No. 136.
Mr. Bancroft to Mr. Fish.
Berlin, March 18, 1872. (Received April 4.)
Sir: The union of the twenty-five German states, forming the leading power in Central Europe, with a Protestant at its head as Emperor, alarms the ultramontanes. In their desire for power they aim at introducing divisions between branches of the German people, as well as [Page 188] between the German princes, and at obtaining the sole direction of the education of the Catholic population.
Prince Bismarck met the danger by a measure marked by equal firmness and moderation. His policy asserts at once freedom of religious opinon and freedom of the state from ecclesiastical interference. He vindicated for the state the right of superintending the education of its children, and while alike the Catholic and the Protestant clergy are still to be employed in the superintendence of the public schools, their inherent right to do so independent of the state and in defiance of the state is denied. This is the extent of the measure which has been adopted in Prussia for regulating the supervision of schools. Baden has gone further, and has denied to members of the Jesuit and other religious orders permission to take part in public instruction.
The bishops, particularly in the eastern part of this kingdom, support the decisions of the late council at Rome by frequent excommunication.
Now, there is a clause in the Prussian code which secures every Prussian against the forfeiture of any civil right on account of religious opinion. The government therefore holds itself bound to devise measures which shall make the sentence of excommunication harmless in all that regards civil rights. It is hard to say how far this antagonism may extend, so closely have the family relations been connected with the church. It may become necessary to give to marriage in all cases the character of a civil contract, then in schools and universities to maintain Roman Catholic professors and teachers in their places in spite of their having incurred the censure of Roman Catholic prelates.
The question is extending necessarily to church property. The right of the schismatic priest to continue his functions is not to be denied; and not being displaced, he is to continue to enjoy the income belonging to his office.
Men look further, and ask after the ultimate disposition of the endowments of the Catholic Church in the states of Germany, and it begins to be said that the old Catholics must have their share.
The political aspects of the question manifest themselves still more clearly. The minister of public worship and instruction in Austria, swayed perhaps in some measure by a desire to conciliate Catholic influence in favor of the settlements of the Gallican and electoral questions, has issued a circular which scarcely leaves any rights to the old Catholics, as they are called, while in Germany they are to retain all their rights. In France the ultramontanes are storming the assembly with petitions, having for their object the re-establishment of the temporal power of the Pope but by such a measure Catholic France and Catholic Italy would come into collision, and the dread of it forces Italy into closer relations with Protestant Germany.
Thus the movement which was initiated in order to divide the people and the princes of Germany only serves to consolidate their union.
I remain, &c,