New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-06-17
PINS THE NINTH.

Convention In dcDdDce OF theH o"h J""e'"O"'
and choice.
Plus THE NINTH.
Yesterday the Catholic world gave itself up
TO rejoicing over the destruction of ono OF Its
most universally received superstitions. 1t has
always regarded the pretended prophecy adj
dressed to its POpes in turn. Non ridc1is amos
Petri, as having something CT tho sacrcdncss and
the infallibilIty of Scripture. What the years oil
Peter were is n matter long settled by yenera-
bic guess-wOrk. The samo authority which
makes him Bishop of Rome gives him reign
of a quarter of a century. II is not surprising
that tho Pontifs of history who have
set out on Journey of that length. with
feet already trcmulous with age, should
have fallen by the way. But when " the
young CARDINAL man of ffty-iour, III
good health. was elected by his seniors to the
Chair of st. Peter, the prophecy was seen TO
run The risk which has destroyed 1t. M su-
perstitions on any subject are not good thing
to any people the passing away OF tins one
may DO regarded rs u matter OF reasonable
congratulati0n.
IL il not possible 20 avoid the reflection how
vast would have been the rejoicing through
had only followed with resolute earnestness
the purposes with which he came to the pom
tiiical throne. In the retirement OF his nome,
in the marches of the Adriatic, in his early
soldering days, in his seminary studies, IN
the mission work in which he engaged
in the South American Republics, he was
an ardent and consistent liberal, inspired
with genuine love of freedom and
progress. When, in that memorable conclaye
which was held to ill the vacant throne OF
| Gregory XVI, the Cardinal Mastai-Fcrreth
was chosen, one glad impulse Of thankfuness
and hope overspread Italy and Europe, that
at last the light of the modern world was to
be recognized by the vastest church of Chris
tendon. The first acts of the new Pope did
not belle this magnificent promise. He intro
ducod many needed reforms into the admins
tration, extended taxation TO the clergy, pro-
yided for reformed code, dismissed his
costly and gorgeous household army. The
vague and underlined hopes of oppressed yet
always aspiring Italy grouped themselves
about this fascinating center of liberal Pontlii,
and for a while the patriots of the Peninsula
cherished the auring dream that this was
the Messiah of their unity and their liberty.
But only too soon it was found that the en-
thusiasm for liberty which had seemed to ami
mate the breast of Count MastaiFerretti and
of Pope Plus was of that languid and some
what aesthetic character one sees so often
among cultivated men Of Southern Europe
Ii could not stand the test OF actual and rude
experience, of opposition, and the diSagrecable
incidents that accompany all true popular pro-
gress The Pope lost 80 completely his fancy
for liberal institutions that when, in 1873. the
Romans had taken him at his word, and, catch
inc the infection of that year of wonders
had forced the appointment of Hbe-
| raj Ministry he regarded it with fright
| and adherence, and would more remain
| in Rome with it, than Frankenstcin would have
| kent house with his hideOus creation. He fed
secretly to Gaeta, and, throwing himself into
| the hands of the weakest and most malignant
despot of Europe, the King of Naples, he
| asked of the representatives of absOlutsm on
the continent his reinstatement by force upon
his throne To the lasting dishOnOr of France,
it was her Government and her army, which,
under the baeful rule of the adyenturer she
had just made President of the Republic, de-
stroyed the sister Republic of Rome.
In these events, it has seemed that every
which had made the former life of the Pope
so full of promise and charm had faded from
his nature, and from the hour when French
bayonets brought him back from Gaeta to
rule over a sullen and vanquished people, his
reign has been marked by a resolute and earnest
opposition to the course of events and the spirit
of the age. If the philosOphic liberal OF 1916
could have filed without a change the throne
which this reactionary Plus has occupied for
twenty -fve years, how different to-day would
have been the relations sustained by the
Church to the free thought of the age. BY
his acts, more than by any other influence,
the liberalism of Austria, of all Germany, of
| the new and revolutionary Spain and
Italy, has been driven into an attitude
of positive hostility to the spiritual supremacy
of Rome. By this unbending and obstinate
refusal to recognize the true conditions of faith
and government, he has neptralized the bene-
fit which his ability, his industry, his I'M
doubted integrity, and his spotless personal
character might have conferred upon the
| Church and upon mankind.