The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-08-22
Prince bismarck and the Church.
TIE SPEAKS FREELY on ITS CONFLICT wITlr
THE CATHOLICS.


THE CATHOLICS.
fi.criin august 4j Correspondence OF the London
Times
After the many fragmentary accounts Of
the conversation Prince Bismarck recently
had ut Kissngen with some Protestant
clergymen from W1rtemburg upon eccle-
Siastical subjects, the Leipsic journal d.
helm oblieeS us with 4 full and complete re-
port. The clerical gentlemen having frankly
avowcd that their motive in coming to Kis-
singer was 10 see the Prince, the latter,
after a few: courteous remarks, turned the
conversation upon ecclesiastical affairs. One
of the clergvmen. in answer to the Princes
inquiry, remarked that outwardy at least
the Catholic Church wns at peace with the
Whrtemhurg Government, wlfen the Prince
held forth in this wise:
"And yet YOU have the same ecclesiastical
legislation at Prussia. In Wurtemburg,
theR, the Catholic Church calmly acquiesces
in what is denounced as wholly inaccept-
able in Prussia. This difference In the
policy of the Papal See is still more remark
able when VIC come to consider that in Prus-
Sia, too, we lived at peace with the Vatican
till lS40, though under institutions similar
to your own. There were certainly COLI
sions from time to time; yet on the whole
King. Unfortunately change surpervened
during the reign Of his late Majesty Fredc-
rick William ~ A Roman Catholic family
belonging to the highest aristocracy OF the
land Radziwil. one OF whose ancestors
married n Prussian princess fifty years nSo..
protited bv the circumstances Of the time
to secure to the Catholic Church in the
kingdom privileged position. You
are aware that in the troublous days
OF 1S4S, when the first symptoms OF
a soclaistic movement came to the surface,
the elections in the strictly orthodox wards
were conservative and highly acceptable to
the Government. This rendering the Gov
ernment disposed to strengthen the Catholic
Church, Il special Catholic department was
established in the Ministry OF Ecclesiastical
Affairs to regulate the relations between
Church ard state. The members OF this
department, though belonging to the Prls-
sian civil service, were. so to say, serfS TO
the Radziwell family. Soft-spoken and be-
ncyolent JesllitS were thus afforded an Op-
portunity OF siding into the Government.
Daily gaining ground, the Catholic Church
at last occupied n more dominant position
in Prussia than anywhere else. Our rela-
tions with the Pope gradually became SO
uncomfortable that il his Holiness had sent 4
Nuncioto lord it over us we should, compare
lively speaking, have been better off. =
The Church thus interfering with ma
tiona! and political affairs, it dcyolvcd upon
me to take note OF what was going on. /
first applied to 4 bishop, inquiring whether
to be Il good Catholic it was absolutely ne
cessarv to be Il Pole. or whether to be a
German was asincompatibe with belief in the
Roman creed ! went the length OF offer
Ing to this reverend prelate the Archiepls-
copa See OF Posen; but the offer was de-
clined on the plea that he did not under
stand any Polish. Well, Count Ledochow-
skv, who subsequently became Archbishop
OF Posen. having been brought up in Rome,
did not understand 4 word Of Polish either,
but he learnt it subsequently. Meanwhile
the Polarization - Of the German districts
In our scmi-Polish provinces was Vlgor-
ously continued, until at last l objected to
that sort OF thing, and caused the
Catholic department to be done away
with. This, amounting to declara-
ton OF war. raised fearful storm
against us in Uitramontane circles. Every
effort was made to add to the num-
bers OF the Ultramontanc party in Parlla-
mont. Some malcontents, former Minis
tcrs. Under Secretaries OF State, etc., did
ical Opposition. The conflict thus assumed
a more extensive range, and the Govern
ment were neccssitated to have recourse TO
the Legislature. The May laws were en-
acted. l cannot say that approve every
item enacted in these laws, but l contend
that, upon the whole, they answer the Dur-
pose, and are a strong wall OF defence in
this inevitable conflict with the Papacy. By
virtue OF these laws we have recovered the
position we gave up in 1890. We have
taken back what was our own up to that
date. We can now afford to stand upon the
defensive and to wait for what is to be.
"As to the Evangelical Church-thS is
the name OF the Protestant establishment OF
the Kingdom OF PrusSia-it has never
thrown any difficulties in the way OF the
State. Hence the May laws cannot have
been meant to control the freedom OF the
Protestant clergy. Yet, rs we have had no
alternative but TO enact the same laws for
both establishments, Professionalism had to
he placed on the same footing with the
priests. regret that in consequence OF the
sweeping measures that had to be taken NJ
nrehensions have been raised in many quar-
tcrs. am alIuding here chiefly to civil
marriage, which the attitude OF the priest
hood had made it indispensable to introduce.
I confess that I at first was far from approx
ING the measure. 1t is true, civil marriage
il not opposed to the Christian doctrine.
You are aware what Luther thought about
it YOU know, too, that We have had civil
marriage on the Rhine for many years, ana
this without any detrinlent to religion.
Yet did not like to shake vcneratlon Tor
an ancient usage, sanctioned by Christian
ity; I did not like to offend the feelings OF
honest and loyal people, who possibly might
be excited and thrown into consternatloh
by the innovation. But failed to persuade
my colleagues, and should have brought on
4 ministerial crisis had ! persisted. SO
gave nv consent. Though | foresaw that
the measure would be less effective than
others imagined, it is now law, and beng
such, is respected by the Protestant Church.
"A As to the new arrangements for the gov
ernment Of the Protestant Church, the ad-
mission Of the lay element to power IN the
establishment is an important measure.
Especially in Calyinistic districts, people
after this concession take q greater interest
in church matters, and are ready to support
it in way very different from what used TO
be the case. To the Protestant Chllrcn
Presbyterian government is essential; the
Catholic Church is I structure ready ana
finished, in which the laity are like acccs-
sories in 4 landScape.'
Speakinr or ncw wGrLi>. what i 20 be SAID
OF - ssimultane: This extraordinary In.
ycntion, which is not an IAmcricanlsm either,
is thus explained in Ii letter TO the LONDON