The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-05-31
SPIRIT or THE PRESS.
EDITORIAL OPINIONS OF THE LEADINo JOURNALS
UPON CURRENT ToPIcs--CoMPmKD EVERY
DAY FOR THE EVENING TELEeRAPH.
BUGABOO POLITICS.

"A
Sho Is possessed with the conviction that he and
Ms countrymen are in constant and deadly peril
of being either converted or burned Dy the rope
There is q daily journal issued not thousand
miles from Park Row which IS written by men
who seem TO be sorely afflicted with this disease,
the symptoms of which ever and anon break out
i'm the most unlikely places ana at the most un-
expected seasons As LuIher huIleu ms INK
stand at the Devil so these gentlemen sling ink
nj the scarlet woman and lift up testimonies
aoainst those who wander after the beast with
!. zeal which far Outruns discretion. Occa-
RionalIy person whose brain is diseased in
5his manner appears in political life, and
then we are told that the defeat of n radical can
ddate in Congressional district of Pennsylva-
MIA is directly due to instructions received from
Cardinal AntOncllt and acted upon by the parish
priests, and Congress is urged to manifest its
Sisapprobation of this Unwarrantable interfer-
pnce by striking from the appropriation bill the
item for the maintenance of a consul at Rome.
These curiOusly illogical people are, of course,
Ievout and Jealous PrOtestants; but they think
Bomeanly of their own faith that they are
Btanty fearful that the errors OF Rome will under
mine 1t. They resent fercely the declaration of
DIR. Ever that Professionalism is failure, and
still they are afraid to allow it to come into free
competition with ROmansm, and are cOntnu-
ally seeking to instigate less timorous people
into andcapping "the Jesuts, lest they should
win the race. The great majority of the Pro-
festant community happily are too well satisfied
with their own religion to share in these fears;
they are quite persuaded that truth is mighty
and will prevail and that truth is on their side;
and, moreover, they recognize the fact that rei-
gious liberty in this country is something more
7han name, and that tits not true that all forms
OF faith are tolerated here but that, as no one
faith is recognized by the State, all religions
are made to stand upon the same level of right
1ul equality.
This chronic fear of the Pope and this illogical
enwillingness to give him fair show, is much
NOre prevalent in England than in this country;
Ind some of the ablest politicians and theologians
of that kingdom seem to find their knees knock
IS
BIN. Here is Mr.. w. r. Greg, one of the best
and most notable political writers of the present
day in England, proclaiming, with all the
Nehemence of man who believes not only in
7he truth but in the vital Importance of the mes
sage he has to deliver, that Professionalism can
not compete on fair terms with Roman
ism ''n Celtic population" and
that if the Eformer is deprived of
7he worldly advantages and influence resulting
from connection with the State, it will be
speedily oveTslaughed and swallowed up by the
3atter. Few men have higher rank or more
enVlable reputation as publlclst and sound
7heologian than has Mr. Greg; his devotion to
Protestantsm is unquestioned; but it would be
impossible to conceive of a more cruel and
damaging thing to say against Professionalism
Than this utterance OF one who appears as its
champion in what he cOnceives to be the hour
of its deadly peril. One stands aghast when he
reflects for moment on what such decara-
tiOn as this means. Here is a religion, ac-
Cepted and cherished by the greater part of
7he inhabitants of the two most enlightened
nations in the world, and which has spread
over all the earth, keeping even pace with
civilization and material progress; religion for
which martyrs have died and saints have toiled
religion to whose divine origin and perfect
truth an innumerable host of its devotees bear
witness; and yet we are told that the only way
in which this religion be maintained in a
country peopled with men of the Celtic race is
by supporting its ministration by money taken
from the Golfers of the State, and giving to its
priests the authority which attaches to the SER
wants of an organization that is portion of
1he government. When this astounding state
ment is analyzed, it seems to be susceptible of
Two interpretations. One is, that there is
BONE popularity in the Irish nature which
may lead men of that race to abandon
the errors of Rome and embrace the
truths of Professionalism only on condition that
these truths are presented to them by clergymen
of a state church and by bishops who sit in the
House of Lords; the other is, that these clergy
men and bishops are willing to continue to bribe
drishmen to pretend to be Protestants, by giving
them the advantage of belonging to a Church
which costs its members nothing, but furnishes
10 them the Gospel without money and with
out price, the State paying all the eX-
penses. The truths that we preach, Mr.. Greg
makes the Protestant clergymen in Ireland
say, will not be received by lrishmen unless
we continue to deliver them men
who speak with the authority of the State
behind them or, religion is so dis
tasteful to the Irish mind that they will
have none of it if it costs them a penny al
though they may consent to accept it, or to
nothing. Romanists and Pagans, to say nothing
of High Church Episcopalians, have sometimes
said bitter things about Professionalism; but they
never have said anything more bitter than this
which is said by one who cherishes PROTESTANT
ism rs the apple of his eye. Mr.. Greg seems tC
incline to the belief, however, that the faul
rests with the Irishmen, or, perhaps, with the
Almighty, who has made them in n ditteren
mould and from different clay to that of any
other race. Englishmen, ScOtchmen, Americans
German, and even the heathen peoples, can com
prehend the truths of Professionalism and accep
Them on their merits; il is only an lrishmal
who cannot be converted, or who will no
even pretend to be converted, save through
the agency of State church. Luther is L
him a stumbling-bloCk and the blessed Re
formation is foOlishness, save clergyman
who combines in his person the authority of th
Crown and the grace of the Gospel preach untt
Them. Paul may plant and ApOllos may water
but in Ireland there will be no increase if tn
State refuses to pay the expenses. The Irish,
says Mr.. Greg, ARE the most peculiar people I
be found in the midst of European civilization
and are not of the mere ordinary type of human
ity." That might be taken by an Irishman as
compliment; but Mr.. Greg intends it as col
demn alton and reproach. But, beside
the taint of peculiar blood, til
Irish have had "quite discrepant antecC
dents and an utterly various historical trail
ing" so that they have almost ceased to be human
and although they do bleed when you priC
them laugh when yOu tickle them, and reveng
Fl themselves when you wrong them it is hopele
20 undertake to make Protestants out of the
save by the agency which Mr.. Gladstone no
Wickedly proposes TO abolish This is all Il
more terrible since Mr.. Greg declares that "R
manism, in the form which 1t assumes in lr
land, is the worst zoe TO all good, ana tn
alyao al hot nnt IL humanity