New-York tribune., 1873-12-15
CHURCH AND STATE.

personal DOMINION OF THE POPE shhoNh ~
NARROW IIMITs-TIE STATE PARAMoUNT-GkEA'
SOCIAL AND POLITICAL CHANGES IMPENDiNu
OVER EUROPE.
To the Editor Of The Trfbune. ,
SIR: In O recent speech at Glasgow, Mr. Dlsraen
expressed his conviction that great struggle WIZ
impending in Europe between the spiritual ana TEN.
poyal powers. Discriminating readers OF his mover
of Lothian IN some respects striking. IN all re-
spccs interesting will remember that similar fore
boding seemed to run through that work. IL MI
Disraeli is correct in his representations. he dls-
Germs weather signs which are invisible TO his less
astute cotemporaries; If not, he sees the thihp
which is not, and vexes his mind with visionary
apprehensions.
There has been no time in 500 years in which th
Church OF the spiritual influence was more com.
pletely subordinated to the State or the temporal
influence than it is to-day. The personal dominion
Of the Pope the chief priest Of Christendom, is al
most shrunk to the Vatican and the great Basiliea
None of the old principaties or appanages OF the
Church obey her temporal behests. Religious houses
without number, under the very shadow OF Rome,
as well as throughout the Peninsula have been
closed their estates cOnfscated and their property
converted to the sinister but intrinslcaIly hoste
uses of the State. Prussia has banished entire re-
lgous orders, and permits no priest within lts 40
minions to subscribe an oath which does not ainrm
primary obedience to the State The State there az
least is paramount Whatsoever pretension be adj
vanced in the fantest antagonism to this, whether
of Pontiff archbishop abbot or lady superior, Ii
ruthlessly trampled down and extinguished. IL
Austria the school system has been in great part
wrested from the hands of the clergy and lodged
in those of the State. Even faithful Aus
tra, obedient and docile thr0Ggh many ages, IL
the bitter hour of the church's misfortunes and hui
miliations snubbed her through her ministers and
preates with almost Jacobinlcal ruthlessness'
Spain is ruled by iberal-minded orator, tolerant
but somewhat contemptuous scholar, VINO closely
trims the edge of atheism and regards the preten-
sions of the Church much as he might have done
those of the Memphian hierarchy. The old land OF
Ximemes and Torquemaaa is torn with interneclne
wars and between Cuba and Carlism cares less
about the priesthood and the behests OF the ChrcD
than about the destiny of her island province and
the fortunes of her fighting factions. 1t is precept
that in war The law is silent. So are the voices oi
the cathedral When the hell-dogs of carnage and
fire are let loose as they now loose IN her noun
tains and may soon be loose in her cherished ISLE nc
pious bleatings of priest, mitred or tonsnred OF
wigged avail to call them back 1t is not in Spain
at present at least, that a new crusade OF
polemics or arms to rescue the church from IT.
misfortunes can take its rise Ireland is faithful az
of old with the old faith of insufficient light bui
she is poor and has her hands full with questions o.
home rule and cheap potatoes. France, after NV
years of licentiousness aud implety under the IN
eclipse Of that pride which ever walks before he
struction. now overthrown, humiliated and de
spoiled shows indeed some superficial signs OF re-
turning faith. Her high affairs shake with sorrowin
litapies. which are mere wind blown through lneIi
organ reeds, and all who will 90 home again pres
emily, their bellies filed with the east wind he
ligion as well as that sentiment sometimes mistaken
for it. which issues in musicapd idle journeylngs
springs out of sOrrOw and 1t Is sorrowiu
cup that France has had pressed upon hei
unwilling lips So her present mood OF
humility and supplication is natural enough
but it will not last. When prosperity comes
again then will ensue the old mockery, polite
witty academic the old greedy hunger for sensual
delights the old and scoff at priests, and tbeii
mediayal machinery. In none of the Catholic
lands can there be discerned a spirit which prom
ises TO rise in formidable collision with the estab
lished order of the State. There are certainly nc
serious weather signs in the neghborhood OF f@b
or Canterbury no peculiar agitation moves the
Presbytery of Scotland; No Luther thunders along
the borders of the Baltic. Orthodoxy everywhere
has indeed enough to do to defenditsef from the on
sets of science and unbelief without venturng out
side of It's ntrenchments to give battle IL Is GER
tainly not easy to when the conflict prehgnred
by Mr. Disraeli is to begin, or with what weapons
the Church proposes TO contest the powers Oh uhder
mine the authority Of the State.
But that great and important social and political
CHANCES impend in Europe we think there can be
little doubt. Spain is pershing in conyulsons;
knigbtly France, after brandishing her lance and
buckle in thousand lists aud through thousand
wears of victory has been hurled down by new
russet-bearled broad -browed and chested warrior
riding forth from his castle and keep by the IAN
Rhine lands. and France will limp and halt hence
forward TO her grave. No more her snow baDnernoi
her flag of triple BELTS which danced like a wltch-ht
above conquered capitals from the Arctic SHOWS tt
the pyramids and shot across the black thunder
smoke of revolution like gleam of rainbow on sun
set storms shall toss highest amid all world banner
as the golden eagles Of Rome glisteneo
above all other ancient standards. She
has fought her fight and her sons may read in
scrbed upon the trophies of her lnvades broad Tol
of victories so long and ustrous as partly to recon
cils them to the consciousness that she Is not key
to win many more, and that the dayof her pride ano
precedence is past England long since voluntarily
waived her claim to be regarded an important
military power, her ornaments barely suffclDg foI
her own protection and for the continuance of hei
rule over distant timid. and uDwarlike peoples
Rut until recently she has held, and perhaps still
holds, undsputed precedence as the first manufac'
turing and commercial nation on the globe. But
there are clear signs that this supremacy is passne
away from her. She is losing her trade in Occdent
and Orient America makes her own iron and ere long
India will weave its own cloth. England is already
unable to maintain her surplus OF agricultural la
borers and Joseph Arch comes hther to see II we can
make room for them in our new land; she will soon
be unable to maintain her surplus of artisans, and
when that day comes there will be just such an exc.
dus from her shores there was from those OF Ire
and during the famine. Her people will emigrate
in floods and then her industrial supremacy is
past. Her Manchester hands will spin bobbins in