The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1883-09-13
RJsuaRCK OUTWTTTEn

BISMARCK OUTWI7T'EH
Boston journal: The study 81 the
changes which have taken place in re-
lation TO the church Of Rome 10 the gov
ernments Of France and Germany dur
ing the last ten OF twelve years Is full Of
interest and suggestiveness. TheiVati-
can looked with undoubted d;sfaYor
upon the humiliation Of the French en-
pre-; and the statesmen who shaped the
affairs Of united and victorious Germany
alter the war with France were confront
ed by the covert but pervasive hostility
Of the Catholic clergy. In 1872 Bis
marck determined 10 meet this hostility
by aggressive measures. The expulsion
OF the Jesuita was decreed; secular In
spection over the public schools was in
stltuted; and In 1873 the Prussian Land
tag passed the famous May laws, which
subjected ecclesiastical appointments 10
the veto Of the govern
ment, placed clerical education
under the regulation OF the state, limit
ed the Jurisdiction Of the bishops, and
provided tribunal for the adjustment
of questions relating TO the church. The
Catholic bishops and clergy disregard
Ing and deiyiDg these laws, aud the pope
in 1875 declaring them null and void
and forbidding Catholics to obey them,
Bismarck retored by fining and imprIs-
oning certain Of the cUDtumacious pre-
lates, and by enacting new law requlr-
ing q formal pledge of submission
from all the clergy before the payment
Of their salaries, dissolving mOnastIc IN.
situations and removing the financial
affairs of the Catholic dioceses from the
hands of the priests to the control OF
laymen. AS consequence Of these
laws, two-thirds OF the Catholic dioceses
of Prussia were left without bishops and
many of the parishes without priests
Meantime the loyalty of the Catholic
population TO their church was only
strengthened by the sacrifices which they
had TO mako for II, and the inconven.
inces and the loss Of spiritual privileges
10 which they were sub.
jected. The Centre party N
the Reichstag, which represented the
Catholic interests and was ably man.
aged. grew steadily more influential
while the National Liberals, upon whose
support the government had relied in
its war upon the church, lost ground
The turning point came when Bismarck
finding that the Liberals would not fol
low him IN his new economic policy
boldly threw them oyer and formed q
new government party out Of an ALI
ance between the Conservatives and the
Centre party. The latter was ready Il
support the gOvernment-fnr a cOnsid
eration-and at every step of the wal
since they have imposed their own con
ditions and made their own terms. Th'
of . law by which the enforcement o
the MAY laws was made discretionary
with the government. Next, the Prus
sian mission of the vatican was re
established, and through The agency q
one of the most skIllful Of German di'
plomatIsts Prussia offered to restor
The bishops and to yield ncarl,
everything in the May law
except the clause requiring the church
10 notify the state of ecclesiastical ap
pointments and empowering the state 4
veto them Al its discretion The Vati
can insisted upon the one point whicl
Prussia declined to yield, and the nego
tiatiOns were broken oil Bismarck
however, introduced in the Landtag I
hill which virtually yielded this point
reservlng TO the state the veto power an
~ oyer appointments which were ia
tended to be permanst. This bill wa
passed and was expected To placate thu
Catholic sentiment but straightway at
ter its becoming law the clerical pro
nouncsd II unsatisfactory, aud declares
that nothing short 0t an entire abaD
donment of the May laws would insure
the support OF their party. There tin
matter has rested, but within few day
the cable has reported that negotiation
have been reopened with the Vatican
for the settlement of The difference be
tween IL and Prussia. This would seen
10 Indicate that Bismarck has made M
his mind to yield the little that is left n
his old position. Modern history con
tains no record nf more ahiect surren
der.
In the meantime, while Germany
ny slow, painful and humiliating steps
has been feeling her way back to posi-
lion of accord with the Vatican, Franc,
has been taking an attitude OF more ant
more pronounced hostility TO the church
lava have been passed breaking up re
ligious communities, regulating clerica
education. restricting the political in
Auence Of priests, regulating appoint
nlents, and providing for the most rIGiI
.sscnlarizAtion of the pablic schools. s,
pronounced have these measures beei
that they were made the subject oi
formal protest lstely addressed bT TIA
Pope tn President Grevy. But after Ihi
p protes. was sent the Prefect Of the Sien
closed the chapels attached la the hos
pitfalls. The histnTy of the relations be
4: tween the Vacilon aud Prussia durInj
the last ten years shows that the chuTcl
of Rome il still capable of eXertinI
powerful influence ia European pol
tics, aud Il may well be doubted whethe
the statesmen at France are acting pru
IDENTIFY In arraying this Influence agains
the French Republic.