The Monde.

Results

Failure.

other, perhaps, the calculations made at the Vatican and the Tuilleries for bringing about a coalition of the Catholic Powers against Germany would not have proved fallacious." The Jesuit power is founded on the Papal. All objection to Papal tyranny must be stifled; all claim to spiritual freedom on the part of Roman Catholics must be put down as infidelity, which was equal in their eyes to the enormity of Protestantism itself. In the Monde,* two days after the breaking out of the Franco-German war, there appeared an article in which the writer declared, that "the war is not only destined to decide the preponderance of one of the two Powers, but will have a most important influence upon the prospects of Catholicism. The triumph of France is necessary, in order to stay the progress of Protestantism and infidel German philosophy represented by Prussia." The disfavour in which everything German was regarded at Rome is well put in a sentence of the eighteenth letter of "Quirinus:" "German, and, of ill repute for orthodoxy, are synonymous terms here"-i.e., in Rome. Upon the German nation, therefore, was to be enforced a submission to everything Papal, renunciation of all manliness of soul and freedom of mind, by the power of the sword. The Emperor of the French, the quondam eldest son of the Church-now no longer looked on as legitimate, since his power to serve the Papacy had failed-was then supposed to be in possession of force sufficient to achieve this desired object. But even the most astute are sometimes deceived; and fortunate is it for the human race, that these subtle plans against freedom have been turned to the discomfiture of their originators. The recent onset against Germany has resulted not only in the prostration of the aggressor, but also in the downfall of the Papacy itself, as a temporal power.

The Jesuits, with characteristic selfishness, look with apathy on the misfortunes of their instruments, who have committed the unpardonable crime of failure in attaining their leading object the supremacy of the Order. Constitutional forms of government are every where more or less opposed by the Jesuits. Democracy as the parent of despotism, and despotism itself, alone receive their constant fealty.

* The Monde, July 20, 1870.

The Weekly Register* tells us :"Of the Orleanists it is enough to say that they are a mere faction in France. They have neither the Church, nor the army, nor the people on their side. The clergy do not love them, and have no reason to like them. During Louis Philippe's reign the Church in France was in absolute bondage. The Bishops were constantly snubbed; the cathedrals and churches were suffered to go to decay; and the utmost indulgence was given, and the warmest friendship was shown to the violent literary revilers of the Church and enemies of religion" [i.e., to Gallican Catholics, and such Protestants as M. Guizot]. "One of the earliest acts of the barricade monarchy was to invade the Pontifical States, and seize Ancona, because the Austrians crossed the frontier at the Pope's desire, to aid in the suppression of a Carbonaro insurrection. The shopkeepers in Paris and in the large towns were attached to the citizen King, and it is probable that their sympathies still flow in a great measure towards Orleanism; but they constitute only a fraction of the nation, and at best but a poor prop for an illegitimate Bourbon throne."

This was an attempt to throw dust in the eyes of observers, and to hide Ultramontane discomfiture beneath the show of bravery. The sufferings of Paris, in their most striking phases, especially during the Commune, were openly attributed in France to Ultramontane schemes; and it is a fact worthy of notice, that, of the murderers of Generals Clement Thomas and Lecomte, eight were sentenced to death, whilst in the case of those charged at Versailles, with the murder of the Gallican Archbishop and others, but one was condemned to capital punishment. Whether Jesuit interests may or may not have demanded this sacrifice, must for the present be left somewhat to conjecture, but will be noticed hereafter. To the Great Secret Society, the downfall of France and the desolate homes of millions are as nothing. Men and governments, in its estimation, are merely the counters with which it plays. Sorrows, tears and blood, it cares for, only as far as these favour or thwart its own schemes.

At the present time, throughout Continental Europe, the more

The Orleanists

in France.

Generals

Thomas and

Lecomte.

Spain and

Amadeus.

audacious and overt of these schemes have apparently collapsed. As their General, Beckx, foretold the Jesuits would be the case, they have overreached themselves; but have already recommenced their subtle labours. Unchanged in temper and aim, they are looking forward to a terrible revenge for their recent defeats. An undying hatred against those who have checkmated them, in Spain, in Italy and elsewhere, is expressed in the following extract from one of their organs.*

"The Olive of Spain is about to bud forth anew. The subalpine plant, Amadeus, cannot be induced to take root in the land of Ferdinand and Columbus, Ximenes and Balmez. The Catholic breeze, which comes from the Pyrenees, bears on its wings a tale of a coming crusade, which must effectually destroy the prospects of the son of Victor Emmanuel. Another King— the son of the injured Queen of Spain-is about to take his place. Montpensier unnatural, treacherous Prince though he be-is beginning to repent of the work of his hands, and blushes at his own dastard conduct in co-operating with the wretched Prim for the overthrow of the virtuous Isabella, and in the establishment of a withered branch of the tottering House of Savoy." "But, Spain is about to become resurgent. True, she may-and no doubt she shall-suffer for the Amadean crime. But her sufferings shall be like those of France, purifying, Italy and salutary, rehabilitating. Her punishment-like that of Italy and France-will be a blessing, which shall result in the assertion of those Catholic Eternal Principles of Right, which are deposited in the hearts of the masses, and which no encroachment of heresy-no glittering tinsel of false philosophycould ever tarnish. The Savoyard must go home, and we wish it were in peace. But there is no peace for the wicked Victor Emmanuel nor for his wretched son. He may go-he shall go— but the dark cloud of his evil genius may long obscure the brightness of sunny Spain, and leave behind him in the land of the olive and the vine a long train of miseries, which all right-minded men would prefer to see him carry with him."

France.

The continual distrust now fostered between Amadeus and his sup

Daily Examiner, Belfast, of June 21, 1871.

porters, and the perpetual disturbance under the premiership of Sagasta and subsequent ministers afford convincing evidence of the development of this spirit of vengeance.

The German Governments have had abundant cause to Germany. estimate, at their true value, the professions and the practices of the Ultramontane combination. Now that the effort to subjugate Germany by force has so signally failed, her answer is given in no undecided terms.

We are indebted to the Standard* for a valuable and accurate summary (confirmed in substance by the Tablet) of the measures taken by the Government of the German Empire, showing their distrust of the Ultramontane party. These measures are of greater significance than the other important characteristics of internal policy, that have distinguished Germany since the conclusion of peace. In Prussia, though the Royal family are Protestant, the Roman Catholic Church received recognition as an organisation, responsible to the State with regard to the religion of a certain portion of the people. There was ministerial department for matters connected with that Church. This department controlled the extensive powers, which the national system of education in Prussia accorded to Roman Prussian ecclesiastics. The Prussian Government has had reason to Education. complain, for many years past, that the position accorded to the Roman Church was used to cover many abuses of power in the Ultramontane interest. Some years since, an eminent scientific professor in the University of Bonn was removed by order of the Government, because the Archbishop of Cologne disapproved of the nature of his scientific teaching. The Prussian Government then seemed anxious to conciliate the Roman authorities in the hope of receiving their support. The internal policy of Prussia was apparently more Ultramontane than that of the more thoroughly Catholic portions of Germany. This party, although utterly crushed in Wurtemburg, and in a minority in Bavaria, yet exercised a stronger influence in Bavaria. the Rhenish Provinces of Prussia than in any other part of the German Empire. The Catholics of these Provinces

* Standard of July 28th, 1871.

Mühler.

seemed to vie with their co-religionists throughout Belgium and Ireland in their devotion to the Roman See. The relations between the State and the Roman Catholics of these provinces, until recent years, were regulated by Concordat, as in Austria, and the ecclesiastics there held extensive power and patronage, whilst, in the other portions of Prussia, the appointments of bishops and even of parish priests were controlled by the Crown. Whatever were the political objects which at that time induced the Prussian Court to favour this growth of the Ultramontane power, the chief authority of the State has shown that a most effective blow might be struck whenever it thought fit. By an Order in Council, the separate department for Roman Catholic affairs has been abolished, and the machinery, with its director, v. Mühler (rather the delegate of the Pope than of the King in the Rhenish Provinces), has been removed. The Concordat is not yet abrogated, but the special Government department charged to carry it out is abolished. These measures have been followed by others of a still more decisive character. One of the priests recently excommunicated for refusing to accept the new doctrine of Infallibility, Herr Kuminski, has been authorised by the Government to continue to celebrate mass; and the Ministry have ordered special reports to be made to them of the intrigues throughout the kingdom, which the Infallibilists are now carrying These and others, are only measures of defence following upon the abolition of the official department, which was only a The Cultus. portion of the Ministry, lately controlled by Herr v. Mühler, under the German title of Cultus, regulating all matters relating to education and religion. The Augsburg Gazette points out, that this department has existed for thirty years, and no one ever thought of regarding it as of a temporary nature, or looked forward to its approaching abolition. The subsequent acts of the Minister, however, clear up all doubt upon the subject. The attitude of the Imperial Government has completely changed towards this party, who unhappily are still a power in Europe and in the world. Events in Southern Germany have cast a great deal of light upon the subject. When the Döllinger movement first commenced, the Berlin press expressed the most supercilious indifference to it, just as our Liberal party

Kuminski.

on.