National Republican., 1883-10-22

craft against the other in their combinations
md alliances. Tho popo also was playing n
double game. IIo was was secretly negotiat
ing with Frances |, and at the same time with
Charles V and Henry VIII against Francis,
fearing another French invasion into
Italy, His preference, however, was an
alliance with Charles, If Charles would ac-
cede to his terms, tho chief of them being
that Charles should help to put down tho
hereto Luther and crush the rising roforna-
tion. The eighth of May, 1921, concluded
the alliance between the pope and Charles.
1t was against Luther and France and the
interests of Germany were sacrificed. Tho
private wars Of Germany, the ecclesiastical
grievances and the grievances of tho peas
ants woro not considered by the diet.
Then came the Peasants war, in spite Of
the opposition and protest Of Luther; war
which cost Germany more than 100000 lives,
and for centuries deferred tho day of redemp-
ton from tho foudal serfdom of that country,
All this came of the refusal of reform at the
diet of Worms. ut was the conspiracy Of the
higher powers at the diet of Worms to saori-
flee the common veal to their own ambitious
objects on which history will lay the blame
of the peasants war"
DIR. Domer then traced tho new movements
which followed; the combinations and
transmutations on tho chess board of Euro
pean politics until the battle of Pavia in 1924
when Charles V and the pope began to quar-
rel, and tho secret alliance of the pope with
Francis l was formed in expectation of q
French victory at Pavia. the marriage of
Charles to the Infanta of Portugal and the
consequent break between Charles and Henry
VIII, and Henry's treaty of peace with
France. 1t was at that moment, when
Charles V was breaking with Henry VIII, and
when the pope was breaking with Charles V,
that the diet of Spires 1925 was in session.
At this diet the edict of tho emperor at
Worms against Luther was set aside, and
chiefly because the Emperor Charles no longer
cared to back up the interests of n pope
Pope Clement VlI-with whom he could no
longer corporate. From the decree of this
diet of Spires came the division Of Germany
into Catholic and Protestant states.
Immediately succeeding the diet of Spires
and the consequent division of Germany into
Catholic and Protestant states came u now
development of the antagonism between
Charles and the pope, and began to take
ominous form. Not against Luther now, but
against the pope, the imperial power is about
to be hurled in dreadful war. An army of
Germans under Gen. George Frcundsberg, is
gathered up and incorporated with the inn
perial forcesan army of Germans under a
Lutheran general! With this army Charles
V Joined the Spanish mercenaries under the
Duke of Bourbon, who had lately revolted
from the French and offered their services to
tho emperor. Under these commands an
army of 10000 strong marched into Italy and
laid siege to the city of Rome, the capital city
of the papacy, and the prolific mother of SO
much sulferin2 and woe to the continent OF
Europe Tor centuries. The city was captured
and dreadfully pillaged. The pope himself,
with thirteen of his cardinals and other bish-
ops and principal persons with him, escaped
into the castle of st. Angelo. The church OF
St. Peter was turned into stable and filled
with horses.
The sacking of Rome and the diet of Spires
(1526), gave the states of Germany freedom
to accept or reject the ecclesiastical dominion
of Rome, as they severally pleased. This was
the outcome of tho diet at Worms in 1921
Had tho alliance at Worms not played with
fire And did not the burning Nemesis tread
hard on the heels of the allied powers in all
their changes and combinations until the
fiery vortex opened and the Roman city fell
into it? Rome, sacked by German, Spanish
and Italian troops, and more pitilessly
pillaged than it been q Thousand years before
by the Vandals! The pope o prisoner of the
Catholic Emperor Charles V in the castle ol
St. Angelo, and henceforth destined to act as
the tool Of his imperial master and to yield
an enforced submission to tho supremacy OF
Spain! Rome, now forever, ceased to be the
capital Of Christendom. "a now form oi
civilization now began, which could go on it:
way independently of Rome, and which Rome
was no longer able either to inspire or to con
troll :" and all this within six years from the
transactions at the diet of Worms