The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-12-12
A Morbid View.

but under the circumstances wc have not
felt at liberty to decline these. However
both OF them will be read with interest
by many otour readers, inasmuch as they
touch upon questions that are receiving at
this time an unusual amount Of public at.
tention. AS will be seen, one Of them goes
extensively into the present outlook Of the
religious agitation in Europe and this
country. The views expressed arc those
ola Protestant clergyman, but we publish
them by request Of one Of our Catholic
readers. 1t will be noticed that they
champion the cause Of both Professionalism
aud Catholicism as against the alleged
sceptical tendencies Of the age.
The author Of them expresses the most
serious spprehensions as to the effect OF
the attitude OF BISMARCK and GLADSTONE
on the common cause Of Christianity. He
deplores their. antagonism towards the
Catholics as tending TO break down not
only that form of religion but all vital
Christianity of whatever name or sect.
lie assumes that these two statesmen are
responsible Tor the agitation going on in
Germany and England, and he rather in.
Inmates that the. issue on the question ol
nIallibilitY is.not defensible from their
stand points. That is, he holds that con-
science and the. divine precepts that edu-
cate the conscience Of Christian people
must after all determine their obedience
TO civil lava general proposition
that Mr.. GLADSTONE never intend
ed 10 dispute. AIr. G. has not assaled
the dogma OF iniallibility on the
ground that good citizens con-
science Is unworthy Of respect in the
matter Of its scrupleq touching civil
duties. His hostility TO it consists in the
fact that great religious hierarchy
semi political in It's character-ciaims the
right 10 determine the boundaries of
civil authority in every State in Europe.
For instance, when Austria repealed what
is known as the Concordat not long ago,
and declared civil marriages legal and
secular education entitled 10 the fostering
care oI the State, general protest went
up from the Church in consequence
And 10 this day that repeal ia treated as
q moral nullitY by the Church. Mr..
GLADsToNE's position j. that the claim Of
the Church to detirc the boundaries of
civil authority isitantamount to an as
sertion Of the right Of eminent domain
within the kingdom, which il once con.
ceded is equivalent TO an abdcation on
the part oI the law making power There
must be ultimate power in govern
ment 10 enforce its authority or else it
can not be respected either by its own
subjects or other nations. This authority
may be abused and has been abused, and
now and then it has infringed on the
rights Of conscience. In the latter case
each individual citizen must bc content
to incur the penalty Of his inability TO
conform TO authority. This was the
ground taken by the abolitionists in this
country on the passage OF the Fugitive
Slave Law. They chose to pay fine and
go TO prison II need be, rather than turn
out and help arrest fugitive slaves.
Their case Is q familiar illustration OF
What we mean by the differ
ence between individual non con-
ormity 10 law and the supre.
session OF the law making power. Both
Protestants and Catholics have gone to
the stake for their opinions sake. Great
outrsges have been perpetrated upon citi.
zens under the authority Of law in Eng
land and in every State In Europe. This
fact we can only deplore. The remedy
lies in enlIghtening and revolutionizing
public sentiment. There is no other legiti.
mate way Of redressing grievances.
In regard to the general apprehensions
expressed by the distinguished Clergyman
whose views we have been called to pub.
lish, lin relation to the chaotic tendencies
OF the age in the matter Of religious belief,
we think that they may be called very dys.
peptic views indeed. Aesees nothing ahead
"but gloom and despair for the race" We
are verging towards the establishment
oil sort Of pagsnism." The result will
finally be an "lncarnation OF human de-
prsvity and intellect" which means, we
presume, that society will at last become
a sort Of wholesale Mephistophiles.
The reverend gentleman has apparently
neither faith nor hope in the supreme
power Of religion to prevent such finale
as this, which we think ia q sorry compli'
ment 10 his profession. His only reliance
seems to be that finally the Judge Of the
world will appear and "vanquish the
power of hell and cast,out the children OF
darkness forever" and then, he says,
comes the end" This Is certainly a
very melancholy destiny for the race,
And it ia all foreboded by reason OF the
agitation to which he refers. II Bis.
marck and Gladstone, and Tyndall, too,
would only stop agitating questions Of
political and physical science, there would |
be some hope for the world. AS 1t Is
they are all working, consciously or un.
consciously, In the direction Of "Anti-
OhriotD nbio r,olarnhoIv 5aprooa,jo,, ~ |