The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-08-06

AlIe~ Z sbs eiAHt'C ssessar'e OF Fhc n'elaut pte
VICES they only partially sucoeeoe6, ioc they
hSe TO wage war almost Of extefmiaatau 10
VtDCee 20 oGeitprc@ 'he ancent fGtn, and only
succeeded 81 le.s IN forcing extarDai sunni, sca.
After tbs Reformation TIC successes nf Protect
ant governments IN wAr, the massacre OF St
BsEiholope ~ ;he persecution oftae Waldenses
IN P,eouont, the erics of Nantes by Henry w.
If France. putting an end 20 toe persecution Of
the Hogueno,s, the revocation Of that edict by
Louis NV he suppression Of the order Of the
j, suits under nearly evdy government in Eu-
rope, auo their final extinction by Pope Clement
XIV in 1873, the French Revolution in twenty
yesJs attsr, END the abolition Of the Iaquisition
by Napoleon Bonspaste, were all events which
contributed, Directly or Indirectly, to reduce the
Papai power ip Europe TO the mere shadow of
what it was But BonepaIte saw that the Catho-
lie religion itst If had strong hold on the afitc-
tons of the people in France and other Catholic
countries, and therefore be restored it to its le
gtimate position. Had he been permitted to
carry out bis ideas be would have probably re-
stored the Pope to Rome, and made him the head
Of an italian Confederaion-not only for the
sake of Italy, which he loved, but as an efcctual
barrier against the encroachments and aggran-
djzement Of Austria. '.That swelling spirit"
say Sur Walter Scott, "entertained the proud,
the noble idea of uniting the beautiful peninsula
of Italy into one kingdom, Of which Rome should
be once more the capital
Napoleon ILL., is now in position to realize
the ideas Of Napoleon l., modified by his Own
experience and by the rapid Intellectual progress
and changes Of half century. By erecting an
Italian Confederation and placing the Pope Of
Rome at is head, be establishes powerful 60
v-rnmsDt, his friend and ally, on his own from
tier and between him and Austria, whose pre-
sent Emperor he has won by the religious idea
of the Conf; deration. And he gives the Ca.ho
lie rel eion new lease Of power, and makes II
an sgent of extensive civilization. Stripped of
the mumneries which were heaped upon it in the
dark vees, and its fascinating ritual blended
with pm osophy, and adapted to the progress OF
the ege, it will thus become religion suited to
the Protestant as well as the Catholic mind, and,
superseding the myriads of Christian secss will
regain the position it lost in Europe. Had this
course been pursued at the time OF Luther and
Calvin there would have been no Protestant Re-
formation, but Catholic one, like that of Hide
brand, within the church itself The religions of
Protestants and Catholics are at bottom the
same. They are both founded on mysteries
which cannot low be understood; but the codes
of doctrines and morals are essentially alike,
while the Catholic church has the advantage of
it's magnificent ritual to kindle devotion, to
touch the soul through the Senses and to appeal
to all that is beautiful in nature and art to win
the affections to Heaven and to God. Such is
the grand design of the Emperor Of the French
THE LATE RAILROAD DIsAsTER-IRREsPON-
s,pI,.IrY OF RAILWAY CoMPANIEs.-According
to all accounts there are no means of making the
directors of the Northern Railroad pecuniarily
responsible to the sufferers by the recent dread
full accident near Schaghticoke. The company u.s.
it appears, hopelessly bankrupt through its own
improvidence and Encouragement, and nothing
can be squeezed out of it in the shape of money
compensation to the families of the persons who
have been so cold bloodedIy sacrificed by its
neglect. As there is no way of reaching the
pockets of the shareholders, the men to whose
Indifference to their duties this dreadful disaster
Is attributable shnnld be made criminally re-
ponsible If the law provides no remedy for cul-
pability such as theirs, then recourse must be
had to fresh legislation on the subject. The
same causes which produced this accident are
actively at work upon all our other railroads,
and if things continue to go on in the same
fashion, in few years there will not be line in
| vvh vuill In ~ G.,
to travel over. What then will become of the
families of the unfortupates who may be killed
or hcapacitated for labor by the accidents that
will be constantly occurring? The State Legis
latures should at once take measures to secure
such responsibility, pecuniary or penal, on the
part of railroad directors as will awaken them to
proper sense of the obligations which they have
contracted towards the public, and thus prevent
the recurrence of such disasters.
The subject is Of course surrounded with diff
culties, but they can be overcome. The simplest
and most direct remedy is the one that will have
the best chance of escaping the formidable infu-
ences that will be brought to bear by the rail-
way companies to defeat it, A short time ago
one of the charivari papers threw out a sugges-
ton which, although intended merely as humor-
GUS illustration Of the necessities of the case, is
perhaps as effective an expedient as can be de-
vised. 1t proposes that seat shall be construct
ed on railway locomotives imm ediately over the
cow. catcher, which the President, or one of the
directors Of the company, shall be alternately
compelled to occupy. We have no doubt that if
this plan were put in execution it would be at
tended with the haspiest results. Whatever may
be the opinion of others as to its merits, we re-
peat that the law should afford some sort of pro-
lection against railway companies whose bridges
are known to be as rotten as their finances.
PRIVATE PIGGERIEs AND PUBLIC HEALTH-
Not only does the existence of that abomnable
nuisance-tbe piggeries up town-infest the
whole locality around, destroy it as place of
c;1 vi