The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-08-14
BISMARCK AND THE POPE.
THE IRON CHANCELL0R'S TREATMENT
OF THE e. ri LICS.

Change OF Prussia's Policy After the Lat
Gran COuncil-The Game to Isolate France
Leo KILLS Regrets Mt His Downfall
Bismarck in the Annals of the Holy See.
ROME. Aug. 1.-The relations Of Herr Won Bis
marck with the Paracy. Rome and the Church
have passed through various phases. He will
leave deep traces on the annals Of the Holy See.
Until the lime of the council Prussia affected a
spirit Of justice and equity toward Catholicism
and the Vatican. 1t was the only country.
they used to say under the second Empire.
that had left its independence 10 the
Church. No sooner. however. did Herr
Won Bismarck perceive the coming Of
war through the blunders Of Napoleon Ill.
and the complaisance OF Russia and Italy. than
the skilful diplomat prepared for his right
about face. In judging the ecclesiastical and
Roman action Of the great man who is dead. il
should never he forgotten that Herr Won Bis
marrk looked at church matters in the light of
his general policy. By its liberal conduct from
1870 TO 1sst1 Prussia had won over public opin-
ion throughout the word and was preparing.
even in tie Catholic sphere and among many
groups al Rome. the isolation of France in 1870.
4 marvellous stage manager. subordinatinG all
interests TO the triumph Of his long prepared
diplomacy. Herr won Bismarck felt that to dis
arm France on earth she must he struck at
Paris. at Rome and at Jerusalem at the
same time. II was then that he formed the
famous intrigue with Or. Doellinger, and gave
his first anti-papal instructions to Herr Won Ar
MIN at Rome. while emboldcning the Italian
government at Florence in its hopes for Rome.
In his remarkable book on France and Italy"
NJ. Rothan has carefully exposed the double
game of Herr Won Bismarck. His Machiavel-
lianism was only partly successful while the
council lasted. While the proud Munich pro-
Falpnrc nouChf In tho ,1iDlnrnat{r idaaa ~
Berlin the bishops stood fast in immovable
loyalty to the Holy See. Herr Won Arnim re-
doubled his attentions. A smooth and fine
speaker. he caioled the Prussian bishops. As
the Archbishop of Trier was leaving Rome the
Prussian Ambassador said TO him:
What now? Must not your opposition TO
the definition OF the dogma of infallibility have
its natural consequences; What do you intend
to dos'
The Archbishop saw through the game Of the
lPrussian diplomacy. and fastened TO send in
his submission TO the Pope.
While the Franco-prussian war was going on
Herr Won bismarck was preparing the kultur;-
kampi as an amusement; In Dr. Buseh,s book
We see the preparatory subtle work Of Prussia.
To lead the King Of Italy to Rome, to play the
humiliate and weaken the Pope in order to add
to the military sedan OF France d moral Sedan.
the Papacy as the last ally. the only interGa-
tional force of France, such was his aim. He
had even counted on the final departure Of the
Piedmont into the city of the Pontltfs. DR..
Busch tells how one day at dinner Herr !9n
Pope in that event an asylum at Fulda.
Thus he said. the Pontif will lose his
prestige: Wien the Germans see a good old
gentleman who takes snui and looks like other
men the Roman idolatry will fall forever"
In those dramatic days Mgr. ket,eler lived in
early as 1861 had formed the plan Of solving
the social question IN conjunction with the
learned prelaie. a man Of energy. OF initiative.
and of intuition. made a mistake on this occa-
SION. He dreamed after Sedan Of extending the
order to restore its liberties to the Church in
all the German States. Others in even higher
mad. chimerical hopes. Mgr. Ketteler. while
attending one q the Chansellor's beer PARTIES;
vas to!d in confidence by Herr yon Bis mi Of
also there told me once that the revelation
%i,S6rdx The sTo gre tSs biRs h;aHs wao f Hs s s1a' .S dsg
afar the Consequences Of the duel. and
felt powerless TO conJure the storm.
with the connivance of the old Catholics and
with the MECHANISM Of savage legislation. to
and for this purpose to make the kulturkampf
an international struggle that might deal Pope.
Fra and G sSh 81 i, ,S q &te s,insI " o 10 su p az
Which had mingled their blood al Solferino. to
dream OF ali founders Of empire and ali dab
hlers at heGemony. that was the secret Of the
The struggle is known to all. What is less
patent is the success it had. with regard to
France. The Church in Prussia andthe Papacy
came out OF the terrible test crowned with
glory and with the martyrs halo but while the
other powers were suspicious Of Herr Won Bis
tbeTl n d fhiers to and fSF? 4. ga asm hbsIsSrik stE lhto pP PRe
trap. Those am bilious skeptics did not under
s ttai that at Seun 3D. and that stiii 6ind. ? France to
the PaJacy, and that make OF the latter one of
the bulwarks Of France against the rest Of the
world: they yielded to the Mephistophelian
Thereupon Herr von Bismarck modified his
lines IT is a radical change; Beh9lding the i'm;
seeing that the French kulturkampf is be-
ginning, he hopes to MAKE trouble between the
against the Quai d'0rsay. Having accom-
PIished this ne puts an end 70 the Ka!tur-
against red France" and schismatic Rus
sia." Never did statesman ~c2nceiye q grander
RR tnn; az Munich. AND With Mgr. Ja sne
bin SIai s Ct Vienna Of pSS Fs,s Z; Nth Snhe the sb once ssDS 81
legation at the Vatican, the frst laws OF
qualification. the incident OF the Caro-
Berlin. Cologne. Munich Vienna, and Buda.
pest enlarged on this am bilious idea in every
way. Herr Won Bismarck was beginning once
Austria. He himself declared once that after
sary TO take her back. Unable TO weaken the
Papacy. he wished to attach 1t 70 his fortunes,
As carly as 1878 Prussia asserted her views on
the Orient and on Jerusalem. He knew the
price for the Holy Sees cooperation with Ger
man diplomacy. France did not understand
what was hack OF this great business. In spite
OF the warning contained in the septennial ar
rapgement aud in the plan OF a nunciature at
Pekin. the French Government persisted. fool
ishly and blindly, in its silly war against the
Church and against Rome. Had il not been
for the ever watchtul devotion Of de Behaine.
the gigantic intrigue Of Herr Won Bismarck
might have been perhaps successful;
Leo XIII. knew the immense pride and the
incompatible fascination Of Herr Won Bis
marck. He was on his guard against the form
er and made use ~ the latter, Once amid the
difficulties arising out Of the first negotiations,
he said 10 "A person in his confidence: Herr
Won Bismarck Is a proud man, 1t is not easy u
deal with him" Little by little, however, Herr
Won Bismarck was growing more amiAhle. He
invented the Carolines incident; he promised
the Pope the Ie ;establishme nt Of the temporal
power. Leo XIII. had taken a liking to the
game with the formidable diplomat. and the
day on which the Kaiser dismissed the founder
Of the empire, Leo XIII, regretted his departure,
He believed he had lost an assistant. all the