The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-07-17
Religious asd Political Reserns-Presress
and Triumph Of Popular Ideas.

and Tr1uwph 81 Popular Ideas.
At time when many minds were disposed
to feel satisfied that an era of peace had
dawned upon the world violence has rudely
disturbed the dream The 18th Of July in
New York city has, as we already know,
proved worldwide sensation. On the
evening of Wednesday last-or on the morn
ing of Thursday at latest-it was known in
London and in all the great centres of Great
Britain and Ireland, in Paris and all over the
populous centres of the South of Europe, in
Vienna, in Berlin, in st. Petersburg and all
over Central and Northern Europe, not to speak
of Alexandria, Cairo, Bomoay, Calcutta, Ben
| gal, Melbourne and Sydney, that New York
| was in danger of destruction at the hands of
another and scarcely less tamable Commune. 1t
was only an Irish squabble that disturbed New
| New York really was, for time. In danger,
and so much in danger that the London Times
rejoiced that in the United States Great Brit
ain, through Irishmen, was to find oompan-
| ion in tribulation. Happily for us in New
| York, the tribulation has not been great, and
| the companionship between Great Britain and
| the United States cannot be said to be as yet
established. Popular ideas, the fruit of the
thought of these modern times, not medieval
ism, carried the day. On the 10Th of July in
this city modernism and medi9valism, intOler-
ance and liberalism, came into collision; but
modernism and liberalism have been triumph
ant, and the world rejoices.
Nm IF I,,lu ttNu fO
think of the force of opinions and ideas
in these times. The times are certainly
stirring and peculiar. Yesterday our preach
ers were full of the inspiration of the
hour. The result is that to-day, in our
anxiety to do justice to ALL we publish
q good deal of good sense and q good
deal of nonsense The late Franco German
war, the Commune and the second siege of
| Paris, the 18th of July in New York, the
| troubles of the Pope-these are splendid
| themes for the pulpit The American people
wait for the HERALD Of Monday to know what
the preachers have to say on the general situa-
ton. The result ought to be instructive and
beneficial if the preachers would only walk
and talk in the broad and generous pathway
into which the HERALD has been trying to lead
them.
With all the light afforded by the pulpit
we must nevertheless consider the situation for
ourselves. 1t is undeniable, we think, that
there are in modern society elements fall Of
force and liable to prove full of destructveness,
which neither the preachers nor the politicians
clearly understand. One class of Irishmen
has one set of religious opinions. Another
class of Irishmen has another set of re-
lgious opinions. But, although the one class
end the other are convinced that one God and
Father loves all and rules over all; that one
Lord Jesus died for all, and that His death
atones for the offences of all, and that there is
one happy home for all the good, religion
does not prevent Irishmen Of the opposite
creed from seeking to imbrue their hands in
each others blood. In spite Of the sweet
influences of the religion of Jesus Christ,
it is painful fact, which has to be admitted,
that in every large city of the world where
Irshmen of the opposite creed do congregate
peace is disturbed, property is imperilled, life
is endangered, once year. This is true in
Liverpool 1t is true in New York, in Boston,
in Chicago, in st. Louis IN San Francisco. 1t is
not one whit less true in Melbourne and Sgd
ney. The secret of this antagonism we do not
pretend to know. This one thing, however,
we think it is safe to say: religion, the reli-
gion of Jesus Christ, in a sphere within
which it ought to tell, is not making men and
o<A a. ,,ot
live happily together on the earth; is not
fitting them for companionship in heavenly
home In this New World, this home of free
dom, this sanctuary where all races and all
creeds are equal, we are sorry to be COM
PEELED to make this confession. We know not
told
II is not, however, in the religious world
alone that trouble exists. The religious as
pect of things is certainly not promising.
Look where we may we seem to feel as II, re-
ligiously, we were standing on thin volcanic
crust beneath which tremendous fires were
raging. 1t is not yet by any means certain
that the Papacy may not engulf Europe in
wide spreading and most destructive war. Ina
modified sense the sentiments which found ex-
preston in our own city on the 18th divide Euro
pean society, and, indeed, the Christian world,
to-day But, as we have said, the peace of
the world and the welfare of modern society
are threatened from other quarters and by other
forces. The unity of Italy and the consolda-
ton of Germany must be regarded as triumphs
on the popular side. In Italy and Germany,
and even in Great Britain, the people have
won; but the rens of power are not yet in the
peoples hands. The destruction of the
French empire, which was built on fraud and