The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-10-03
Gsr,baId,'s New Religion.

Gar'baIdps New Religion
FlO0l The n y. Tones
Just before setting out on his quixotc ad-
venture, Garibaldi made a proposition for a
new religion, which he submitted to that
amazing assemblage, the Peace Congress Of
Geneva. We suppose it was the Liberator's
purpose, as soon as he reached ROme-for
which he was then on the march--to inaugu-
rate this new form of worship in st. Peters
with becoming ceremonies and pomp. After
after having driven out the priests with the
butts of the musSets with which he scornfully
threatened them, and after having disposed of
his Holiness and the other Papal dignitaries
in the way he foreshadowed, he could then
call upon the bereaved Romans and mankind
to accept the evangel which had been provided
for them after a few moments thought and a
brief campaign Religions have been estab-
lishe6 after this fashion in the world before
now; and what has been may be-for there is
nothing new under the sun.
1t would certainly be a memorable spectacle
to see the red-shirted man of Staten Island
and Caprera standing in all his apostolic sim
plicity of appearance beside the altar of the
sublime Cathedral where lately stood the head
Of the Catholic world, dazzling and resplendent,
surrounded by the gorgeous hierarchy of the
Church Universal. The occasion would be one
calculated to touch the imagination as well as
the feelings of mankind, and might well give
an impetus to the Garibaldian gospel which
would send it whirling adown time as erst-
while the COnfederates were sent whirling
adown the valley. 1t almost brings our pen
to a pause when we consider how near this
may have been of accomplishment but few
days ago.
The man who was TO do it may this day be
prisoner, with blasted hopes; but when he
1pia Of aud
the Eternal City to put it in execution, he was
doubtless as confident of reaching the enemys
capital as he was sure of having occupied it
eighteen years ago. Between the two periods
he had seen kings flee at his approach, gov
ernments dissolve in his presence, and armies
surrender before the magic of his name. Was
Plus the Ninth stronger than Francis the
Second or was the etIete religion of Rome
more difficult to abolish than the despotic
politics of Naples Ills life had taught him
that all things are possible to the man of
courage, and that he who has faith can seize
the mountains and throw them into the sea.
The new religion that Garibaldi proposed
to found is of less interest to us now than it
would have been had he actually founded it.
For some reason or other, moreover, he gave
the world little more than hint OF its
nature and il is with some difficulty that we
get even a vague idea of the principles on
which it is to be, or was to be, based. The note
| IN which it was embodied and laid before the
| GenOese Congress was not only briet, but was
delivered at the hour of his departure for
| Rome, so that there was no opportunity for
its discussion, no chance for emendatiOn or en-
| largement. ''Let u.s. were his sole pregnant
| Words-''let us terminate our democratic mis-
| sion for the entire world by proclaiming the
universal religion of the Deity, by substi-
tuting the priesthood of Leibnitz, Galileo
Kepler, AragO, Newton, Quinet, Rousseau, ETC..
tl,ok Af Arl,Y nv11 l.,
"Thus," he added, 1--WE shall have cleared the
| path which will lead us to the fraternity of
nations, and cemented durably the compact
| of universal peace" And having written this
he abruptly closed by inscribing under it the
| prophetic name, "G. Garibaldi."
'The universal religion of the Deity" is the
Garabaldian substitute for the heterogeneous
creeds of the world. If this be so simple as
| to receive at once the assent of all mankind
it is also, alas at the same time so indefinite
that its universal reception need not alter the
| belief or practice of any adherent of any one
| of the hundred seots of Christendom. The
| Pope himself would doubtless be willing to
| subscribe his name to this creed next to the
| signature of Garibaldi, and the Grand Llama
would join hands with Dr.. Chvpin over it, and
| all would dance together on the common
| ground which each had previously claimed as
exclusively his own.
Even when we try TO discover the character
of the new faith through the priesthood whose
names are designated by Garibaldi we still
| find difficulties in the way. Leibnitz, Galileo,
Kepler, Arago, Newton, Quinet, Rousseau
mathematioians, astronomers, and social philo-
! sophers-they constitute, in the matter of re-
| ligion, a body so diverse in their beliefs that
we doubt whether they could agree upon a
single point excepting the universal religion,
which is no point at all Catholics, Protes-
oants, Dests, and reethinkers-humble
Christians like, Newton, and daring skeptics
| like Rousseau some of them did not differ
more from Torquemada than they would differ
from Garibaldi. We're such a priesthood in
stituted, and were they installed in st. Peters
or elsewhere. we fancy they would deal as
hard blows at each others heads and creeds
as as 1anbaldi was preparing for the Pope and
'he FaPacy fortnight ago.
oarlhaldl has got out of his depth in pro-
pU3slng 70 substitute new religion for the
ienglon OF Christendom. The fact of the mat
Ter we should imagine to be-iudging by his
sclehuhc priesthood rather than by his single
DOGMA II dogma it can be called-that tie
bold Liberator has got some glimmarino al
Comptism or Positivism, in which not . faw
speculative thinkers of the present do, 90" a,',
trying to end solution Of the worlds tron. on.