Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1870-02-11


memory serves me right. All we're certain
ly worth seeing, for think of a bridge sus
pended a, a height so great that you could
almost place three churche, and their spires
| like that of the Presbytcrians in Indepen-
dence under it, one on top OF the other! and
of piers almost as high! From Fribourg
we went to Berne, the capital Of the four
Cantons, AMI very quaint old town amid
| beautiful surroundings. Indeed, every foot
of Switzerland seemed charming by its
scenery or its evidences OF thrifty cultva-
ton. Professionalism and Republisanism
seem to have done much for it, for certain
| ly no people in Europe seemed so generally
thrifty, as none seemed so ruddy and rug
ged as the Swiss. From Berne we had
fine view of the Bernese Alps, the Jung
frau, the Stockholm, the Wetterhorn, the
Doldenhorn, the SchwecAhorn, and all the
other horns Of that most interesting range.
OF course l noted hundred peculiar
things about the old city that ! have no
space to mention. From Bernc we went to
Basle, and then up the Rhine valley, here
fat and productive but unnterestng, to
Strasburg, where we saw the great cathe
dral whose spre is, next to the great pyra-
mid of Egypt, the loitiest work of man.
The church is vast and --.nd literally
and externally, niid rich in all the dorid
decoration Of the Gothic. The city is very
peculiar in its appearance. Some of its
old houses having three and four stories be-
low the caves and five and six above, the
roofs sloping backward, and showing as
many rows of dormer-windows, one above
the other, as there are stories and also as
many rows Of ch!mneys. Above the vast
| height of some of these roofs rose here and
there chimney higher than the others, and
upon the tops Of these the long-legged,
long g-billed storks build their nests and
raise their young, and nests and birds could
be seen quite frequently. Though French
city, it has all the aspects of a Dutch one,
and aside from its cathedral and itl excel
lent beer, and its pates- de fois-9ras, pre-
sents nothing noticeable. From there we
went to Paris through Nancy and Chalons,
and the great champagne district that bor-
ders the river Marne, getting some fine
views among the Vosges mountains.
France is everywhere well cultivated, her
streams are we'll lined with manufactures,
railroads ramify over her whole surface,
and canals furnish her with cheap inter
| communication, and she shows every evil
dcnce of progress, even in her government
| al policy. Indeed, in the latter direction,
the whole OF Europe is being revolutionized.
| The people are everywhere arousing them
selves to sense of their power, and have
forced from unwilling kings constitutional
| governments. The change is not less de-
cided because effected except in the case
of Spain, without upheaval or disorder.
| The Gay of absolutism has gone by, and
though kings and courts may exist for many
years, yet, the power will be with the people,
and they will rule themselves as they have
long done in England to degree. Even
appearing by degrees, and the London
Times, Tory as it has always been IN senti-
ment talks of the sovereign as a mere fig
ure-head and expensive sembance of SOW
ereiguty. France and Austria, following
Italy, Prussia, Bavaria, Belgium, are now
engaged in the work of constitutional re-
form, that the spirit of the age demands,
while Spain is still vaciliat.ng between Roy
atty and Republicanism. Along with all
this, and an earnest of the pcrmanency Of
the change, is the wonderful disenthral-
ment of the people from priestly control
1t is everywhere apparent, and though
doubtless the Church power is still great
over the minds of the masses, every inch
that Liberalism gains from Royalty is ac-
companed by II still greater subtraction
from priestly prerogatiyes aud power. OF
this the Council at present sitting in Rome,
is an evidence Many priests like Father
| Hyaciuthe, have sought 10 put their church
1 49,, |, L., II
of the age and with the truths Of science,
and more en- rapport with the movements
for the intellectual and material advance
ment Of the people. The Pope's attempts
TO interfere with the attempted educational
| movements in Austria and the politica!
policy of Italy have signaly failed,
lie even finds the infallibii,y of the sue
cessor of St. Peter repudated by strong
| array Of German, French, English and
American bishops, who well know that
such absurdty can no longer be seriously
urged upon their hocks without danger Of
! undermining the citadel Of their faith i'll the
Church itself. Hence this array of mitred
fathers at Rome-a body never convoked
except under the idea of pressing cmergen
| cy in the Church. But it scarce makes
ence, and no more anxiety is expressed as
to what it will or will not dc, than would
the convocation and doings Of any such
body of respectable gentlemen met for any
other purpose. 1t may decree Papal infal-
libil,y with all the solemnity possible, but
every intelligent mind will treat the dogma
| with a smile of fderison, as many Of the bish-
ops know and are said to declare in terms.
Many people here declare their belief that
| it would hasten the downfall Of the Church,
and its enemies are praying that the Pope
may succeed in his efforts. But while |
| don't expect to see any such result as that,
and believe that for a long future at least,
the Catholic power will as now meet the
religious convictions Of hosts, yet | believe
that it will mo ily its doctrines, as l be-
| lieve Professionalism will further modify It's
! tencnts, until neither shall place restraints
| upon mental action, and both will labor on
| " for intellectual expansion and moral and
material advancement. And ] guess when
| that time comes, the distinctive terms OF
Catholicism and Professionalism will be
somewhat traditional. or will mean some
thing else than at present.
But have gone off on political and
ecclesiastical DEPRESSION that ! had not in
| tended | believe | had gone as far as Par
is on my route. 10 describe all the attrac-
tons Of that capital Of the worll-she only
place in Europe that really surpasses or
equals its reputation, would take volume
or two, and my time is getting so short for
finishing this letter, that | mus. needs be
very brief, and l must therefore dismiss
! Paris by saying that We were there over a
week and had good time, rs think every
body does who goes there. From there we
went to Brussels, one of the finest cities,
as it is the capital OF one of the thriftlesl
and most populous countries Of Europe.
! The country though low and wet naturally,
is di,ched, and drained, and made most fer
tile and most beautiful. Blessed also. with
coal, and iron, and other minerals, Belgium
has wonderfully extensive manufacturing
interests. Lying between France and her
German neighbors, who have 50 often, also,
been her enemies, the whole territory OF
| Belgium has been battle ground, and
among other places noted for armed srng-
giles, we passed near and through Waterloo,
and Jemmapes, and other places which the
two armies in the noted Waterloo struggle
have made points Of historical interest. We
of course visited the lace factories and
stores of Brussels, and saw the manutac
ture and beautiful samples of this most val