The New York herald., 1874-12-08
GLADsr0NE's "DECR EEs."
Guilty OF Having Misinterpreted the
Intent and Point OF the ssSyllabus."
To THE EnIraR nE THE HERALn.-

1Prudentius" Declares the Ex.Premier
Guilty OF Having Misinterpreted the
Intent and Point OF the ssSyllabus."
To THE EDITOR OF The HERALD
The pamphlet OF Mr.. Gladstone, on "rne Vatican
DEGREES and their Bearing on Civil Allegiance is
now IN the hands OF every American. From the
President in The White House to the remotest
backwoodsman. every citizen OF the republic is
thus enabled to judge for himself Of the merits OF
this, the greatest controversy Of modern times.
1t Is the Vatican, or rather, the venerable Poutin
who dwens political prisoner and spiritual
sovereign within Its ancient precincts, that Mr..
Gladstone arraigns soemnly before the judgment
seat Of Chrtstendom. Toward the Catholic church,
a. An abstract society. the ex-Premier OF England
processes to feel no hostility; toward Catholics as
. body or as individual citizens OF whatever rank
he Is kindly disposed j Thank him for 20
much But with the great doctrinal authority
that speaks and judges sovereignty at Rome and
In the Vatican. now It's only refuge, Mr.. Gladstone
mas no patience. Why what's the special crime
committed BY the Roman Pontin against our
matured conception, In this nineteenth century OF
the Christian era Of what human society n, ana
OF its rights and duties!
'sThe Rome OF the Middle Ages claimed universal
monarchy" SO Mr.. Gladstone begtns. "The modern
Church OF Rome has abandoned nothing retracted
nothing" La that alif Far from 1t. BY con-
demning las will be seem those wno like Bishop
Doyle in 1925, charge the medaval popes with
aggression, she unconditonaly. even II covertly,
maintains what the medi4val popes maintained.
"The DEGREES OF the present and perilous pontin-
cate have been passed to favor and precipitato
prevailing currents OF opinion In the ecclesiastical
world OF Rome" "Rome has refurbished and
paraded anew every rusty tool sne was tondy
thought to have dlsused. ID this, then, fact, or
is 1t noti will state in the ewest possible words
q few proportions, all the holders OF which have
been condemned BY the See OF Rome during my
own generation and especially within the last
twelve or fifteen years. And In order thai may
do nothing toward importing passion into what IL
matter OF pure argument, will avoid citing any
OF the fearfully energetic eplthets In which the
COMBINATIONS are sometimes clothed.n Then fol-
lows In the pamphlet an enumeration Of the propo-
sitions condemned, the original propositions being
given In full IN Latin In an appendix.
1t is here that in the face OF the civilized world
arralgn Mr.. Gladstone for unfairness In translar-
ing and conveying the meaning Of the Latin text,
which amounts to virtual, and, In some instances
to downright unrruthfulness. And yet 1t IL on
such q false sense. presented with unjusstnable
passion, precipitancy or set purpose, that this
great scholar ana statesman dares to challenge
the judgment OF the civilized world The English
speaking puoIic in both he mispneres have for long
years been taught thar Plus TX. had ofnclally
condemned BY his ency clica letters and by what
IS known as tho "Syllabusn all that modern So
ciety and the civilization OF the nineteenth cen.
tury hold dearesttne liberty OF the press, liberty
OF conscience and worship, liberty OF speech and
liberty OF education. The ideas which wc attacn
to these words are SO powerful that they move
our souls TO their very depths. The enemies OF
these precious liberties we regard a. the enemies
OF the human race.
Now, sir. 1t must be to your own certain nowl-
edge ;nat for the last twenty years the Catnonc
Church and the Pontir- who Is her sole reoresen-
tative in the eyes OF all men-nave been constantly
ana systematically placed before the mind OF
Christendom as the declared enemies OF all these
great liberties The condemned propositions set
forth by MIR. Gladstone, In the Appletons' edition
OF his pamphlet, Just issued (pp 18 II and 1S), be-
GIN oy enuneratlng these great social and indi.
yidual Hoertes. a. censured, condemned aud
prescribed Dy the Catholic Church through her
PoDtin. These are the chci heads OF the indict-
ment Submitted to the Euglisn.spcaging world
i for solemn, deliberate and just verdict. We
/ Catholics 10 not fear the issue provided that IL
be fairly presented 10 court aud Jury
Now lei me show that II Is not aIrly presented.
Here are Mr.. Gadstone's IN expectations OF these
pregnant propositions, and below the faithiul
trahsation OF the original Latin text Mr.. Glad
stone maintains tnat IN proposition l are con-
demned those who MAINTAIN the liberty OF the
press;' IN proposition 2, "tnose VINO maintain the
liberty oil conscience and Worship and In prop
osltlon 3 those VINO maintain tho liberty Of
speech ] submit it to any candid reader OF
yours who holds in his nand Mr. Gladstone's pam.
phlet anu reads these words In order on the six
teenth page. H. In perusing the aut nor,s WORDS he
does NOT take 1t to be his obvious meaning to say
that Rome mere condemns these liberties 10 the
lawiul ana limited sense that every citizen Of
tnems And wnat il thatY Inc liberty 70
print and circulate everything and any.
s s sns ss snS g. S g: so
! nunlrs tAs purity, honor and rspotastea - nn&