The New York herald., 1869-07-04

| General Totten, United States Army; Colonel j. p
| Reynolds, OF Mobile, and Major Frank Taylor. are a
| the st. Charles Hotel.
! Colonel Jacob Stanwood and Judge Richard
Busteed, of Alabama, are at the Metropolitan Hotel
| General Reno and e. J. Strang, OF the United
States Army; Mr. Gallaudet, of Washington, and o.
| J. Dickey, OF Pennsylvania are at the Astor House
| General G. B. Fisk, of st. Louis; w. Paige, OF
| Washington; General james McQuade, OF Utica
| General II. L. Robinson, OF Binghamton; General J..
| W. Sprague, OF Winona, Mlnn, and General IL. T.
Reid, Keokuk, Iowa, are at the st. Nicholas HOTEL
| Prominent Departures.
| Bishop Wilmer OF Louisiana, for Philadelphia
Governor Padleford, for Providence C. Inns, FOL
| Poughkeepsie; A. S. Gatchell for Bratteboro, Vt
| Captain G. r. Raymond, for Princeton.
RumOred Postp Onement Of the Ecumencal
Council.
A cable despatch from London has it that
the Ecumenical Council which was arranged
to be held at Rome in December of this year
| is to be postponed for at least twelve months,
! Thls i tslsgraphe9 to vs. ass a rumor. 1t may
| or it may hot be true. We are unwilling to
believe that at this late hour any change SO
humliating to the Catholic hierarchy and to
the Catholic Church in general can be allowed.
1t Is well known all the world over that the
Ecumenical Council has been pet project of
the Holy Father for some years past, and that
the project was not made public until the sem
timents of the Church were tolerably well
ascertained 1t will be strange, therefore, if,
after all that has been done in the way of
sounding popular Catholic sentiment. and in
the way of preparing for the Council itself the
Idea should be abandoned even for a year.
We say we are slow to believe that the rumor
is well founded.
We cannot forget, however, that we live in
an age of wonders. The year which can boast
OF the completion of the Pacific railroad. which
is ready to rejoice over third cable connec-
tion between England and the United States.
and which is even now in hopeful expectation
OF the Suez canal, is not year which is likely
to be fruitful of further surprises. We are
prepared to see the Church again in ecumeni-
cal session after three hundred years. 1t will
not be surprise if the Council is held in De-
cember. 1t will be an additional triumph of
1869 if it does take place; but if it does not
take place it cannot be surprise.
We have already informed our readers that
difficulties of somewhat serious character
stood in the way of the Council At first the
idea was attractive, not to Catholics
alone, but to the entire Christian world
This does not fully state the case.
1t was more than attractive. 1t was gene
rally-nay, universally-looked upon as a
happy revival of long disused custom. and
there were many who thought that an Ecu
menical Council might be fruitful of blessings
to the whole Christian world 1t required but
a brief space of time to dispel this delusion.
Whether from the character of the invitations
which were issued to the different Churches. we
Know not, but 1t soon became manifest that the
non-Catholic Churches were bitterly opposed
to the idea of council in which they could not
be represented without grievous sacrifice of
principle. The Churches of the Eastern rite
and the many Protestant Churches which date
their history from the great religious revolu
ton OF the sixteenth century were all found to
be unfavorable to the idea. Simulta-
neously it began to appear that Catholic
Christendom was not q unit in the
matter. One day we are told that the
1esuits are in favor of the Council, and, in
TACT, Its leading promoters. Another day we
are told that the Jesuits are dissatisfied with
tne programme and in humor to oppose the
whole affair. 1t is well known that the CALI
ran (hnrch Ia rpfriapIl, 30 "a
matter of history that the German Catholics
are in fierce hostility; that Bavaria is doing
her best to get up council of the Catholic
Powers to oppose 1t, and that Austria has
openly condemned the scheme as inimical to
liberty and the growing progress of the age.
1t has even been reported on good authority
that the College of Cardinals, in spite of the
preparations which were going on before their
eyes, were at skies and sevens on the sub-
ect. Remembering the object of the Council,
and taking into consideration the absolute
mpossbility of arriving at united express
sion of the sentiments of Christendom through
me proposed channel, it will not be a surprise
the idea of general council is for the
present abandoned.
We say it will not be surprise, but we
'annot say more. Considering what has been
lone already in the way of preparation, it is
'afe to say that this postponement of the
Council to many both inside and outside the
catholic Church-to many both in the Old
World and in the New-will be dsappoint- |
nent. Pilgrims have already begun to flock to |
he shrine of st. Peter from all the ends of the |
arth. Some Of those pilgrims have already |
rrived in Rome. Hundreds and thousands
ave made up their minds to include Rome in
heir annual tour; and not few who would
lot otherwise have been tempted have resolved
0 pay visit to Rome and to look with their
wn eyes on the Holy Father and the
tories OF st. Peters. To all such
he abandonment or postponement of the