The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-07-01


TIE PorE AND PETER-PKNce.-The letter writ
ten by Bishop Hughes, concerning the collection
Of Peter-pence for his Holiness the Pope and the
proprety of raising the fund referred to- in the Ca
thoLc churches, to-day, are much discussed
In this community. Ii is argued by some that no
collection of the kind should be made, and by
others that it should. The controversy will be
at an end, we suppose, to-day, when people
will act as they think proper in the matter, and
give, or not give, Peterpence, they may think
fit.
We can't help smiling, however, at one of the
positions assumed by the worthy Bishop IN his late
lettef In about half dozen lines, he strips his
Holiness Of all the mystery with which he is
clothed as head Of the Catholic church, and places
him before the world as mortal, to whose tempo.
raj existence eating and drinking are as necessary
they are to any common man. We certainly
live IN a curious age when we see such thing
done by the Bishop AS the head of the church,
we have always entertained profound veneration
for the occupant OF the chair of ST. Peter but have
ever dishktd the mystery by which he has been
always clothed, and the mysterious awfulness
which surrounds lin. We have looked upon 1t
IN the same light as we do upon the pomp and cir
.cumstance with which royalty and despotsm are
clothed in Europe, and which are artfuly designed
10 strike the vulgar with surprise and generation.
Let that pomp and circumstance be removed, and
10, kings, queens and despos are, after all, mere
men and women formed other human beings
are, and subject TO the desires, passions and
propensites. But we do not expect that any of
the royal blood in any monarchy in Europe, will
take measures TO show thus to the vulgar
Well, now that we are informed that the Pope
must eat and drink like other people, he must have
a tremendous appetite, If 1t is necessary for the
people OF the whole world to contribute TO his sup.
port, especially as, in that part of Europe where
he resides, the expenses Of living are very
moderate. What has become of the large sums
which have been contributed In Peter-pence IN
Ireland, and other catholic countries on the other
eide Of the Atsnticl Surely the Apostle Peter,
whose successor Plus the Ninth is, was plain,
humble fisherman, and did not require the whole
world to contribute to his support. But we hope
this Peierpcnce, at least he ~vrplus, after fur
nishing the eating and drinking for the Pope, will
not be expended in paying Russian, Austrian, or
French soldiers, for slaughtering the people of
Rome, and forcing on them sovereign and a
form Of government which they have repudated.
II 10 idle to suppose that the Pope is in want Of
money for his support. lie has been offered sixty
thousand dollars by the King Of Naples; the Emps-
Tor of Russia, we are informed, has sent him fifty
thousand crowns, and other soyereigns have con-
tributed largely to HIM. The Romans themselves
even. have offered TO support him in his usual Dig
nifty OF style; but he declined. What need there
fore Of his calling upon the unfortunate Irish pco
rle, whose country is desoated by both plague and
famine, and who are themselves dying by thou
sands of starvaiion-who themselves have been
but lately the recipients Of aims from the whole
word-what need had the Pope Of calling on them
for pecuniary aid, or on their poor countrymen in
the United States, a majority Of whom earn but
scany wages In return for the most toilsome laborl
What need has he Of calling on any people for his
support
Now, IN speaking Of the Pope, we desire not to
detrsci from his holy character as head Of the
Catholic Church When we refer to him rs tenn
poral sovereign, we speak of him as we would of
any other; and in this connection we must express
our surprise at he remarks made by some Of our
contemporaries. A morning paper Of this city says,
that IL the people Of Rome succeed in maintaining
their republic, there will be an end to the nvinci-
bity and universally Of the Romish Church
This is nonsense Of the worst kind IL will de-
prive him, il says, Of the prestige Of his great
name-it will strip him Of lds temporal power
and Of the means Of Identifying his spiritual power
With the exception Of stripping him Of his temporal
power, this is all fudge. The temporal and sp
ritual power are, and ought always to have been
separate and distinct from each other, AMI vested
~ SEPARATE hands, as they now are; and Y dis