The New York herald., 1870-08-14

IL the subject were not ~ tragicai the opiu
ions of few of our religiou5 contemporaries
touching the European struggle would be
amusing. We furnish few of them in our
rehgious columns to-day. II will be noticed
that the religious press view only through
.ne'r peculiar optics the situation of affairs.
ne lenses OF their field glasses are graduated
70 see 80 lar and no further They mass
armies Iorm combinations, arrange attacks,
prepare defences and culminate victories as II
they were actually upon the field of action and
fighting the grand fights of rusty old warriors.
Above all. the momentous results Of tho ira
mendous shock ofarms are predicted and gos-
slipped about as if the disputants were mere
barroom or excited lager beer saloon politi.
clans, and not conservators of the peoples
religious peace of mind.
For example, it will be observed that our
lively weekly coadjutor of the good old Scotch
Presbyterian school-the Eydngetist-yells
out in effect, after reports Of French defeat,
''Another Waterloo! Thank God! The Ma
poleonic Dynasty Gone Up! Popery Gone
by the Board Protestant Prussia Spurns the
Papist Bribe! Rome is Once More Free
Ha! Hal" and grows facstious upon the pre-
sumption that not the ghost of Napoleonio
Papist will live to tell the tale of the way 10
which he went to purgatory or glory.
The Independent, which is sort of con-
ventional Congregationalst organ in the
Beecher interest," with characteristic modesty
grasps the entire situation and congratu lates
the Protestant world that Napoleon, the pillar
OF Roman Catholicism, has been whipped out
of his boots and left his uncle's spurs on the
field of disaster SO much the better for
Professionalism and the subscription list of the
Independent.
The Observer, Old School Presbyterian,
shows that-while one of its principal writer's
has been abroad for a long time and ought to
know something of European matters-it can
not at present conscientiously talk about the
war; and the publisher, putting his thumb to
his nose and twirling his fngers-as II is
reported Jim Fisk recently did to the Presi-
dent of the United States at Long Branch
intimates to his readers, ''you can't catch us.
Wait till we see which way the cat jumps"
The staid old Methodist waddles along like
an old gray goose, and while sympathizing with
Prussia has its most sincere regrets to bestow
upon the horrors of war, and at the same time
expressing its hopes for an early peace. The
second postponement of the General Confer
ence of the Evangelical Alliance in this city
may have affected the Metaod;sts hopefulness
in the issue of the present war crisis.
On the other hand the Tablet, the Free
mans Journal, the Boston Plot, all Of
the Catholic school, side with Napoleon,
and seem to regard him as the de-
fender of the Holy Church and protector Of
its infallible head. Hence they uphold France,
oppose Prussia, disbelieve Prussian kilograms
sifted through English channels, and altogether
help to make the war excitement in the re-
Iigious world at once interesting and exciting.
Now, what will all this newspaper fighting
among the religious journals-the Protestant
against the Catholic, Prussia or Germany
against France-amount to? Probably this
that the controversy may continue until our
next Presidential election, and the issue be
fought in this country at the ballot box in
lS72-German republican Protestants against
Irish democratic Catholics-with the mass of
the American people as bottle holders, and
hoping that the ''most votes may win"
Worlsingmen's Political Movements.
As the political campaign approaches
activity among politicians is beginning to
make itself evident. Already the time for the
assembling democratic and republican conven-
tions has been designated. The workingmen
Of the State, or at least those purporting to
represent them, are also busy. A call has just
been issued by the estate Organizer for the
State Nominating Convention of the Labor
Reform Party" requesting all legal voters
throughout the State, irrespective of party, to
send delegates to State convention which
will be held in Syracuse on September
13. The object of this convention is for
the purpose of forming an independent
political party to be known as the labor reform
party Of this State. This movement is by no
means new one. The idea of trying to get
wOrkingmen to form political party of their
own has been tried more than once before,
and in every case failure has been the result.
If trades organizations are to be made politi-
cal machines their subsequent existence will be
brief indeed. Many of those associations have
large funds, which are devoted in part to the
alleviation of the suferings of the members
composing them, in case of sickness or acci-
dent, and the disposition of the accumulated
funds for other than these legitimate purposes
is matter for the serious consideration OF ft,
working classes. The truth Of the mat
ter is, the working men of this State,
judging from past experience, are not
40 eager to embark i'm an UNDER