The Irish standard., 1890-05-03
LEO AND THE POWERS.
Germany More Than Ever In Need
Of the Councils Of the Church.

Of the Councils Of the Church.
The Pope and the Berlin Conference.-The
Relations With the Emperor-Possible
Diplomatic Relations With England
and Their Meanin. for ireland.
Will the Emperor William treat Leo
XIII with thesam petulant fckleness
which has characterized his conduct to-
ward the creator of his empire-Prince
Bismarck? Father O'Reilly writing on
this subject says: At this moment the
young Kaiser needs the influence of the
head of the Catholic Church, not only
to settle the formidable social question
in Germany, but to control the power
full party in the imperial Legislature and
the Prussian House Of Deputies, led by
Herr Windthorst. The Catholic center,
as parties are balanced, is master of the
situation.
tation of Count Herbert Bismarck to the
high officials of the Vatican, and TO the
Pope himself, at the time Of the young
Emperors late visit to Romeo The pro-
aeeding was of piece with the usual
policy Of ''the man of blood and iron"
toward those whom he could bully and
brighten into compliance with his will.
watch in the Pope's antecha1nber and
telling Mgr. Macchi that if the Holy
Fathers private interview with the
Emperor were not over within twenty
minutes he should not allow the En-
peror's brother to be presented at all,
sounds as if both the burly Chancellor
and his worthy son were determined to
show all Europe that they were masters
in the Vatican, and that the Pope was
in their power.
It has been said in Germany again and
again, and almost to Bismarck's own
face, that che had gone to Canossa, and
taken his Emperor with him" He
was resolved to disprove this assertion
of his enemies, by bullying the Pope or
his officials in the very palace of the
Popes.
Well, this deed has brought nothing
Dut i'll luck to both father and son. It
is not that l think the inexperienced
Emperor has done W Use thing in quar-
relling with the man who has made the
German empire of the Hohenzollerns,
but that there is a Nemesis that sooner
or later overtakes the oppressor and
prosecutor Gen. Won Iaprivi, what
ever be his genius, is not Prince Bis
marck; and William H., who was
mere boy when Sedan capitulated, and
France was PROSTATE at the feet of the
newly proclaimed German Emperor and
his Chancellor, has not the claim on the
gratitude, the affection, or the conf
dsnce of his subjects and fellow country
nen which they entertained for William
I. and Frederick the Noble.
The absence Of Bismarck from the
imperial councils is greater loss to the
empire than that Of Alsace and Lor-
raine, could these p:oviences revert to
France tomorrow. The stern opposi-
tion of the veteran and popular states
man, whose supreme ability has hitherto
been the salvation Of the empire, will
be found O. force more to be dreaded
than the two millions of armed French
revenge.
The influence of Leo XIII. in the con-
ference of Berlin, though exercised only
through the Prince-Bishop Of Breslau,
will produce salutary results Already
It is felt in the resolution adopted re-
garding the employment in factories OF
children under 12 years of age, and of
4he careful limitation OF the hours they
shall be allowed to work until they
have attained their full growth. This
solicitude for childhood and youth, the
provisions adopted for their intellec-
tual and religious training; the safe
guards against evil example and i'm
morality introduced into the disciple ne
of the mandatory and workshop; the
provident measures taken against sick
ness and old age among the toiling
millions; and the agencies Of Christian
charity, which form such kindly rela-
tions and bonds so lasting between en-
ployers and workmen; all this and much
more than this, pertains to what is
called "Christian socialism" so often
mentioned in connection with Leo
Kills teachings on the labor question
Another topic connected with Leo
XIII. is just now creating much COM
ment and speculation. I mean the con-
clusion Of the mission of General Sim
mons 10 the Vatican, the dinner given
to him in the Irish College in Rome,
and the expression attributed to him
by certain press. of the hope of speed
lily seeing diplomatic relations perma-
nently established between the Vatican
and the Court of St. James.
The mission of General Simmons to
Rome had for its object the settlement
Of very difficult and complicated ques-
tions regarding the Catholics of Malta
and the jurisdiction claimed by the
Bishops of Malta over tue neighboring
continent of Africa. The division re-
Gently made by the great European
powers of this continentinto zones of
sovereignity, and the existing rights of
the French Bishops, under the leader
ship of Cardinal Law igerie, Archbishop
OF Carthage and Algiers, demanded
promt settlement by the Holy See of
conflicting claims and contentious big
with future trouble.
The French Government has looked
-,;%l, q ;ao1o,,a qua IN this mi ga ion IF