The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-05-10

ccncede TO him the temporal jurisdiction of the
domains OF Ravenna- isis arrangement wa
afterwards ratified by the Empe or Charlemagne,
son Of Pepin
Then came Hildebrand, In the eleventh cen
fury, asserting the supremacy of the Pope in all
things. He deprived the princes Of Christen.
dom Of the right of nominating bishops, and Ia
sisted upon their obeying the Vicar Of Christ
not only as their spiritual, but their temporal
lord. Then arose the struggle Of the Guelphs
and Ghibellines, which so long deluged Italy
with blood. The Guelphs took the site of the
Pope, and he triumphed. After three centuries
the Reformation came, and rolled back the
Papal power from Northern Europe. Aud
it did more than this 1t brought, too,
spirit Of reform to the bosom Of the
church, and established the old contest
between the political and the theoc att al idea,
under the names Of tramontauism and ultramon-
tanism. Napoleon seized upon it when he re.estab-
iished the church in France and made IT entirely
subordinate to the secular power. Louis Napo-
leon now seeks to carry 1t farther, and to estab-
lish State in Italy upon the same basis. Aus
tria undertakes, on the other hand, to marshal
the old elements and to preserve the Pope from
being reduced to merely sp ritual officer. In
this conflict the French Emperor is undoubtedly
the representative of the spirit Of the age and
whatever may be the immediate result, some
good must grow out Of the contest.
But, because ii has this poltico theological
character, it should be confined to the Latin na-
tons, whom q one it concerns. Protestant Eng
land and Prussia have no interest in it, while
every fibre of their organization has direct sym
patby in the establishment Of the supremacy Of
the State over the Church. Greek Russia can
only sympathize with France, for it involves the
old principle OF the contest of the Greek against
the Latin church. In Germany, italy and SIP ain,
Francis Joseph may find the partisans of the
church interested in defending its pre-
sent corrupt and worn out temporal power.
Louis Napoleon will lead the Catholic chucch 10
France and the liberal elements of Catholicity
in the other Latin nations and the contest eau
very appropriately be confined to Italy, from
whence it sprang centuries ago, aud to the Latin
nations, with whom it is family matter.
To them It is matter Of high import, for it is
the Inauguration Of their liberation from the
thraldom that for fifteen centuries has prevented
the regeneration of Italy, and that crushed Spain
even in her palmiest days. Everywhere has this
fact been recognized by the men Of progress
and the same conflict that Louis Napoleon is
now beginning on grander scale in Europe
has been waged for years in the Catholic States
Of America. Mexico, Central America, New
Granada, Peru, Chile and the Riverine States of
La Plata, all exhibit the varied phases of the
struggle between the secular and the spiritual
power for supremacy. Our position in this con-
test has been similar to that Of the Protestant
nations Of Europe in the coming contest there
We had no interest in it and took no part in it.
But we s'mpathized with the liberal aud pro-
gressive idea, as does the popular heart in
Europe symrathize with Louis Napoleon to day,
because we believe that wherever an exclusively
spiritual rule has been established with tenn
poral sway-whether it be Roman or Puritan
IL VI tyraii1loe, and most
Oppressive in its influence over the nature and
powers Of man.