Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-01-25
DIES IRE.

that mysteries have . fascination for
many minds which proves thatfnahis not
purely rationalh0 more than he ispure-
" animal. Folks aolH carry buckeyes In
their pockets and nail horse shoes over
the door, and the profession of fortune
telling is still profitable one. Rising
to higher scale, in which there is
some exercise of the reasoning faculty,
which of us has not at some time or
other puzzled over the Seer of Patmos
and compared the apecalyptie vision
with the signs Of the times, adesper-
ate effort to catch the meaning
of his prophetic words. Even here,
in practical, common sense America, we
have seen our own lamented Baldwin
wrestling with the mystic figures and
evolving the panorama of Arranged
don, which found hosts of admiring if
not credulous readers. True, he did
not predict the war Of Secession; but
when rallied about this omission by
friends who at the time believed the
Confederacy success, he always said
the States would come together again
some way-and they did. Again, his
prediction that Russia and the Uni
ted States will be the two final antago-
nizing forces, dividing the world be.
tween them until the terrible battle of
Cog aud Magog, does not seem likely
of fulfllment Just now, when successive
Radical administrations have cultiva-
ted the most cordial friendship with
the. Russian autocracy. But we can
readily conceive that, under the Demo-
cratic succession, this unnatural alli-
ance with depotism will rapidly die
away and the real antagoHisrn of the
two systems he developed in full time
for the accomplishment of all
prophecies. Europe, in virtue
of greater age, has a much larger sup.
ply Of prophetical literature than
America Nearly every country has
had it's seeFs, from fervid Italy to frigid
Scotland. The upheavals of late years
have induced men to dTst long-neglect-
ed volumes, and seek solace from pres.
ent misfortuRes in coming prophecies
of coming prosperity. The French
man consoles himself with the promise
of great king-a second Charlemagne
who Will make all things even. Some
think Henri de Chambord is the man,
while others, like the disciples of John
the Baptist, wait for another. A book
embodying many of these European
prophecies has been lately published in
that city Of notions, Boston. Some of
them are remarkably probable; for in
stance, a prediction of universal bank
ruptcy. The enormous national debts,
all piled mp during the present century,
together with the undated disposition
to extravaganza, and the already
confessed impossibility of the pres
ent debts being ever paid, all point
to good or bad time coming
when the oppressed masses will find the
payment Of the mere interest burden
too heavy to be borne. Again, there is
a prophecy of an antelope. They used
to have such rival aspirants occasional
ly in the middle ages, and the world
has lately thought itself too old and
wise TO indulge in such fooleries. But
just row, if Plus TX died, would there
be any improbability in the supposition
that Germany might endeavor to inhu.
ence the college of cardinals, leadingto
the resistance of a majority of that
body, and eliminating in two rival
claimants to the seat Of infallibility?
This everlasting Roman question has
been a fruitful theme of popular
prophecies. There has existed for sew
eral hundred years a series of Latin
verses, attributed to a canonized saint,
each. line of which describes the salient
features in the character and fortunes
of one Pope, after another. It is said
that the successive occupants of the |
chair of st. Peter have pretty faithfully |
fulfilled the requirements of these
verses. But the supply of poetry is
nearly exhausted. Plus the Ninth |
leaves only one line remaining. His
fortunes were briefly described by the |
cTUs de cruce, from tribula-
ton to tribulation. Nothing seemed |
more improbable than the fulflment of |
this dire omen, when he received the |
tiara in 1916, and became the champion |
of young Italy, giving his people a lib
eral constitution, and his hosannahs |
were re-echoed even in public meetings
in New York in which Horace Greeley
and other prominent Protestants Joined
in the acclaim. But his vicissitudes
since the Roman Republic of 1S4S and
his flight to Gaeta, amply fulfill the
prophetic cruz de cruce. Since he has
outlived the reputed years of Peter,
some venture to give this line the terri
bic significance that he Will, like Peter,
be finally crucifed by a Communist up
rising like that which shot the Arch
bishop of Paris. The next and last
line describes his successor as Eumen de
,elo, light from heaven, and he is to
be known as the angelic Pope. The
world is not likely to
have long to wait for this brilliant per-
The present year may see him
elected, if not installed. As he Will ex-
naust the old Saints poetry, our read
ers need not be surprised that prophe-
ties about the end of the world being
near at hand are numerous. The full
ness of time is fast approaching. A
D. 1900 may be anticipated by Judg-
nent Day,
nics irsp dies lila |