Pope Seeks Bismarck's Protection After Napoleon Abandons Him
The Pope, being abandoned by Napoleon, it seems has been applying to Bismarck, Napoleon’s great rival, for protection. This is an instance of shrewd looking after the main chance by the Papal authorities. It shows that, like other and wholly worldly diplomats, they make haste to pay their homage to the winning side. But thrift does not appear to follow fawning in this instance, as Bismarck is reported to have declined to guarantee the inviolability of the Pontifical states. At the same time, the text of the Austrian Prime Minister’s speech on the revocation of the Concordat is furnished. Von Beust declared that it is impossible to maintain relations with a Power whose pretensions are suddenly found to be illimitable. This is a plain statement that Austria dissolves the Concordat because the Pope has proclaimed his infallibility. Thus abandoned by France, plainly informed that Austria will no longer hold any political relations with him at all, refused protection by Prussia, and so exposed defenseless to the designs of Italy, the poor old Pope and his advisers are certainly in a bad fix. If Italy is merciful, Pius may yet die peacefully in Rome, still in possession of his temporal powers; but a very threatening cloud certainly lowers over his old age.—Detroit Post.