Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-01-06 00:00:00

and suspicious means, hal beeli 'Consolidated ant

kept together by expedients no less unworthy
and suspicious. While who will. question the
historical fact, that the line of Papal Princes has
been marked by often repeated intervals of
criminals whose memory has transcended all
other records of. corruption and crime ? If the
temporal sovereignty of the Pope, therefore, comes
to us in the naked strength of its origin and
its antecedents, there are few eccentric spirits
whom that spectacle is calculated to work up to
enthusiasm or admiration. Looking these facts in
the face, we think the zealots may be called upon
for their proofs,, that the Pope's territory is more •
a\ " gift from Heaven," than the territory of any
other actual ruler which has been acquired by
emquest, or by cession, or by extortion. Even
the old' theory of the " two swords" does not em.%
brace any view of this sort. That theory claims,.
in a peculiar sense,. the sovereignty of the whole
world ; but does not concern itself with defining:
certain, territorial limits within which temporal
government shall be directly an immediately
exercise& That . the Pope holds the Romagna
by any other sort of right than that on which
European• sovereigns base their rule, is then a
mere reckless and hazardous assertion unworthy
of notice, until some proof shall be brought in its
support. We know that our Roman Catholic
friends have a very injudicious' habit or mind,
which impels, them to the employment of-fanciful
arguments in the impression that no harm can
follow, even if' no good. They'scatter about their
sophistries in the blind and clbsperate hope; that
if they are " thrown on thickysome of them-will
stick,", only to awaken in the- spectator a ffieling
of astonishment that they have• gained no-truer
appreciation of the mind and manner of the• age.
This is one of them.

There is one other suspicion that lurks fir our
,mind, and that arises from a very common, sense
view of the subject; May pot the motive fcir all
this enthusiasm Be found in that vulgar- and
common-place inclination which is deep in most
oft us, even the most religious,. to keep UP a p3od
appearance in the world and the society we live
in? Which makes-A coterie also like to seethe
objects of its special regard filling the .same
well-to-do position.? • It is this-natural feeling
which by-and-bye induces. some •particular- re-
ligions clique, banded together by its united
achniration of a religious teacher, to buy lima a•
preaching vestment, .or a handsome house, or a
carriage for his wife 'and daughters, or tor' put
any other social acquisition 'within his reach.
The motive at the,. bottom aas no doubt - an
amount of self-regard,—" This- man dressed in
"silk, or able to entertain flock with- some
;;"elegance, or riding zto our doors in hii-own
"carriage, is socially:Ai fit obffet for our regard
"and attention." Mow who:, can blame these
1130;000,000 Roman. Catholics,. if they have a
natural weakness. of this sort ? If they wish
to see a certain,. worldly importance reflected
-upon their religion by the status among_ Euro-
' peen Sovereigns, enjOyed by their spiritual head
and representative:? • It is not a tentmaker like
St. Paul, nor a fisherman like • St. Peter, whom"
they feel disposed to have;-Teigning over them.
They do indeed tell us in wads, that this would.
:be the same whatever secular position-, the Pope
were reduced to,. And the. Pope himself, in. the,
'.moment of his highest pomp, has he not on his
tongue the well-known and well ,attested, serves
servorum ? It-maybe so*but it wOulftte unfair
to interpret these thinp,except in that ).ax and
tacitly understood sense, which one well-bred man
of the world is expected to apply to the: un-;
I guarded expressions of another. The fact is, the
100,000,000 wish. to see their worldly importance
represented? by a Tiara, *a Palace„., and, a Royal
equipage;. and—who,Shall blamathem? Unfor7,
tunately it is not more theory or-inclination. that.
has the decision ©f this question; and: how
Etirop6, will deal with so amiable a wealtneas.
remains= to be seen