Knoxville Whig and chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1875-1882, 1875-04-21
The Lost Opportunity.
From Tie New y OTk Post, Arril %

From the New \ Ork Post, Arrll ~
The Archbishop Of the Roman Catholic
Church who resides IN this city has this
week accepted at the ha d. Of ENJOYS from
the Vatican the official notice Of his eleva-
ton TO the rank of ardlnal by the Pope Of
Rome Probably no one expected that he
would do otherwise. Our recent sugges>
ton that the tender of the rank afforded
him an illustrious and Unprecedented OPP
portunity to vindicate the dignity of Amer
lean citizenship by refusal Of the honor,
was, however, the occasion Of very ans
mated discussion in both the secular and
religious press throughout the country
OuIyu one ofthe numerous articles in reply
on this subject which have come 10 our at
tention is bitter ia tone or insulting IN sub
stance. That one emauatcd from "A religious
journal in this city which has been guilty
of such INSCRIPTIONS Inventions that We
were not surprised to find IL lacking in
truth AS well "a courtesy. ~ refer TO the
journal which invented last year the false
tale about German negotiations for the
ACQUISITION Of Porto Rico. We should take
no notice Its ribald article, were il not
for one comment which it makes upon our
suggestion to Archbishop oskey-that
il was advice uunsked. Inis comment
we dismiss with the single remark that the
giving of advice unasked is the proper and
peculiar function of the editorial depart.
ment of every newspaper The editor Of
the journal IN question does not understand
his own vocation.
With this one exception, then. we are
r'agsld % observe THAT the tone Of the
p7ess-50th religious and sscu.ar-toWard
our suggestion was as courteous as was our
own article toward the preists and his
Church We regret however, 10 find that
the Sug- stiuu itself w., not received with
partially hv the grea. majority Of the jour
mails; and the more, on account Of the only
two grounds which they assigned for their
distayur. These We're: first, that .hg ace
Ceutanos or refusal OF the Office Of Cardinal
by an American citizen is in any case q
matter of little consequence; and second,
that the office Of Cardinal il no longer "a
secular office since the anueZatiuH oil the
former States Of the Church 20 the King
dom of Italy. Both Of these grounds are
uutenable.
The first gJourd Is sad Illustration Of
the indifference which our growth IN
wealth and luxury. aud our recent tamil,
iarity with Ligh-sguuliug military titles
have bred in "a, toward matters o. which
the founders Of thee Republic warned o.
this subject might be repeated d. grea
length, but we content ourselves with quo,
ting q single paragraph from the writing
of IA statesman who never wa. accused o.
demag0gi-m .' Nothing" wrote Alex
uuacr Hamilton, concerning the C0u-titu
ton Of the United Nla,e,, nothing ueoC
be said tOillu-trate the importance Of The
prohibition of iit e- of nobility. This may
truly be denomlustad the corner stone o
republican government
The second ground +. not true ia fact
The Pope still pretend- To- secular domiu
ion, maintains secular relations, with foreign
Powers, and ag.as tue King OF Italy unde
the ban OF accommodation fer uCgupyinl
the former Papal territory. The bearer o
the letter Of appointment and the scarle
skull-cap TO Archbishop McCIoskoy wa
not an ccclesiastic, but an officer Of IN
POpes Noble Guard. His clerical com
paniOns, on their arrival here. were grcete
with q speech in which the King OF Ital
and the Emperor Of Germany were dc
nOunced in a manner which even Ia G morn
ing journal that mauIfesls constant sympa
thy with ROm0uism was impelled ycster
day 10 condemn as the utilizing Of "a sin
pie religious ceremony 10 give eXpressio
20 political antlpathies.' The new Cardius
himself will by no means deny the mike
secular and sacred character Of his raul
And his fellOw-prelate the Roman CathC
Tic Archbishop of Baltimore, has proclaim
ed that an American Caglluu. will be
substitute for "a diplomatic Intermediate
between the Government of the Unite
States and the Government OF the Pop
and that as respect for the rank is 40
kuowledgod by an Nations without regar
to creed, If some day we should hear TIM
the President had adore 7ed him as ~
cousin ourpoople need not be scaudaiizo,
for that is the custom
The fact thus remains and the futUi
win make it palmer, that ArchbishC
NcCluskey has taken "a long step dowI
ward as an American citizen in taking
short step upward as a Roman Prince
President Grant will be fifty-thrC