New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-11-30
THE TEMPORAL POWER.

of MARYLAND is a respectable citizen, who sees
fin 10 be a Roman Catholic, which is his bust
ness. and none of ours. He lately saw fit to
be in sympathy with the late Shareholders
Rebellion. which trdS 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 Gov. Lowe comes to New
York to lecture her citizens on THE Roman
g Catholic Church and Modern Civilization
and sees fit to say what seems to us deserving
Of criticism touching what is called the Tenn
moral Power. His ideas on this point we find
summed up by our reporter as follows;
"The speaker entered into full defense OF the tempo
raj power of the Popes. contendng that IL had pee
mainly exercised behalf OF the people ana agalns.
their Sppressors and that demanded by he interest
OF 300 100000 Of Christians IN all parts OF me "oIiu '
the rope sno9 ove DT OF small TERRITORY IN GI The
voice aud doctrines Of the Papa Church had always oeeh
on the side Of liberty" &c, &c
Now, the right of 2OO,OOO,OOO Christians
(be the number more or less to have Pope
to be guided by him in spiritual, and Of they
choose) also in temporal things, is their own
affair altogether. We would not NEEDLE with
it if we could And if he and they hold that
he must exercise a temporal power we nave
no business with that. Most certainly, we
deem it a great mistake, most damaging to his
prestige as spiritual ruler or guide, and in
eyitably 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 Gov. Lowe insists that this earthly
head of "9OOO0O,OOO Christians" must be sove-
reign of ga small territory IN Italy," 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 thenl Is he to rule that territory,
dismember that Italy, neycrthelcssT III so,
how can it be pretended that "the voice and
doctrines which demand this are "always
"on the side of libertyY' Here is a touch
stone which instantly expiodes 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 if it be possible to assent
to that position. Most certainly, we do not
agree with Metternich that Italy is merely a
geographical expression'-but she is at least
that. Look at her again See how she Is
walled in by the Alps, the Adratic, and the
Mediterranean, rendering her geographically
and geographically "A country rs distinctive
and palpable as any in Europe. True, her IN
land boundary should be the crest of the Alps,
not their base-the Trentinc district with the
southwark slopes of Switzerland and the Tyrol,
are rightfully part of her. We trust the day
is not remote when all who speak the Italian
.,;n 10 the
Italian flag. But even without these, Italy Is
nation of Twenty five Millions of civilized
people, inhabiting fertile and genial
region, speaking one language, thrilled
| by mutual sympathies and by common
traditions of ancient glory while their more
recent achievements in Painting, Sculpture.
| Architecture, Music have justly placed them
high on the roll of nations. Dante, Tasso,
| Ariosto, Raphael Michael Angelo Titan, Cor
reggie, Machiavell Columbus, &c, are not
Tuscan, Lombard, Sandman, Genoese, Nene-
tan, Roman, OF NeapOlitan names-they all be-
long to Italy, and their fame is her proudest
treasure. There is. there has been, but one
country between ne Alps and Africa; and its
name is ITALY. And of that country, the capt.
! tai has been, il, and will be, ROME.
Now, conceding the right of the Roman Cath
olcs to have a spiritual head, who rightfully
possesses sovereign power over a, "small terri
"tory.' we most sterDly deny their right to de
| prive Italy of her capital. Let us illustrate:
The Pope has often been solicited TO remove
to this country, which he has perfect right to
do, and where we trust he will, should he ever
come, be treated with universal respect and
Difference. lie is quite welcome to come here,
and to exercise in freedom all his spirital func-
tiOns and we presume no Catholic would doubt
that his acts would be just as valid, just as
ehicacious, as though performed in the Vatican
and st. Peters. But suppose he were
to come here, and say, at is essential
that l have supreme civil or political
"power over certain territory: so
"will take the city of Baltimore for my
"see, with the State Of Maryland for my tenn
"poral dOminion--please give them up to me,
"to have and to hold forever, in perfect indie
"pendence of your Republic or Union, and all
"will be serene"-does anybody imagine that
we should give them upl 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 glO-
| ries, her roads, even, all center in Rome.
If the Pope must have temporal sover-
eighty. let some island like Malta, or Majorca
OF Corsica, whose inhabitants are Catholics
and shall vote Gas 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.
If London, or Paris or Berlin, or Madrid
with a surrounding district, were wrenched from
the kingdom whereof it is the capital and
! erected into an indenpndent soyereipnty ruled