ehood, and
injustice. The pope alone is the shield of those moral forces which
have for centuries given stability and safety to governments. This
firmness, this confidence in the genius of Christianity, this
unsurpassed struggle of Pius, deserves the highest admiration even of
those who look upon the contest with indifference."

Siegwart listened and nodded assent. Hamm ate sardines, without paying
the least attention to the speaker.

"The Roman love of power is well known, and Rome has at all times made
the greatest sacrifices for it," said he.

The proprietor drummed with his fingers on the table. Frank thought he
observed him suppressing his anger, before he answered,

"Rome does not contend for love of dominion. She contends for the
authority of religion, for the maintenance of those eternal principles
without which there is no civilization. This even Herder, who is far
from being a friend of Rome, admits when he says, 'Without the church,
Europe would, perhaps, be a prey to despots, a scene of eternal
discord, and a Mogul wilderness.' Rome's battle is, therefore, very
important, and honorable. Had it not been for her, you would not have
escaped the bloody terrorisms of the power-seeking revolution. Think of
French liberty at present, think of the large population of Cayenne, of
the Neapolitan prisons, where thousands of innocent men hopelessly
languish."

"You have not understood me, my dear Siegwart. Take an example for
illustration. The press informs us almost daily of difficulties between
the government and the clergy. The cause of this trouble is that the
latter are separated from and wish to oppose the former. To speak
plainly, the Catholic clergy are non-conforming. They will not give up
that abnormal position which the moral force of past times conceded to
them. But in organized states, the clergy, the bishops, and the pastors
should be nothing more than state officials, whose rule of conduct is
the command of the sovereign."

"That is to make the church the servant of the state," said Siegwart.
"Religion, stripped of her divine title, would be nothing more than the
tool of the minister to restrain the people."

"Well, yes," said the official very coolly. "Religion is always a
strong curb on the rough, uneducated masses; and if religion restrains
the ignorant, supports the moral order and the government, she has
fulfilled her mission."

The proprietor opened wide his eyes.

"Religion, according t