The New York herald., 1870-02-22
The Roman Catholic Church and Its Lay
Dcfenders.

The Roma. Catholic Church and Its Lay
Defenders.
The Catholic Church of Rome, when re-
garded as ON ecclesiastical corporation, pre-
sents very ancient history. brilliant at certain
points and dark and gloomy at others, but con-
tinuous In narrative withal. Aa a corporation
it has had many enemies, internal and exter-
nal-wolyes in sleeps clothing and foolish
persons who did not know to hold their tongue.
The very worst Of the latter class are those
who have, and now attempt to assume, particu-
larly on this side Of the Atlantic, the character
Of lay advocates or newspaper knights-errant
of the Pontilcate and the tiara. We regret
that we are at length compelled to record our
venerable friend, the Able McMaster, of New
York, in this category. We consequently pro-
ceed to-day to enroll the Abbe's name. on the
pages Of the HERALD Inder Erpurgatorius.
and for the following reasons THE Abbe
finds fault with the special correspondence
from Rome in which we have reported the pro-
gress Of the Ecumenical Council from the frst
day of meeting of the august assemblage to the
hour of the very latest mail date from the
Eternal City, and in conclusion writes as fol-
l0ws:-
The HERALD, which is always ahead" published,
In Its last sundays issue, letter, by the Cnnard
steamer Java tnas reached here @ lsss saturday alter
Is dated Rome, January 26-one day later than. BY
any possibility letter could have come from Rome
by that steamer
In this the Able is behind the age. Steam
not to speak Of electricity-is too much for
him. That zone day later" shows he is not
''up to time" Our special correspondence
from Rome was not mailed at Liverpool ON
''the 2Sth ultimo," but at Queenstown, Ire
land, on the following day, the 29th ultimo,
late in the evening. The Able ignores Ire
land. 1t is exactly in Ireland, however, that
he will find his zone day." as the English
mails from the Continent Of Europe which
convey our special letters are made up in
Dublin and despatched to Cork by special
train, and placed on board the Liverpool
steamer at sea, off Queenstown, by
special mail steam tender engaged by the
English Postmaster General. Able McMas-
ter and the peoples do not, thus, walk
hand in hand. The most distinguished pre-
felt the disadvantage of lay newspaper organs
long since. They don't want lay knights
| errant any longer. We beg to assure the Able
McMaster that this important fact win be
solemnly declared by the present Council. If
its approach is unpleasant to him it is no good
reason why he should fall foul of our special
writer's and the English Post Office. The
Able McMaster states that the Council bishops
are sworn to secrecy. II so it Is very strange
that one Of their number has already COM
planned within the Council that its proceed
| ings are ''made known" outside, and that
this very day we have news Of the expulsion
| OF an Austrian Able from both the Council
and the Papal territory for the crime Of
writing reports from the Vatican for the
German newspapers. The Abbe enjoys
the right of the utrum horune. The
truth is that the Able McMaster, who is fine
looking, jolly fellow, with lots Of muscle, wants
to stand still and fossilize into something like
the Onondaga Giant. He gave symptoms of
this morbid desire at the commencement of the
war for the Union aud the freedom of the slaves
ON this Continent. We hoped he had been
cured at that time, but find it is not 80.
The HERALD must now try to regenerate
him by means of steam electricity and the
par coliseum of the Council. Should the
Able prove genial and tractable under the
modern influences we may ultimately pro-
nounce HERALD do veniam, and take hi.
name from the Isder Erpurgatorius. In the
meantime the Abbe McMaster is under care o
the Committees on Discipline and Orders.