19th July.
A German telegram with cable conciseness has told us that "'The French Ambassador to the. Vaticwn has been definitely recalled." So few are the words nec-sary to announce to the world what may be a matter of more importance to the human race than the fill of half-a-dozen Port Arthurs, France is engaged in a conflict in the moral world analogous to that which Japan is waging, physically, a conflict which must.decide one way or the other the future of the two countries, and through them in a slighter degree the future of other lands. For if, France fail now, what hope is there for Spain, or Italy, or Austria, or any other land over which Rome has, successfully cist her net? And it Japan fail, where 13 the hope for China? The world looks on therefore at both these conflicts somewhat as Rebecca look on at_the ¢ mbat between Brian de Bois-Guilbert and Shorn of all verbiage, the Franco-Roman trouble is so simple that the veriest rustic can understand it, Attempts have been, are being, and. doubtl: ss will continue to be made by the Church to show that the, French Government i nated by. anti-religious and atheistic opinion, and that its object is the extinction of, religious belief of all kinds. But this is s" manifestly absurd. that' no time need be wasted in attempting to refute it. The sole question is whether within the boundaries of France, French power is to be paramount or whether it is. not.. But thus plainly the reader, of, contemporary. history wil! see the close resemblance between the France of to-day and the Germany of the Kulturkampf. I' is the same fight in another form as that wa; the early seventies, an'l is necessary by Mr. Gladstone against Rome in because, in the words of the Grand Old: Man, it has been shown that "Rome has substituted for the proud boast of 'Semper Exdem' a policy of violence and change of faith: that simply in order to restrict the area of she has equally repudiated modern thought and ancient history: that she has refurbished, and paraded anew every rusty tool she was thought to have disused, nnd that, she requires a convert, who now joins her, to forfeit his moral and mental freedom, and to place. his loyalty and This might be put still more concise-civil duty at the m rey of another." ly in the wor.ls of the Church, her-elf, and in that form is less likely to meet with contradiction. Tne following short extract from the bull, "Unani Sanctam," of Pope Bonif-ce VIII will doubtless be accepted up to Salvation that. every human, creature should be subject, tothe, Roman Pontiff.
Such' being the: Roman view of the religious side of, the question, there have never been wanting attempts to fit the political frame to the papist picture. The condition of affairs in Germany when the gauntlet was thrown down tq the German Government and the. "Civilisation War" began is full of iutyrest and instruction to Frenchmen of the present day, and we doubt not that the story of.the Kulturkampf studied by men of mark in French is at the moment being <diligently
affairs. Pius IX had, hoped, before the events of 1870, that a Franco-Austrian combination would shatter the heretic power of Germany and that, with absolutism in. Paris irrevocably attached to. Roman ideals there would be an opportunity for the re-establishment of Papal ascendancy. "Nothing can profit us but a revolution," said the Nuncius Meglia. The reve tion. came.. France declared war, or to before exact, the Tuileriés and the Vatican declared war, and before many weeks were over, there places a white fag. The revolution flew, from the top of St. Peter's of all
had indeed come, Rome had ose more become the capital of " United Italy, and the, pope. was "the prisoner of the Vatican." But. this did not. limit his power for mischief abroad, asthe Germans were scun find. For years. their battle raged. In, 1873, Dr., Talk introduced the first, of his famous laws, intended to, safeguard the internal rights of theStateagainst the external interference of 4 foreign priestcraft. There was no quarrel with, religion per se.. German parure is opposed to the irreligious,. Prince Bismarck, in fi am Baglend, guid: "<I agree with replying to an address of sympathy You in thinking that, ina well; ordered state of society, every person and every creed should enjoy ser a degree of liberty as is compati'l: with the freedom of ther: ant the independence of the, nation." But. it is plain that between thiy British ideal and the official position represented in the extract. from Pope Boniface there is an. impassible gulf., By all who hold such a creed, and for all. who desire, its success, there can be no such thing as freedom or independence, Que only. motto can satisfy In such a case, "Uphold authority and down with dissent!" Constant interference in the affairs of State must, fyllow, a3 anccessyry corollary. The. German Ca holies dil all in their power' to, emburrass Prince Bismarck i1 the execution of his duty. They no. july pulpit for elec glursed in it, has been run in France. Qi
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.