sin
cerity in their friendship-that 50 lo2g as he
| blessed . divine right " ard encouraged his
focks TO bo faithful subjects they aided him.
Pat in the time of trial nC Power in Europe,
no matter how Catholic, dares to salute His
Holiness with true iIial affection. Belgium
haa Just been soundly bullied by R-lissia for
preSuming 10 do 80, and Marshal MacMahon
has been compelled TO moderate his bishops TO
Preyent another scene with Bismarck. All
this time the Pope sees that only in republi
can countries Is the Church free-in republic
can Peru, which Is Catholic, and in republic
can America, which Is Protestant. He sees
that if his Church will live it must rest upon
the affections of the people, and that with
ont this support it will never possess true IN
/ dependence. This is the meaning we attach
10 the appointment Of an American prelate
TO be cardinal for the first time in our his
! tory This is why the Pope has given speci1l
privileges to the President Of Peru. This Is
also the reason why he has maintained with
the President Of the French Republic rela.
tiUns Of Cstentatious amity- The quarrel
between Bismarck and the Pope Is really 3
quarrel between two dogmas-divine right
and infaIlibility. Let the Pope accept the
| other dogma, Americas contribution TO the
political wisdom Of the future, that " all
men are created free and equal, and there
will b. A seyerer blow 10 Bismarck and his
class than they have received at any time
since the fall of the Bastiie--N J. Herald.
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