The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-12-02
SPIBIT OF THE PRESS.
gDrFoRIAL OPINIONS OF THE LRADWG yoURFAIs
UPOH CURRENT roPIcs-COMP1IKD KvERT
DAY FOB THE EVENING TKLEGRAPH.
The TsmpOEal Power.
NJ v T1.ib,sna-

az TO be Roman Catholic, which is his bust
neas. and none of ours. He lately saw fit to
be In sympathy with the late Shareholders
RabeIlion, which uds our business; but the
war is gone, and he is now ON the strong side
In Maryland, and in the White House at Wash
ingtOn, under the guise Of conservatism or
Democracy. But Governor Lowe comes to
New York to lecture her citizens on "The
Roman Catholic Church and Modern Civil'za-
tion," and sees fit to cay what seems to US de-
serving of criticism touching what is called
the Temporal Power. His ideas on this point
we find summed up by our reporter as fol-
IOWs:-
the temporal power OF the Popes, oOntendlng
that IL had been mainly exercised on behalf OF
the people and against their oppressors, and
that Al was demanded by the Interest of
200 900 OF Christians in all parts OF the world
that the Pope should De independent. and, In
order TO be this, he must be Governor of a small
territory IN Itdty. The voice and doctrines Of
the Papal Church had always been on the side
Of liberty" etc etc.
Now, "the right of 200, 900, 900 Christians
(be the number more or less) to have a Pope,
to be guided by him in spiritual, and (if they
choose) also in temporal things, is their own
affair altogether. We would not meddle with
it if we could. And if he and they hold that
he must exercise temporal power, we have
no business with that. Most certainly, we
deem it great mistake, most damaging to his
prestige as a spiritual ruler or guide, and in
evitably calculated to divide his time and dis
tract his attention from the precepts of Him
whose "kingdom was not of this world" But
we are not his judge in the premises and do
not care to discuss the point at issue.
But when Governor Lowe insists that this
earthly head of 1920 900, 900 Christians
must be sovereign OF "a small territory in
Itatg" we cannot but demur. Suppose italy
does not want him for temporal sovereign;
suppose the ''small territory in Italy" prefers
not to be ruled by him-what then Is he
to rule that territory, dismember that Italy,
nevertheless II so, how can it be pretended
that "the voice and doctrines which demand
this are "always on the side of liberty ?"
Here is touchstone which instantly explodes
the pretense.
To all that can be said in support of Mr..
loves position, we oppose one knock-down
argument-the map of Italy. Scrutinize it, we
pray you, and judge il it be possible to assent
to that position. Most certainly-pTe do not
agree with Metternich, that italy is "nerely
geographical exprssssii ii6n''-but She is at least
tnst Loek1~St her again See how she is
VWHs11.se IN by the Alps, the Atlantic, and the
q mediterranean, rendering her geographically
and geographically country as distinctive
and palpabIey as any in Europe. True, her in
land boundary should be the crest of the Alps
not their base-the Trentine district, with the
southward slopes of Switzerland and the Tyrol
are rightfully part of her. We trust the day
is not remote when all who speak the Italian
tongue will be under the protection of the
Italian flag. But even without these, Italy is
q nation of twenty five millions of civilized
people, inhabiting a fertile and genial region,
speaking one language, thrilled by mutual
sympathies and by common traditions of an
cient glory, while their more recent achieve
ments in painting, sculpture, architecture,
music, have Justly placed them high on the
roll of nations. Dante Tasse, AriostO,
Raphael, Michael Angelo, Titan, Correggio,
Machiavelli, Columbus, etc, are not Tuscan,
Lombard, Sandman, Genoese, Venetian,
Roman, or Neapolitan names-they all belong
to Italy, and their fame is her proudest trea-
sure. There is there has been, but one coun-
try between the Alps and Africa; and its name
is ITALY. And of that country, the capital has
been, is, and will be, ROME.
Now, conceding the right of the Roman
Catholics to have spiritual head, who right
fully possesses sovereign power over 'small
territory, 1--WE most sternly deny their right
to deprive Italy Of her capital. Let us illus
trate;-
The Pope has often been solicited to remove
to this country, which he has a perfect right
to do, and where we trust he will, should he
ever come be treated with universal respect
and Difference. He is quite welcome to come
here, and to exercise in freedom all his spirit
ual funotions and we presume no Catholic
would doubt that his acts would be Just as
valid, just as eficaciOus, as though performed
in the Vatican and at ST. Peters. But sup
pose he were to come here and say, 1T Is
essential that have supreme civil or political
power over a certain territory; 80 VIII take
the oitv of Baltimore for my see, with the
State of Maryland for my temporal dominion
please give them up TO me, to have and to
hold forever, in perfect independence of your
Republic or Union, and all will be serene'-
does anybody imagine that we should give
them mp? Yet Baltimore is not the capital Of
the United States, while Rome Is the capital of
Italy, and has been these twenty centuries.
Her histories her glories, her roads, even, all
centre in Rome.
If the Pope must have a temporal soVe-
reignty, let some island like Malta, or MajOrca,
or Corsica, whose inhabitants are Catholics,
and shall vote (as they doubtless would) TO
welcome and obey him as temporal sovereign
be chosen for his kingdom, and let all that he
may choose TO take from Rome be transferred
thither. ct is well known that the Popes once
left Rome and resided at AvignOn, in Southern
France, for seventy years.)
II London, or Paris or Berlin, or Madrid,
with surrounding district, were wrenched
from the kingdom whereOfit Il Is the capital and
erected into an independent sovereignty. ruled
by an ecclesiastc, we could not expect the
nation thus robbed of its capital TO be content
under the visitation. And II would do no oer-
manent good to have a European Congress
ratify the spelling. The mOnarohs of Europe
have great power; but were they to decree that
the Lake Of Geneva should be transferred to
the peak of Mount Blanc, and kent there they