Year: 1873

Ihe relations between the Imperial govern
ment of Germany and the Holy See are not SO
friendly as some of the best friends OF both
would wish to see them. The Roman Catho-
lie bishops of Germany, North and South.
have, since the late war, been stubborn in
their opposition to the Empire. Rightly or
wrongly, they have persisted in regarding the
triumph of Germany as the humiliation OF
Rome. In entertaining this opinion they have
not been wholly wrong. In allowing the
thought, however, to find expression, as it has
found expression, they have, in our judgment,
made q mistake. It has not hitherto been the
policy of Rome to make open war with civil
governments where victory was impossible.
A milder policy, in our judgment, would have
been attended with greater success. On the
other hand. it is not to be denied
that the imperial government of Germany has
been somewhat harsh in its treatment of the
Roman Church. We do not blame the i'm
perial government for refusing to know any
authority within the limits Of the Empire
superior to its own. An impersm in inaperio
is never desirable In the condition in which
Germany now finds herself such a state Of
things cannot be tolerated. That the pre-
tensions of some Of the Roman bishops in
Germany has amounted to an imperum in
inperio is not for a moment to be denied.
Germany strong as she is cannot afford to be
Indifferent to any influence which, in her
judgment, is gnawing at her vitals. All this
admitted, we still cling to the opinion that
gentler policy toward the Church might have
been successful where the harsh policy has
failed. The "blood and iron" policy Of
Bismarck knows no compromise. Good
enough in ordinary war, this policy is liable to
fail when spiritual weapons only are employed.


The correspondence which we published
yesterday shows that Rome and Berlin are
not reconciled. The Holy Father puts the
case well when he says that measures inju-
rious to the Christian religion only tend to
undermine the throne" Believing that the
Emperor is averse to the continuance of the
harsh policy, and claiming that all the bap-
tized, even non Catholics, belong in certain
sense to him, he hopes that gentler measures
will be adopted regarding the Church, and
concludes by praying for the Emperor and
himself. The Emperor, in his reply, is as
little liable to be mistaken as the Pope. The
Emperor declares that he "will maintain
order and law SO long as God enables him to
do SO, even against the servant Of church
which he supposed acknowledged obedience to
secular authority as a commandment Of God"
This doctrine, the Emperor William says,
'smany priests in Prussia dlsown." He hopes
the Pope will use his influence to put down
an agitation which has no connection with
religion or truth. Refusing to concede the
Pope's claim to the non-Catholics, the EN-
peror says:-"Differences of belief, however,
should not prevent our living in peace" 1t
is quite clear from all this that the breach is
not healed. The war still RACES, and neither
on the part of Rome, on the one hand, nor on
the part Of Berlin, on the other, is there any
disposition to compromise.


There is but one cure to this disease-one
remedy for all this trouble What is the
cure? What is the remedy? 1t is disestab-
lishment. The policy which Gladstone ap-
piled to Ireland and which at no distant day
must be applied to both Scotland and Eng
land must be applied to Germany. We have
no such troubles here because we have no
State church. Let the churches, as by law
established, cease to exist in Germany in
place of endowing all, let all be disendowed,
and then Germany will cease to have
trouble with Rome. 1t is clear as MONDAY to
our minds that church supported by the
State must be subordinate to the State In
the interests Of both civil and religious gov
ernments the wide world over, We say, obs
endow."


Decline of the Yellow Fever in the
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