Bisbee daily review., 1916-04-15
CARDINAL MERGER
 ANSWERS LETTER 0F
 GERMAN COMMANDER
tsy Review Leased wire)

BRUSSELS. via London. April H. Cardinal Mercier. primate of Belsium. has sent reply to the letter of Gen eral von Bissing, Governor General in the occupied portions of Belgium. protesting against statements in the Lenten pastoral of the Cardinal and warning the prelate that he must cease his alleged political activities. The cardinals letter says:
 ''It behooves, eXcellency, in answer ing the letter it pleases you to ad- dress us, 10 render homage to the courtesy you have shown to the vener- ated head of our church.
 'The faithful servant of our Lord. Jesus Christ, we obeyed the summons of His representative on earth Put you know. excellency. that it was not we who solicited the great honor of laying our homage at the feet of His Holiness. Allow us then. even shit ten as we are, by admiration before the warlike pomp surrounding vou and the brilliant staff. which like King Saul. you have attached to vor' person. nevertheless to retain our full liberty of judgment.
 That liberty is the troubled hourr through which our country is pa ssing we cannot and will not relinouish. Tn sa doing we remain faithful shepherd of the flock which Our Lord has given His life
 ''yVe shall follow the teaching Of the noble successor of St. Peter, His Holi- ress leo XLLI in his encyclical he instructed us for oheying the civil authorities when they give orders nanifestedlv contrary to the natural divine law, if any one distinctly finds himself faced with the alternative of breaking the commandants Of God or those of a prince he must follow the precepts of Jesus Christ and answer as did the apostle. It is better to obey God than man.
 ''TO act thus is not to merit re- preach for disobedience. for princess, when their will is in opposition to the Divine Will and Law exceed their power and corrupt justice. Hence their authority is not binding, because when it is not just is ceases.
 "EXcellencv. your authority cannot then be exercised except in accord ance with justice. Ecce in justitia resnabit rex-(behold in justice the king will reign).
 When prince casts aside justice we no longer owe his either obedi- ence, respect or loyalty. Placed by the will of God or the archepescopal throne of Mdlines we are only ans werable to our conscience. and, if the advising of Our Holy office we are obliged to raise our voice, We believe ourselves to be following the teach ings of our Divine Master.
 We render unto Ceasar those things which are Caesars for we pay you the silent homage due to strength, but we keep closed to your encrach- ments the sacred domain of our cons eience, the last refuge of the op- pressed.
 ''I was not, your eXcellency. you may be sure. without deep reflection that we denounced to the world teh wills with which our brothers and sisters are overwhelmed - frightful evils, indeed atrocious crimes, the tragic horror of which cold reason re- fuse to admit.
 But had we not done so. we should not have felt ourselves worthy to be the successor of the apostles who con verted the Belgian Gaul north of those who by their labors made il- iustrious the See Malincs of which the liberty of love formed the post, the e1istiI able priceless treasure.
 Ali laborayeTent ct vim in ecrum introistic. In the almost fatally pes sition which our people are planged we made our voice heard and hoped that our thoughts would be pondered on by you. But a prince shall have thoughts worthy of prince and shall keep his authority over the chiefs of his people.
 Belgian, we have heard the cries of sorrow of our people; patriot, we have sought to heal the wounds of our IopOnnraI