no
footing in other countries, and it was essentially odious to the
liberals. The most serious minds of the liberal party were conscious
that Rome was as dangerous to ecclesiastical liberty as Paris. But,
since the Syllabus made it impossible to pursue the liberal doctrines
consistently without collision with Rome, they had ceased to be
professed with a robust and earnest confidence, and the party was
disorganised. They set up the pretence that the real adversary of their
opinions was not the Pope, but a French newspaper; and they fought the
King's troops in the King's name. When the Bishop of Orleans made his
declaration, they fell back, and left him to mount the breach alone.
Montalembert, the most vigorous spirit among them, became isolated from
his former friends, and accused them, with increasing vehemence, of
being traitors to their principles. During the last disheartening year
of his life he turned away from the clergy of his country, which was
sunk in Romanism, and felt that the real abode of his opinions was on
the Rhine.[385] It was only lately that the ideas of the Coblentz
address, which had so deeply touched the sympathies of Montalembert, had
spread widely in Germany. They had their seat in the universities; and
their transit from the interior of lecture-rooms to the outer world was
laborious and slow. The invasion of Roman doctrines had given vigour and
popularity to those which opposed them, but the growing influence of the
universities brought them into direct antagonism with the episcopate.
The Austrian bishops were generally beyond its reach, and the German
bishops were generally at war with it. In December, one of the most
illustrious of them said: "We bishops are absorbed in our work, and are
not scholars. We sadly need the help of those that are. It is to be
hoped that the Council will raise only such questions as can be dealt
with competently by practical experience and common sense." The force
that Germany wields in theology was only partially represented in its
episcopate.

At the opening of the Council the known opposition consisted of four
men. Cardinal Schwarzenberg had not published his opinion, but he made
it known as soon as he came to Rome. He brought with him a printed
paper, entitled _Desideria patribus Concilii oecumenici proponenda_, in
which he adopted the ideas of the divines and canonists who are the
teachers of his Bohemian clergy. He entreated the Council not to
multiply unnec