The New York herald., 1875-07-14
Ihc Great Conflict Between the CleTicalS and
Liberals TsRdng to Revolution.
TLTglrCyTiNSA A DANGER 70 THE CROWN
RadicaIst RidicuIe Of Church Assumption
and Canonization
THE POSITION OF KING LEOPOLD

as to the gravity OF the present situation IN !
Belgium. Party feeling, he assured me, was en-
bItlered 70 such degree that liberals and |
Catholics would hardly speak TO each other, ana
Catholics were enjoined by their priests not 10
make any purchases In shops Kept by liberals.
Moreover,
CATHOLIC LANDLoRDs,
he declared, made scruple OF giving orders 70
their tenants how 10 vote and of evictlng them II !
taey ventured to disobey. My friend was furtner
OF opinion that, II the liberals laled TO secure
majority In the next Chamber, there was every |
probability OF their trying an appeal to arms.
asked him what would become of the King in the /
event OF a clyil war-would his sJmpathes lead |
him TO side with either partyi He seemed 70 |
think that the existence OF His Majesty would be
altogether forgotten amid the welghtier matters
which would then engage the attention OF the
nation. In fact, he somewhat Treverenuy de-
scrlDed this august parsonage as
A SIGNING MACHINE
which would probably remain in the possession OF
whichever party held the capital 1t seems 10 me-
however, that King Leopold may possibly take
anereut view OF his own position and even re-
gard himself important factor in political
calculations, and that he may have reasonable
grounds Tor mis- opinion. 1t is fact that,
turing the English Revolution OF 1885, James II.
caused no little annoyance TO the victorious wings
by carrying OF the Great Seal with HIM ana nlng-
ing IL INTO the Thames. "A mysterious Value was
attached 30 this instrument; nor were the acts OF
the new government held to be quite vand py
legal jurists, for want OF It's quasi sacramental
touch. Now, constitutional sovereign may fairly
pc described as a living parsonage dlschsrging
she functions OF Great Seal 1t must not be for
gotten that his consent is absolutely necessary
before the measures Of hts ministers can take
affect, and though in peaceful times this consent
Is as easily obtained as the impression OF the seal
IS given to wax, in critical moments-in the midst
Df a revolution, for Instance not only would the
royal appreciation be OF vital consequence TO
rther party as the legal ratification of its acts.
but the divisions among his subjects might en-
bolden the King to give or withhold 1t At his own
discretion. This is the peculiar
DANGER OF A CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY.
The monarch is invested with extraordinary
attributes or powers, under q tacit convention
mat he shall not use them but 1t never occurs to
She manners OF these constitutions that in times
" cOmmotion 1t may salt faction to break this
anwrtten compact. and that he who has the ap-
pearance of power has also the readlest means OF
sttalning realty OF power.
WHAT A CIVIL WAR WOULD EFFECT.
civil war woulo be equivalent to the destruc-
non OF parliamentary government in Belgium, for
1t would De a confession the part OF the SIDE
which provoked 1t that the constitution failed 10
secure proper representation OF public opinion.
preteIl. Should the King cast in his lot VIII the
liberals it may be that Prussian Intervention
would terminate the strife in his favor. TIE
Emperor William would In bis mind the
precedent OF 1Sze, when his kIusman. Nicholas,
marched an army into Hungary delivered tne
'evolted Magyars, bound, into the hands OF the
Austrian Kaiser.
CATHOLIC FIRMNEsS
Though the Catholics could scarcely bope to de-
adv c1yflo
which may be impending, and though the maInten-
snce Of tranquility depends not little on the
moderation they may display, they give no evil
lence as lar as one can judge, Of the slightest
wish to conciliaie pubic opinion. but on the con-
mary, seem to take pleasure in setting the spirit
II the age at defiance. Thus the Bishop OF Bruges
Mgr. Fact has just been organizing a new pill
grmage IN honor OF
OBSCURE SAINT,
Iohn OF warneton for no apparent reason except
that the holy man in question one OF those
mpersonations OF priestly aggressiveness who
have at all times been as thorns In the nesh to
peaceable aud law-abiding FOLK.
BIS EARTHLY CAREER
This John "nourIshedp-that l., made his neigh
bors extremely uncomfortable-tn tue eleventh
century. He was born near Warneton a little
town In the province OF West Flanders aud, be-
Enning life as a chorister or the Church OF st.
tame ArchdeacOn Of Arras. About this time tHe
diocese Of Msrlus in Teronane was the scene Of
conflicts between the clergy and the civil power
arising rom the attempts or the former TO ex-
clude the laity from o voice La the election OF
bishops The twenty eighth bishop, one Lambert by
name and elected by the influence or the laity,
found IL impossible to obtain recognition from
the clergy, who declared open war upon him. At
nist victory inclined 10 his side, but at length he
una Aafan
spirit oi Christian meekness CHARACTERISTIC OF the /
Middle Ages, they cut OF his fingers, tore out his l
tongue and drove nim away from his cathedral
1de next bisnop, Gerard. not hiking the LOOK OF \
things, decided on resgnng.
THE PEOPLE
taen named Auoert, canon Of Amlens b.saop |
Fhe clergy on the other hand, VINO mao a ie lay
men with them chose John, the ArchdeSeon OF
Arras IN preference-John Deing Jealous parll-
san ana thoroughly sound on the question OF tae
ghts OF the Church. AuDert, however, who had
been legally elected, refused to yield. An appeai
10 the Pope was the consequence, and the Pope,
a might have been expected, decided in favor OF
John, who, Ia bis turn, set vigorously to WORK TO
extend tue authority OF his order Eustace, Lord
Df rerouane. was far away fighting TO redeem the
sepuchre Of Christ from the inndels, and when
he returned from the Crusade be found the Clergy
had usurped his whole jurisdction. Another war
In the little diocese the result and IL might
nave Jared III with Blshop Jonn had not Charles
Count OF Flanders come to his rescue with row.
erlu force.
COUNT CHARLES,
plous man after the fashion OF the age restored
tue authority OF the clergy, and as a special favor
90 the Bisnop destroyed the castle OF the Lord
Eustaoo. As Eoon az the Counts back was turned
the riots began alresh, for Bishop John was ever
taking more than belonged to him. Nevertheless
he held ms own. hyed and died In The odor OF
sancuty, and ultimately received place In the
calendar, where he is known as st. John Of Warns.
ton, TO distinguish HIM from ST. John OF the
Golden Mouth, 81. john the Apostle OF Love
and otner saints Of the same name, men VINO
might, perhaps have looked q nste strangely on
TINS provincial Beckett.