The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-03-31
ConaIet vim theRomIgh church,

1
don Daily Meas writes to that journal,
under the date March 5; The presentation
Of the bill to abolish State support Of the
Catholic Church was splendid coup de
theatre. It had not been limited to the
public through the press, and fOW Of the
Deputies on either side Of the House,
much less in the Centre, were expecting
Il. An evening paper, which has official
connections, intimates that the bill had
been for some time in the hands OF the
Ministry; been suspended over Irrecon-
cilables who administer the Roman Cath0-
lie Church in Prussia; but when the Presi-
dent Of the Lower House, after some
thrilling announcements about the canals
OF Silesia, and the hereditary rights Of
OF deaf and dunn grandchildren, careless
ly mentioned the existence Of . bill to
reyolutionizO the Catholic Church In
Prussia, there was sensation and gen
eral amazement, The Left cheered and
the Centre did the opposite thing, and 1t
was referred to the printer, Now, that
the measure has been introduced, the
Liberal press is overwhelmed with OBJ
viOus arguments for Its introduction, and
is only surprised that It appears 10 late.
Most Of them called II the reply Of the
State to the late EnCyClical, In certain
sense this ", OF course, correct, The En-
Cyclical was the immediate provocatiOn
to the measure, since II held out direct
challenge to Catholic subjects to choose
between loyalty to the State and fidelity to
the Church, Tho State could do no more
than accept the challenge, Each antagO-
mist has It's means OF Compulsion. The
Pope says 10 the clergy; II you recognize
the May laws you shall be eTcommuni-
Gated, Tho State says; II you do not rec
ognize the May laws your salary will be
stopped. Thus the one Is reply to tho
other, and Il remains to 30 seen which Is
the most formidable-the spiritual penal
ties Of the Church, or the pecuniary pun
ishment Of the State,
The present arrangement between
Prussia and the Church Of Rome dates
from the year 1921, in the reign Of Fred
eric Wilhelm Ill. It happened to DO on
orthodox year with tho King, and rath-
or moderate spirit prevailed at Rome.
Accordingly, both parties showed rather
u romantic, and, as Il appears, the kinga
mistaken, degree Of Cancellation. No
COncordat was demanded. Tho Pope is
sued Bull dc Salute AnimaFum; tho King
accepted 1t, and II forms unaltered the
basis Of tho rights Of tho Church In Prus-
sia; or, II ono prefers, II Is tho enumera.
ton Of tho privileges which tho Church
chooses to exercise. This reservation Is
but just to both parties. For over tho
Interpretation Of this compact II very
grave difference Of opinion has always
existed, and II enters deeply into the con-
troversy between the Church and tho
Government to-day. The term compact
is, in fact, begging Of tho question. The
Catholics pretend the arrangement made
in 1921 Il In tho nature OF q COnCOrdat,
that tho acceptance OF the Papal Bull by
the State gave II tho force Of treaty be-
tween two independent powers, and that,
since there Is no provision for terminating
II at the discretion Of one party, It can 10
terminated only by their mutual consent.
The opposite view maintained by tho
anti-clerical party will suggest itself.
According to that view no Conoordat or
compact In any form exists. There was
Mt most u, tacit assent to an ar
rangcment which tho Pope made with
his own clergy, and which the State, as
an indorser, subsequently confirmed by
legislation, but nothing like formal and
perpetual concession from the State to the
church. In the Royal order accompany
Ing the PRONUNCIATION Of the Bull, tho
King expressly spoke Of granting tho
privileges In the fullness Ofhis sovereign
pOwers. The church Ia described as the
hCatholic Church Of Prussia" Circum-
stance on which the Liberals lay great
stress. II Is not, they say, with the
Church Of Rome, nor even with one sec
ton Of tho universal church, that we
have 10 do, bnt with National Church,
which, by the very fact that II Is thus de-
scribcd and CirCumscribcd, Ia subject to
the sovereign authority Of tho State like
any other corporation. AS matter Of
courtesy, the State allows this National
Church to treat the Pope ~ its spiritual
head, but It does not grant him sovereign
power.
Thus run tho two disputed intcrpreta-
tons and In II will bc seen that grave
problem In constitutional law lies be-
tween the pending bill and It's adoption.
There is no arbiter IN tho iSSliei the
State IN fact, al least, IL master Of the
position, aud can interpret tho arrange
ment Of 1891 In its own way. A foe can
not hope to persuade, anl Ia hardly en-
titled to argue with II Parliamentary MA
iOrity Of nearly 200. The amount an.
nually voted In the Budget for the
Catholic clergy il only about 100000
thalcrs, but lie indirect revenues Of
which lie State Ii administrator are, Of