Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-01-07
BISMARCK AND TIE POPE.

pected of being sensitive to ethical con-
siderations, and while he has labored hard
and long to establish united Germany. a
free Germany has never been within the
catalogue of his aspirations. To MAINTAIN
the Prussian dynasty; TO concede as LITTLE
volition to the Reichstag as possible TO
subordinate everything to the idea OF
national supremacy to make alliances with
those Movers alone which can be utilized
AGAINST France and generally to work
for Absolut1sm as against Democracy, may
he said to summarize roughly the Chan
cellor's policy. Whether the working out
of this policy is to bring evil or good to
Europe has been very interesting and a
very problematical question from the be-
Ginning. When the Second French Empire
collapsed at Sedan it was indeed easy
enough to understand that up to that point
the German successes had been gain
for the cause of human progress.
But after the Empire came the Republic,
and this shifted the center of sympathy
again, There were then confronted,
France with Democratic tendencies /; a
Germany with Absolutist tendencies. In
both the crushing spirit of Militarism was
rampant, but in France this spirit had
been somewhat chastened by adversely,
whereas in Germany it had filed the
minds of the people with vainglorious-
ness which might easily tempt them into
career of conquest and aggression. The
fall of the Second Empire made the unfit
cation of Italy possible, and destroyed the
last hope of the restoration OF the Pope's
temporal power In Louis Napoleon's
time it had been French bayonets that
bristled around the Pope's throne, but
these were now withdrawn, and Republi.
can France sympathized with the Italian
popular sentiment against papal tyranny.
! But what would the world say if now
the Germany of the CuttmkGagf should
turn round and help the Pope to recover
his temporahties Amazing, almost in
credible as the idea may be, the Nations
Berlin correspondent always very trust
worthy, positively states that this propo-
sition is on the tapis. Bismarck has
advised the Pope to leave Rome and take
no his residence in the Prussian town of
Fulda, the old bishopric Of st. Boniface.
And Bismarck's organ, the Post, thus
plainly sets forth the anticipated effects of
this step. 1t begins by saying that the
Pope has most formidable weapon where
with to win back the temporal power, in
voluntary exile 1t would be "much
more than temporary deliverance from
" an intolerable situation it would be a
'' weapon for the destruction of the Italian
" monarchy. The hostility between the
priesthood, whose head was in exile, and
the State, which had exiled it, would
break out in open flames. The radicals
would urge the humiliation of the
priesthood, and the atheistic republic
'would raise its head. In Italy republi-
cans and freethinkers are inseparable
while Roman Catholicism is after all the
"pillar and embodiment of everything
that is sound and respectable in the
italian monarchy. The radical republic
sin Italy would be the transition to
restoration, and perhaps lead to great
war, if another republic should support
the italian republic and at the same
g time subject it to its rule. The Pontif
"cate, therefore, is not without efficient
arms in its exile it possesses a powerful
weapon, which can ultimately destroy
Is the Italian monarchy"
This is plain enough. The "other re-
"pubIic" is of course France, and the
whole article intimates that the Pope's
voluntary exile is to lead up to the procla-
nation of the republic in Italy; to an al
lance between France and Italy; to the
declaration of war upon both those repub-
tics by Germany; and thus to the restora-
ton of the Pope's temporal power, as an
incident to the overthrow of Democracy in
Europe. 1t is an audacious and a cynical
plan, and, it must be said, thoroughly ac-
cordant with Bismarck's character. The
world would then see the statesman who
boosted that he would not go to Ca.
"nossa," turning the mighty power of Ger.
many against the cause of Freedom, and
playing the champion to that Church
whose dark and sinister policy he himself
has been compelled to fight with all his
strength. And to secure the opportunity
of completing the overthrow of France,
Bismarck would thus coolly sacrifice Italy,
aud re-establish the temporal power of
the Papacy. PROFESSIONALLY it is daring
game, but it is one which appeals to no
progressive or liberal sympathies, and we
are greatly mistaken if it is programme
which Europe would permit to be carried
out.
1t happens that Bismarck's defiant un-
scrupulousness, and his shameless bargains
with the UItramontanes, have at last united
all the Liberal elements against him.
Henceforth he viii seek in vain to play off
one of these factions against another, He
has been too frank in his self-exposure, and
they all know that they have nothing to
expect from him. It is therefore by no
means certain that he could carry such
policy as this through the Reichstag
But even if that were practicable, he could
not make war upon France and Italy in such
a cause without encountering the danger
of an Anglo. French alliance. England and
Germany have had strong Protestant bonds
of union in the past, but not too strong to
be broken if Bismarck changes MS cue and |
becomes the Pope's man-at-arms. England |
cannot look idly ON while war is waged |
one of the objects of which is to establish
Popery and England, France and Italy
together would be an overmatch for Ger |
many, even if Austria threw in her lot |
with the Prussianized Empire. No doubt
a great European war could be set on foot |
in such way, and perhaps Bismarck would |
not hesitate much before applying the