Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1870-01-21
rHE GcnMENIcAL COUNCIL.

The truth about the first meeting with
closed doors, THAT is, on the 10th, is COM
ing out. 1t was scene of the greatest con-
fusion. am now told that the minority
was l30 1t was the Archbishop of Temes-
var IN Crotia, it is now said, who was max
ing Latin speech, protesting against the
forms and arrangements as interfering with
the independence of the Bishops, when the
bell rang and he was called to order There.
upon, it Is added, the Primate of Hungary
came to his rescue, and in his torn was call
ed TO order in a like manner Upon this
Dupanloup made strong observation in
good French and left the Hall, with the
Archbishop Of Paris and a hundred others,
IN fact, breaking up the meeting. All the
Bishops complain that they are powerless-
that they have had no time to know what
they are wanted to do; that they have only
had eight days to make one another's ac-
quaintance; finally, that the Hall is intoler-
able. They are dying of cold, and they can
not hear ono anotheI. TLey say tie pres
ent accommodation IS utterly inadequate;
that they require many more rooms, and
those larger than what have been improvis-
ed in and about St. Peter 5. hear that
some of them say the Council ought to have
been held at Lateran or the Quirinal, where
they might have had whole palace for their
work, and rooms for conversation and other
business. They are now obliged to find op-
portunities for mutual information and con-
ference where they can, and Cardinals and
Others who happen to have palaces at their
command, are holding nightly large re
unions. Very late ones, too, I suspect, for
the streets are getting noisy at midnight,
more so than when / cane. Thus the first
meeting on the tenth ended with an abrupt
adjournment, and I cannot doubt that of
to-day has done also. This is not very prom
ising for the presumed object of the Coun-
ell, which every day recedes further into the
limbo Of vain aspirations If the doctrine
of infallibility is adopted, it is now said pos
itively the French Concordat viii be at once
withdrawn, and Plus X will find that with |
new position, new relations will also have I
to be arranged. So strongly is this inten-
ton announced that the Pope's friends ac-
euse France of debating, and Frenehmen do !
not deny the imputation. The situation is
described on both sides as graUjssip,a: and /
nobody sees the way out of it. except by /
continual adjournments, till time itself bring
some sort of escape. But as for any eonclu-
sions being come to and proclaimed by Jan
uary 9th, is pronounced impossible.
POSITION OF THE AMERICAN BISHOPS.
The Papal authorities have
housed the Bishops with careful and dis
hospitality Those who could
not be absolutely trusted have been lodged |
with safe companions, in the proportion Of |
one weak brother to half dozen strong.
In one palace, two or three known to want
their faith confirmed, are in charge Of ten
stout believers. The Jesuits have had the
manipulation of the flock, and have done it
wnll Thnra Is not one of tham whnhas mt
his feelings sounded and reported upon dai-
Iy-and the common study of the printed
papers compels all to speak In this way
it will be ascertained what points can be
it desirable TO press
what not. But the Pope will /
not propose at all what he would |
have to withdraw. The American Bishops,
l hear it said, plead their own difficulties at
home. The Syllabus has excited a great
deal of attention there, and has been de-
nounced as an attack upon civil society, put
ting everybody pledged to it in antagonism
to his fellow citizens At first sight it might |
seem that under o Constitution, founded
upon the right of private judgment and the
viii Of the majority, there would be no great
reason to fear an external claim to entire /
spiritual and social submission. But it is
plain the Americans entertain strong dis
like to the kind of thing altogether, and
that any maintaiuer of the Pope's infallibil- |
ity and supreme authority in the chief af
fairs of life will often find himselfat a disad
vantage So the American Bishops would
rather be out Of it. Indeed they say they
cannot hold themselves; the new converts
stipulate for their liberty. If this be the
case in the United States, it cannot be 9th
erwise in all the States Of the Old World,
where religion is all a matter of controversy,
and where there are such things as converts
from one communion or one school to an
other. Tie objections to infallibility are
said to take great variety of forms, but
that must be only variety Of language, ex-