The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-10-28
TnE CATHOLIC OOUNCII4
Nom tAe PhtIa.telphia NORTH American,

Many OF our American bishops OF the
Latin Church have left by steamer TO
attend the grand Council OF their
Church, TO be held In Rome by order Of
the Pope, and many more are about
following. II the Church Journals In
the United States afford any Indication
OF tho temper OF these American bishops,
the liberal Catholics Of Europe will fnd
themselves very greatly mistaken In
their expectations respecting their
oourse Ia the Council, for these Jour.
nails are tlltrau1ontRne TO the last de-
gree. We, however, do not think that
these papers represent the bishops, az
the latter are known 10 have very little
communication with them.
The resistance 10 the ultramontaue
pretenslons Of the Pope seems more
likely TO come from Europe, however,
than America. The liberal Govern
ment OF Spain has Just announced that
u the LAtln Council should adopt GeciB.
ions hostile In operation to the Span
ish constitution, they would be treated
by the government as null and void,
and similar conclusions have been
reached BY the governments OF Italy,
Austria, Prussia, France and Bavaria,
the very heart and stronghold OF the
Latin Church. The italian Govern
ment being already accommodated, +,
and having no pacific arrangement
with the Pope, will not care much for
the decisions OF the Council, except
that the more ultra they may be, the
more will It's own position be strength.
ened with the italian people against
the Pope.
France seems likely, however, to be
the liberal leader In the Council,
the French government being OPP
posed entirely to the prentensions OF
the Pope, and having a strong position
on account Of the long protection Of.
forded by France to the Pope. II the
latter persists In being troublesome, the
Emperor has but 10 Withdraw the
French garrison and leave, him to his
fate, which the Italian troops would
make very brief. Dupanloup, Bishop
OF Orleans, will, II Is said, lead the
French liberals, though how strong
that party may be 1t is impossible to
tell at present.
As usual In all sach cases, the Ger
man Liberals seem 10 bU the best or.
RRnized and the most resolute. They
have conferred together and drawn up
documents representing their views,
and they have the advantage OF know.
Ing that they are backed by theft gov
ernments and people. The BavRrlan
govern ment has been especially Rnx-
ious on the subject, and tried to get up
council OF governmental powers In.
terested In the matter, though without
success, the most oftEem having qulet-
ly, like Spain, resolved to ignore and
disregard the doings OF the Council. We
must confess that we have scarcely any
hope OF the Liberal Catholics being able
to accomplish anything. There will, II
ls said, be no discussion allowed In the
Council All the propositions 10 be
submitted by the Pope will be simply
voted upon. ..
1t IS assumed, by many members Of
the Latin Church, that these things Con.
cern none but themselves. But this IL
preposterous. The syllabus, upon
which the decisions of this council are
10 be framed, has been before the world
for a long time, and is seen and known
TO be u blow aimed at the whole ma
chinery Of modern intelligence, pro-
gress, Tree government, and liberal in-
quiry. Authority Is, according to this
syllabus, to take the place OF reason
and inquiry, and the inquIring mind
OF man is to he hedged In and bound
down by disabilities as ouerous as
those Of the dark ages. The Church
asserts its supremacy entirely Ia mat
ters Ike marriage and education that
modern progress has firmly attached to
secular institutions.
As regards the. infallTbilIty Of the
Pope which iS the first doctrine 20 be
forced on the Latin Church by means
OF this Council, although IL Is not new,
It has invariably been resisted by the
European governmental the most Catho.
lilo OF them being the most determined
In their opposition. Ambitious, vlo-
lent, Ill tempered, or Intriguing POpes,
have In past ages provoked the blood.
lest and mos. desOlHting Of European
wars. and thus forced the mOnHrchs Of
the old world into Il perpetual jealousy
OF their power, and although the ex.
communication and the interdict have
long since lost their terrOrs, we see here
at hoIne, in the complete separation Of
the Catholic children from the public
schools, how powerful the Pope is for
mischief still.
There 10 not q government In Europe,
Cathollo or Protestant, or Greek, where
the Latin church is not In the attitude
OF disloyal element; and 1t Is curl
ous fact that the trouble is greatest In
the most Catholic countries, the Pro-
testsnt governments being aware that
the more ultra the Latin Church be-
comes the more It must lose It's adher.
enls and diminish in strength within
their dominlons. the capture and Oc.
cupation OF Rome would be great re.
lief 10 the civilized world. as things
stand AT present, and the French En-
psrOr could not do u wiser thing than
to withdraw his troops and lot the
ruined fabric tumble to the ground.