Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1869-06-08
Rome Left BEHIND.

In several articles III the Atlantic Month
ly Mr.. Parton gave the reasons which in
duced Father Hecker and his friends to
cherish their sangulne expectations. Their
progress, he says, has been starthngly rapid.
In the year 1900, in the United States, /
bishop, and % priests, and 90, 600 members.
Now, I archOlshOps 40 bishops, 5000
priests, 90 colleges, $40 converts, and near
~ o,OOOOOO Catholics. Census Of 1860, g.,
200. Between 1910 and 1850, the gener-
al increase OF nation 81 per cent; Roman
Catholic, 10 per cent; property increases
much more rapidly. Now the greatest part
Of immigration is from Ireland and Ger
many. Out OF two Catholics thev lose one.
/ Out OF ten Catholic children OF the above,
they lose five. MethOdists, also, since 1900
have lncreased-nOt by immigration from
! a few hundred thousand to three or four
mIIllOn-l,O 600 600 members and three
! MethOdlsts to each member would make T.
| 800, 900 population. The Baptists have l.,
500, 600 members. Each OF these Il larger
population than the Roman Catholics
emitting all other Protestant sects. When
the country was first settled the Catholics
in three States had large predominance
Maryland, Louisiana, and Kentucky (;
now they have lost il all.
"All roads," | know, lead to Rome.
Logical road (Brownson) skeptical road
Mr.. r. Puseyite, ritualistic road Bishop
Tower and other Episcopaliansl ; sentimen-
tai, artistic road (trOdden by several attec-
tiOnate, sympathetic young ladies tran
scendental road Mr.. HeckerJ road OF Mr..
= Feeble Mind wants some one to direct
him, tell him what to do Mr.. Timid who
wishes to be told he is safe. Besides tins
the great attraction OF great church Old
solemn forms, ritual, calendar filling the
/, heaven with saints, kindliness, charity OF
Sisters Of Mercy. Do not wonder 50 many
I'VE read in history 60 in wonder there
: are not more.
But after all, these are eddies,-the cur
rent of time sweeping the other way, from
Rome, not towards it. Romanism Is dying
= out in Europe. History does not repeat it
self The Pope is perfectly correct in hi'
sad allocutions, his mOurnful prOgnostlcs
He sits amid his ruins, and sees the tide OF
modern thought swelling higher and hlghe
! around him. The three most Catholic cOun
tries of Europe-Italy, Spain, and Austrii
have virtually abandoned him. He re
mains in Rome, but only by sutferance; on
Iv by French bayOnets. he stays in Rome
as the Turk stays at Constantinople, be
, cause the powers or Europe are TOO jealous
of each other to let either go. England an(
France maintain the Sultan for fear of Rus
: STA. So France, Italy, Spain, and Austri'
know that if he cease to be temporal soy
ereign and reside with another government
: he becomes help to that government. $
he stays at Rome; but not long. Rom
. must become the capital Of Italy
One cannot but admire the courage OF
=, one who like Father Hecker, is thus try
ing to swim against the stream of though
r trying to sweep back, with the broom Of
: logic. the advancing tide of human reason
:, But it is all in vain. Some years ago Cap
. tain Parry sailed from Spitzbergen to tn
, North Pole on field of ice. He travels
=, lvrth, but the ice drifted south. So it
p with those who try to revive Catholicism
Like the New PlatOnists, like the Empero
n Julian, trying to revive paganism, the
. struggle toward the North Pole of rigid sta
. biiity, of a frozen unity, of unchangin
= mOnotOny-but the current Of the ice is a
= the time drifting them to the south-tO Ell
# larged thought, to variety ofbelief, to free
r dom of opinion to the warm summer eli
+, mate of humanity, progress, universal Gu
4 ture-in which the church shall no MOI
4 insist on being our master, but consent {
a be our friend.-James +. CIark.