The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-10-05

Editorial Opinions Of the Leading Journals
upon Current Topics Compiled Every
Day for the Evening Telegraph.
CARDINAL MANNING ON THE ROMAN
QUESTION


QUESTION.
From the NJ Y. Herald
Sunday last was a great day in the Roman
Catholic Cathedral of Westminster. On that
occasion Cardinal Archbishop Manning advo-
Gated the cause of the Papacy with an in
tensity of purpose which, to some of the dis
tinguished persons present, must have re-
called the memory of the great Catholic arch
bishop Of England, the lllustrious Cardinal
Pole.
We do not wonder that the cathedral was
crowded on the occasion, and that prominent
in the crowd we're several foreign ambassa-
dors some cabinet ministers, and not few
who have won distinction in the higher walks
of literature and art The preacher was at
one time regarded as probably the most gifted
priest in the Anglican communion-certainly
as its most eloquent and powerful pulpiteer.
Thousands we're wont to hang upon his lips
when he advocated another faith than that of
Rome Since his secession from the Church
of En- gland DIR. Manning has steadily grown
in power and Importance as Roman eccle-
siastic.
His tendencies have been strongly ultra
montane, and among the ultramontanists he
has won the first place. His influence with
Pope Plus is we'll known. 1t is generally be-
heved that to him, more than to any other
single individual, we are indebted for the
Gcumenical Council, and for what that
council has done. The readers of Lothian"
who have become familiar with Cardinal
Grandson have fair idea of the character of
Dr. Manning, 1t was DR.. Manning's belief
that the endorsement of the Syllabus and
the proclamation of the personal infallibility
of the Pope by the council would be the
means of eradicating the many evils which
are now so destructive to odern society, and
of effectually reconciling the Church and
the world. Considering how completely the
Council of the Vatican has to all outward ap-
pearance failed, we cannot be surprised that
the return of the Cardinal to his diocese and
the announcement that he was to speak on
the council and on the great events which are
taking place in Europe brought together so
illustrious an assembly.
From the meagre outlines which have
reached us by telegraph it seems fair to con-
clude that the sermon was worthy of the man
and worthy of the great occasion. 1t was
trying occasion. DIR. Mannings ambitious
schemes had been successful. Another grand
Gcumenical Council had been held. The
Syllabus, which in its practical operation
would place all men and all nations once
more under the heel of the Church, had been
approved without much difference of opinion.
The Vicar of Christ-a position to which he
himself notoriously asplres-no longer
welded a doubtful authority. With very
few dissentients the Council of the Vatican
fallible in all matters of faith and morals
This great work had been accomplished in
large part by himself Whatcaus for pride
But success had been clouded by terrible
disasters. When the council met, Austria,
France, Spain, Italy, and Bavaria were bound
by concordats to the Holy See, and the pre-
sumption was that other nations would be
induced to enter into the same holy bonds.
How great the change! Now Austria had
formally thrown off her allegiance. So, too,
had Bavaria. Spain had virtually done the
same thing. France, the great bulwark of
the Popedom, was lying bleeding and pros
trate beneath the heel of the great Pro-
testant power of the North the eldest son
of the Church was a prisoner in a hereto
land; and the disciples of Voltaire, of Four
rier, of Robert Owen were in possession of
the reins of government. The Italians had
marched almost unresisted into the Holy
City; the Roman people had hailed them
as deliverers, and, by a vote which
deserves to be called unanimous, they had ex-
pressed their detestatlon of Papal rule.
When in the whole history of the Church did
night so dark and so disastrous close in upon
day SO bright and full of promise? We can
we'll conceive that the Cardinal felt the diff
Guilty of his position and that he knew his
task was hard. 1t does not appear that he
attempted to explain what connection the
Council had with these disasters. 1t is only
manifest that he did not admit that the fall
ing away OF Austria and the other Catholic
powers, the humiliation of France, the CON-
plete and, to all appearance, irreversible over
throw of the temporal power, were in any
sense logical and legitimate results of the
action of the Council. He blamed England
for her indifference and praised Ireland for
her steadfast adherence to the faith. But
with blandness characteristic of his order
he refused to see and recognize the new
necessities and altered conditions of this ripe
age Of the world. The war against the tenn
poral power was war against the Church and
against Christianity. The Roman question
was not yet ended: it was only begun.
In the course of his address DIR. Manning,
by an allusion to the growth and prosperity
of the Catholic Church in the United States
gave evidence that he was not far from the
right way-so near, in fact, that one wonders
he has not found it. Here we have long
since settled the Roman question. Church
and State alliances have no place among oul
free and noble institutions. Here every
church is free and unfettered; and without
mporalities-independen of State patron
age, State support, and State control-tht
religious bodies of every name and of every
denomination flourish and bring forth fruit
Where, in any part of thesworld, are sucl
splendid temples dedicated to the worship
of the living God as in this city o
New York? We have Jewish temples
which would almost compare with that O
King solomon; we have Christian temple
which rival St. Pauls, and which are no
put into the shade by st Peters; and New
York, in this respect, is not far ahead of he
sister cities throughout the Union. Where, il
any part of the world, are religious services
conducted with more pomp and splendor O