The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-12-05
TIaE .s,s.ssaH0US ISSUE IN EtRo-
PEAN PNsEE5CN.

Those who rccollect the lcrvor of the
temporary "Know-Nothins' agitation in
this country may quite fully realize the
present excitement in England in the CON
trovcrsy which has been provoked BY Mr.
Gladstone The anti-Romans feeling in
this country is based upon comparatively
slight prejudices. Taking advantage of
favorable circumstances, skillfm political
leaders cxcted and increased these prciu-
dices. and with the aid of The cycr-attract-
i've mystery belonging to secret olganiza-
tons and willy pandering to the bias OF
patriotism, organized party which swept
state after state, and was at one time likely
to obtain control of the national govern
ment. But the bottom soon tell out of this
native American and anii-Romanis; party,
and it died wondering, like the babe in the
cnurch-yard that had lived only one day
"What it was begun for"
But the contest between the Catholic and
Protestant elements in Great Britain is not
the momentary arousal and temporary in
crease of weak prejudiccs, but an old and
hereditary conflict handed down from gen.
Grafton to generation SINCE the day of
Henry VIII Indeed its seeds were sown
long before the great reformation Of the
| sixteenth century. Since that time Protest
antsm has been to the majority Of Eng
| lishmen the synonym of national lndcpcn-
1 Japca IL, yo1i,riCna a,,l ,al
freedom, while Romanism has, TO them,
threatened an irksomc and disgraccful sub
ordination TO foreign priest-kIng not only
in spiritual things, but also in civil affairs.
Meanwhile the Catholic party has achieved
sufficient success in gaining distinguished
adherents from the Protestant ranks and
and carrying lis points in politics 10 keer
alive all the suspicious and fears of tho
Professionals.
Hence it is no new thing for the relations
of Catholicism 20 the state to become {
live Issue in British politics We do moi
see new controversy upon new questions
but simply a revival of contest that ha.
been in progress for centuries And If ia,
parties engaged are right in their present
mutual anIicipat'ons we have seen the he
ginning Of a tremendous polemical and 20
litical struggle not in Great Britain alone
but throughout Europe. Is the coming O
already begun strife to be boolle war
fare ? VIII it be settled by words, vote!
and law, or - religious controversy ono
more, rs often in the past, to prcciptat
war =? Has Rome sufficient power to brin,
on that general European war, which pro
fesscd scers like Disraeli, Hugo and PER-
Hyacinthc and many minor prophets Sc
before us
What will be the issues of this anti.Ro
manist uprising We will not venture to pre-
dict, further than ihis-hat in any even
Rome will be the losing party N the fray
The bare statement that Catholic princi
, pies invest the Pope with power to dehn
, the limits of both the spiritual and tn
, civil power creates an intense feeling of in
I dignation and resentment not only in Eng
land but in other lands. We may be sur
that any overt attempt by Rome to limit tn
r civil allegiance of Catholic citizens woul
| arouse an opposition throughout the civil
lied world, both in Catholic and Prelestan
countries, that would be fatal to whatcve
+, political influence she possesses. TIL
spirit of the age would revolt against tn
attempt at return to the dark ages Y,
IL Ia by no means certain that the attemr
=, will not be made,