New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-02-23
ITALIAN CONCERNS

MANY, FRANCE, AND SPAIN COMPARYn ,y,.s
THAT OF ITALY - INFLUENCES OF IATrr
CHRISTIANITY. "
lPROM AN OCCASIONAL cOkRRsPOSDgSr or Tgp r,,,u..
ROME. Jan. 4.-While witnessing with No.
dernR Interest The political and material changes ., g.
southwestern nations Of Europe the observer +. l.a
the more earnestly TO consider tho mental and sn,,
condition and tendencies of which political roovo.s
arc the cause, condition. or effect. OF Germany %.
speak but this hopeful word-that there despta -,
wanderings and temporary checks thought proceed ~
It's royal road" ab erterOribus ad interiora ab io.
bus al sWperiOTd." The titanic efforts Of the ger,,
strictly Rltonasts against orthodoxy narro,
and lifeless creed. and pedantc and shallow a.
school, are past and tho Old-Catholic movement a.
gathers in momentum and proceeds by ways ~ nob
toward ends true both TO rebuko that oyerzealo
PrOtestantism which holds every Catholic doctor a.
supcrstitos fool conscious liar and cOns:at IN
beginning 0f a second German Rsformati,D-gI.
time, happily, Of the leaders Themselves and With, o.
pale Of the Church. In France, Italy and Spain. m.
process Of emancipation from P0p,h dogmati,ns an.
superstitOns (Which is the worse, inf,be doemsi,r.
or infalliblo old wives fables leave others 20 deea,
has been most rapid with the peasantry and a ar,.
part OF the ignorant masses In the cities the Old f
es utter and abect ever, but with the ineliee,,
Catholics IL IA almost entirely confined to chrsulp0
funerals and 6tedays; and whatever Of reverence e,
historic associations and aesthetic susceptibties ma,
yet attach 10 IT, 1t has well nigh ceased TO be law 0,
holp for either faith or life. Like many anolhe,
dominant form OF religion that has leeoms
rigid in its shbbOeths and absolute IN A,
claims, Catholicism hore hls thousands az Il.
shrnes who yet uuconyinced and discontented
In the past wisdom has been justified Of her children
To tho pagan establishments for instance succeeded
Christianity Christianity become corrupt succeeded
the puTer faiths OF the Reformation; Of spiritually
dead Angcanisn Wc,ieyansun to Puritauism 40
alleged with what Is false and unloyey Is suceeednsA
type Of doctrine and lie robust and dcyoa yet kind
licr and more Chrstlike. For snch forsakng and To-
constituting OF former systems all history the ulhca
ton what shall be the issue in Southern Elropei an
not dealing with question Of divine power or Of.
divine purpose either to be wrought ind paudeBtly
OF the will anecedents tendencies Of man II il WITH
this in mind that venture what follows.
First there ia hope Of reformation originating
inside the Catholic Church, and carried by II among
lay members. This il likely be the Germany.
unless Oyer-estimato the OldCatholc movement Of
which D0inger is leader and exponent, well tho
substratum Of truthuness and real pley Of Tie German
Catholic clergy and intelligent laty. Bat whereon may
be hung hope for the rise OF Latin Catholicism learned
In doctrine true 10 history reverent 10 all truth abreast
of the age devout toward God and broadly sympathets
toward mani OF the clergy Of these countries even
candid Catholics deplore tho narrOwness OF their
thought and the Journalism else superstition Of lheu
sacred Offices Certainly there many exceptions ye
how few they are, comparatively and how their even
thought and utteranCe must he guarded, aud now the
whole life Is bitter struggle to reconcile Inner
convictions and aspirations with outward POS''loh and
requirements To SUCH Father Hyacihthe must % an
inspiration indeed, but 3 warning even more Ihefs
are greater and better than he In these fair lands
mourning their isolation and their impotence Tor good
and such cases as his can be here but sporadic.
Nor secondIy will the people a mass, turning from
their blind leaders leave OF themselves the forms and
fasehoods of tho old religion and embrace OF TRUTH
light liberty and power Thousands cease 10 be CahO
lies but for the part only TO become indes as to
everything spiritual divine. They are done not only
with the Pope with Chris-not only with the Church
but with all re gion. In SPAIN among the men Of the
Revolution there is charactersticaly sOmber. even
bitter rejection OF Christianity in Italy there cynical
indferentsn yet more pernicous; IN France, an all
pervading and adegrading materislism compared with
which the true epicureansm Is deep and glorious In
Italy, the Minister OF Public Works il the oracle tie
latest prina Caerind the goddess; Of France Compile
and Ganbeta the chefest Of apostles IN their several
spheres; in Spain 1t Is CASTELAR, And CASTELAR,. geah
honest brave and pure in Intent as ha ~. and eloqe
as perhaps Of his century, even this btlllant
leader OF the nOnChrstian liberalism Of Europe has In
more than of his speeches. surpassed In the bter
ness as in the power OF his attacks upon Christianity any
man Of tho time with whose uterances am acquainted
admire him talents and for all else he has DONE
He saw what oil that was called religion bad done for
Spain and for Spaniards and II it is his sin 1t IL his mis-
fortune too that seeing the influences OF superstition lie
called Il Christianity; that seeing tyrannous and I'M
scrupulois hierarchy he thought it Christs Church
Alas CASTELAR, and alas for the Spain that Christian
CASTELAR, could so much better serve.
foolish for AngO-SaxOns TO ignore detract from
all that the Latin nations have achieved in every tod Of
effort and embodied in every sphere life Measured
by their capabilties-nay, Judged by individuals and
separate epoeh these Southern populations the peers
Of the world But yet there Is in them prOneness TO
the trivial an impractical installing Of ideals for present
realities an ndoent content with what is spasmodicalJ
varied with its wild upturning in rush by wrong roads
after specOus OughttObe. In these characteristics
the people of this Italy, in which write, is fair
between those Of France and Spain BrdVeiy patiently
and with pure purpose has expelled the foreigner and
the tyrannes of which foreigners were the support and
boh claimed and made good its claims heir OF such
country and such memorials. The brave King OF little
Piedmont Is the honored King of great Italy one and
free" In government in commerce. in art and the arts
in education in the social condition and prospects the
peOpe how great the gains of Is years! Yet OF thoss
not Immersed in important, yet wholly material tmhs'
how few are they who have not 8n utter dAe u esI
est thought a sensuOus sOrdidness of desires Low
content with Owy gains" an ignobe love OF trihms
pleasures-amusemcnt being made business and roce+
ton heightened into the lifetime. Rugged thinking aud
manly living are too little characteristic OF any race bull
in the Latin races are cOnspCuouSly absent.
And lastly there is nothing in the divine promise on
in the History of Protestant missions in Europe or IN
their present appliances and results. TO show that by
them the masses will be turned to the higher life As IL
the past In the future all missionary effort direct ana
Indirect will I've infinitely repaid IN what Will do Tor IN
divduas. But for Europe, missions increased
thousandiod IN men, resources, and wisdom IN theF aP
pcation they would he inadequate to stop the masses
the course in which they are fully for many day If
rctrevaby entered IT, then, the mass OF the people arc
destitute of that haven truth and those personal quar-
tiles out and by which ordinary proydentlh "ork
ing will evoke seriousness and receptlylty IoI