New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-04-28
PROGRESS AND REACTTON-THK VEST
IND THE EAST.

dND The BdOI.
The earth-girdlng Telegraph brings us stimuli
taneous advices that Italy has resolved to
realize forthwith the dream of her greatest
modern statesman-"A free Church in free
&" State"-and that China has determined Tin
effect to arrest within her boundaries the
propagation of Christianity and the education
of girls, allowing no inculcatiOns which contra
vene the precepts of her greatest philoso-
pher and sage, called by us COnfucius,
who lived and taught nearly twenty
| five hundred years ago. In other words, Con-
seryatism has reasserted its power In the
| governing councils of the Flowery Land,
whose ignorant and barbarous Millions once
| more give law to her relatively intelligent
but trimming and cowardly magnates. China
| sinks again into the darkness whence she
| seemed to have emerged under the enlightened
counsels of Burlingame, and allows her Crispins
and her Know Nethings to direct her policy
and control her destinies.
| land here let us say that we trust the
utmost care will be taken, in the complica-
tons almost certain to result from this back
set, to make the Chinese of oil ranks compre-
bend that ChristepdOm does not desire to
force her religion upon Pagans at the point OF
the bayonet. Unless this point be specially
| guarded, Four Hundred Millions of human
| beings will be taught to detest the Christian
| faith as the pretext and the Indictment OF
massacre and devastation, and thus TO regard
it as the Irish peasantry regard Professionalism
The initial impulse to a separation OF
Church from State was given when Jesus OF
Nazareth said, "Render unto Caesar the things
(which are Caesars, but unto God the things
(Which are Gods.n But so slow are mankind
to realize the full import of great truths that
there was hardly another country wherein
Church and State were wholly divorced when
our fathers were led by Jefferson and his COM
peers to proclaim their separation. And then,
down to little more than half cen
fury ago, every citizen was required by
law, in most of the New-EBgland
States, to support the Virtually Established
Church, unless he could prove that he statedly
contributed to uphold some ether. Good men
undoubtingly believed that Religion had re-
ceiyed its death blow when State after State
severed all connection with the Church, leav-
ing every one free to worship or not worship,
pay or not pay to support gospel ministra-
tons, as each should severally choose to do.
Honest and pious such men were, " having a
"edge.n Time has happily dspelled their
apprehensions; and we trust very few of their
living successors would have the State endow
OF in any manner patrOnize the Church If they
could.
Since the revolutionary cOnvulslons or 1913,
the principle of religious freedom has made
great progress in Europe. Though Austria,
under the influence of the swiftly succeeding
reaction, established q COncOrdat with the
Pope worthy of the Dark Ages, yet the chains
thus invoked were melted in the furnace of
Sadewa, and Austria is to-day far on the road
to the true goal. Tho emancipation
of Ireland from thralldom to a practically
alien priesthood is among the most aus
picious events of the last decade. Even
before the late subversion of the French En-
pire. one of its ablest Ministers declared the
separation of Church and State merely ques-
ton of time. Great Britain may keep Oft the
agitation for few years longer; but the next
Liberal Ministry, following Tory reaction,
will probably bring in bill to declare Religion
no business of the State, but wholly between
man and his Maker.
The formal proclamation Of Papal Infalli-
bility, whether it be indeed a new doctrine or
ment of an old one, has done much to hasten
the suspicious day. Monarchs and statesmen
find themselves cramped and dwarfed by this
virtual assertion of power to reduce them
to insignifcance and impotence by eccleslastl-
Cal definition. Bavaria and Spain are no longer
'dOcile provinces of the sacerdOtal Roman EN-
piro and Portugal stands very nearly alone as
an obedient vassal of che Church.
Italy has suffered more than any other ma
ton from clerical domination in matters es-
sentialy political She has been divided, dis
tracted, subjugated. The Papacy sullenly re-
fuses to acknowledge her existence as q ma
ton. 1.-THE sub-Alpine kingdom is her only
designation in each successive illumination
from st. Peters or the Vatican. Persistent
attempts to bring about an accommodation
with the Pope are repealed, and deter
mination that the intolerable past shall
resume its sway over that sunny
land is boldly avowed. Italy and her Govern
ment can gain nothing by further. Difference to
their implacable enemy. The Church refuses
to regard them otherwise than as usurpers
and invaders, let them henceforth act on
the assumption that people have an indie
feasible right to such political and such re-
ligious institutions as they prefer, and that
these may not encroach on each others right
full dominion. The end clearly approaches.
s