The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-11-26

FROM The ~. Y. World.
Every devout reader of the daily kilograms
from Europe ought to pray for a portion OF
that eupeptic spirit which enabled Saint Au-
gustine to say of the toughest imaginable
dogmas, "credO quia dbsurdWm;" 81 believe
this precisely because it is absurd" With
out some such dispensation of grace it must
be very difficult to keep ones patience or
ones wits in continuous perusal of the wild
and contradictory stories which the gossips
of London and Paris daily generate to load
the electric wires withal and to perplex the
"varsal world" How, for example, is un-
assisted nature to digest the latest dispatches
concerning the Papal question, which assure
us that the successor of st. Peter has con-
sented to go into a European Congress for the
purpose of determining the future relations of
the Holy See to Italy on the one hand and to
the Catholic world on the other
1t would, no doubt, enormously simplify
the Papal question for the two powers most
deeply interested therein, France and Italy, if
the Roman Pontiff would consent to submit
his claims as temporal prince to the decision
OF Congress of Europe, or even of the Catho-
lie States of Europe. For while it is certain
that in a general European Congress the pre-
ponderance OF votes would be overwhelmingly
against any arrangement looking to perma-
nent collective guarantee of the temporal
power at Rome, it is not less certain that the
strictly Catholic powers themselves would find
1t practically impossible to frame such an
arrangement, were they even to agree upon
the propriety of making it. OF absolutely
Catholic powers, indeed, thatis of powers which
represent populations, either exclusively or SO
predominatingly Catholic as to authorize
their Government to omit all reference to Pro-
testant wishes or feelings in forming their
policy, there now exist but two in Europe. Of
these two, Spain and Portugal, the former,
though ruled just now by Government
heartily disposed to support the EXTREMIST
pretenslons OF the Papal See, is virtually
powerless either to control European opinion
or take independent action of her own; while
1t is much more than doubtful whether the
Portuguese Government would give its voice
in favor of any measure looking to the per-
petuation of the existing state of things
at Rome. The King of Portugal is himself
COburg of decidedly liberal tendencies; his
wife, who deservedly exerts great influence
over him, is daughter of the very King
OF Italy whom the Pope has so consis-
tently mathematical as a Sub -alpine'
spoller OF Gods heritage; and the Portu-
guese people are too profoundly disguised
with the results of clerical supremacy in the
neighboriDg realms of Spain, to look with
much liberation upon any project tending to
put themselves under politico-religious re-
sponsibility for the preservation of the patri-
mony of st. Peter. OF the powers which
though Catholic in name, are forbidden by
their political constitutions and the temper of
their inhabitants to commit themselves unre-
servedly to the support of the temporal
Fapacy, france would come to a congress on
the question determined to throw off burden
which her sovereign cannot possibly carry
without imperilling the very existence of his
dynasty; and Austria, bent on proving to Ger
many and Europe her complete emancipation
from that thraldom to the Church which has
for years hampered her movements, and the
supreme symbol of which, the Concordat of
1884, her statesmen and her Parliament are at
this very moment united with her Emperor in
preparing to abolish
This condition of things in so-called "Catho-
lie" Europe is perfectly well known, if not to
Pope Plus TX, at least to Pope. Plus chief
political advisers. To suppose that Cardinal
Antonetti has recommended the Pope in this
state of the case to get himself represented in
Congress, and 10 submit to the action of that
Congress claims which the Holy Father is
never weary of asserting to be derived from
power above all earthly thrones and tribunals,
is to suppose either that the Pope has sud
denly changed his infallible mind as to all the
most important features OF his position, or
that the Cardinal, having resolved to save
whatever he can of the Paprcy, has also re-
solVeu W ChoIolOrm the rope into acQules-
cence. But Plus TX is admitted by his bit
terest opponents to be person of the most
unaccommOdating honesty, He may be truly
described as a fanatic of his own functions.
He sincerely and sacredly believes himself to
be the appointed Vicar of God upon earth, and
as such to be solemnly charged with the duty Of
protesting where he cannot resist against all
tampeIing with any of the rights titles, and
privileges of the Holy See, as these were COM
mitted to him when twenty years ago, the
dove descended upon the scarlet oonolaye in
the Quirinal, and Mastei- Ferretl became fius,
ninth of the name. The "logic of events has
no hold upon him. accomplished faots' are
for him but as the dust and spray of transient
human passions breaking idly upon the Eter-
nal Rock of Peter The provinces wrested
from his dominion by their inhabitants in 1860
and annexed, with the consent of Europe. to
the Italian realms, are still for Plus TX the
lawful inheritance of the Church, wiolxedly
occupied by thief and robber If Plus TX