The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1870-08-12
The Pope and 1he va.
P,ofa ~ F4oci5>tl, F.frt.tl

The European wax La, br,lshI u:.r4.
reciei t!Uuble 10 the Poye At the very
mOuen, Of HI triumph as the Head OF the
Church. The Emperor Of France b with
drawn. his ':oAps from Rome 70! service
on the Rhine They are already begin.
ming TO embark al Civita Necchis, and
soon no. a soldier Of France will be left in
the States Of the Church This has been
repeatedly threatened before, but the Pope
felt confident that nothing but some eme!'
eency Of the future would lead 10 the iul.
fillnent Of the Ihrpat II Is nearly twenty
years since Louis Napoleon sent his regi-
Ineu,s 70 Rome to bnnR back the Pope,
who had been driven away by
the republicans. Ii was soon evi-
dent. however. that To bring back
the Pope would be Of little avail
unless be could be kept in the seat IN
which he had been TestOTed-a result
which was then deemed in Europe almost
essential. not only TO the Papal supremacy.
but even TO the preservation Of ChFisten.
dom. For this pious purpose the Empe.
ror Of France has continued his soldiers
in the Roman territory from thai day to
the prrseui. To them has His Holiness
been indebted not only for the little quiet
he has enjoyed, but also tor the ability TO
live in Rome ST all and to sit in the an
Gent seat Of Saint Peter. Without their
bavoners bYistling at every stronghold in
hi; territory, his temporal power would
long ago have been wre6ted from him,
either bv his own subjects or by the King
OF I,Sly. whom he excnmmunicated for
his unfolding hostility 10 the Pspal su'
But now the long dreaded hour has
come, The Pope is 70 be Left alone in his
dominions, and these dominions have been
reduced By the disafecti0n Of their PopuIa.
ton TO dimensions tar narrower than they
were twenty years ago His guardian has
had way, in nearly every time Of trouble,
Of submitting 10 the people Of the rebehl-
COS district whether they would continue
subjects Of the Pope or not. They have,
five recoIlect Alright, in every instance
voted in the negative. Thus has he been
compelled 10 surrender all his provinces On
the Adristic, and indeed in every part Of
Italy, excep; tie city Of Rome and the dis
trict between it and the Mediterranean.
All this be has been obliged 10 submit to
even while the Emperor Of France was
guaranteeing his temporal sovereignty and
protecting his person With the imperial
troops. This protection he is now no longer
10 have. Even 1.-THE Emperor desired it,
he could not continue 70 OccuPy Rome
with bis soldiers. But there are many
reasons for believing that he no longer
cares much for the Pope. He has been
offended that the Holy Father has so often
refused his advice, and especially that the
dogma Of infallibility vas insisted on after
France and Austria had declared against
ii. Heappears TO be weary Of his endless
task Of Keeping the Head Of Christndom
from the los Of his temporal power. In.
deed, il Louis Napoleon were not man
Of such conspicuous and unquestioned
piety. it might he suspected that lie has
ceased to care anything whatever either
for the Pope or his church, now that he
can no longer use them in the work OF
aggrandiziDg France and Strengthening
the dynasty Of the BOnapartes.
To the Pope, however, the withdrawal
of the French regiments is % serious affair.
II makes his future dubious and insecure.
His position as the infaIlible head Of the
Church, will doubtless remain unaltcred,
but tue question is, how he is TO retain his
capital city or to exercise his functions US
supreme POntif in any place that is not
his own. Now that France has with
drawn her protection, he must look to
some other Roman Catholic power for as
sistance. But Spain is unable TO help
him. and Austria has declared sgHinst him
on account Of the infallibility dogma. He
can look 70 Italy alone; " that Italy which
regards Rome as her true historical capi-
tai and means 10 possess it herself 70 that
Italy whose king has been cIcommuni.
Gated for despOiling the papacy Of is ter
riInrieS, and whose people, though Roman
Catholics, care not how soon the Pope is
stripped Of his temporal power and COM
PEELED To become merely spiritual Poten-
tate.
The Pope evidently c0gnprchends the
situaliOn: and however kcenly he may feel
about it, he is disposed to make the best Of
it He has already made Overturcs for
the friendship Of tile Italian King, who, it
is said, Is ready to guarantee at least his
personal safety in Rome. II may bc
doubted whether he can guarantee more
than this. 1t may he that this Is ull that
the present Pope in his extreme old age
will care to ask. When he passes away,
as he son must, the future Of the Papacy,
as temporal power, must depend on the
party which may prevail in the election
Of successor. Should Louis Napoleon
succeed in placing his Cardinal cousin in
the POntitical chair, he will doubtless send
back his soldiers TO Rome and again be-
come responsible for the temporal sover-
eighty of the Pope in the city Of the apo5'
ties. II, however, some other successor
should be clInsen, that successor, whoever
he may I've, must expect troubulOus times
10 governing the Slates OftlIc Church, and
he may very likely be obliged to find for
himself another house than that which
his predecessors have 50 long had on the
banks OF the Tiber.