The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1875-04-29
THE POPE IN AMERICA.


We were educated to believe that the
New York Herald has no creed and no con-
victions; that it is like the government of
Great Britain, changing its policy and con-
duct with the changeful tide of popular
opinion. If we had not seen this through
all our lives the country would now deem
the great newspaper the special organ of
the Jesuits. The Herald occupies no such
position, but would surely be we'll pleased
to establish i'll America the central seat of
Romanism and for many years past, even
when the Herald'S great founder shaped the
course of the erratic newspaper, its policy
was defined with the palpable purpose of
popularizing the idea of transferring the
Vatican even to Washington Heights. The
purpose was dlscusSeU JoCuI1rfy ruOypy.-,
but it was constantly discussed, and now
it becomes a matter of grave consideration
and the country contemplates the estab-
lishment of the PaPal throne in America
with much the same indifference with which
we see Chinese temples reared on the Pa
ci6c coast, or that of Brigham on Salt Lake,
or a great convocation Of Baptists in
Charleston. The masses of men speak of
these incidents as trihes and reverence al
most alike, we are pained to say, the philos-
ophy of Confucius, the faith of Protestant
ism and its prejudices, and the pater nosters
and pronunciamientos and Vaccinations of
the Vatican. Protestants outnumber. Ro-
manists in America as five to one, andif they
cannot hold their own, the people say, they
do not deserve supremacy and with these
not very we'll studied assertions of indiffer-
ence, the average American dismisses the
subject end whistles and whittles and
shaves note or "takes 1t straight" and
there's an end ont.
The aim of the earnest old Romanist and
earnest American patriot, James Gordon
Bennett, may be at last achieved, and, by
possibility, the Pope, becoming a veritable
Peter, and no longer temporal king, may
be wholly transformed and honored even
as Tammany Democrat. It will be re-
membered that of all European kings the
Pope was most earnest and prompt in as
serting his generous espousal, in the war
between the States, of the cause of the
South. To his conduct in this behalf we
would attach little Importance, but when
he smiled upon President Jefferson Davis and
prayed for his triumph, he illustrated the
idea now uppermost in the political councils
of the Pope and evidently approved the the
ory of perfect local freedom. The tendency
of the werld's political thinking ispalpably
in the direction of perfect local and per-
sonal independence. England is monarchy
only in name, and though England be Prot
estant, Romanism is as free in London as in
Rome and New York or Austin. Prussia,
where the Emperor Is the government, i'm
prisons priests until the jails of Germany
are full, and even the POpe's legate occu-
pies one of Bismarck's iron cells. The Pope
finds in Victor Emmanuel remorseless
enemy who robs the helpless 'shead OF the
church" of its temporal authority, and
never thinks even to apologize. The light
nings of heaven do not snite the Italian
monarch; anathemas and curses and prayers
are singularlY uaavailing, and the very
kings whose names were wont to crown the
prayers of the Pope, become the Pope's
direst fOemen. 1t is surely hopeful fact
for human freedom and progress when
ROmanism, regarded in by-gOne ages the
shield and buckler of tyranny, becomes
slowly, and, it is alleged, surely republi-
canized. In former revolts in the French
capital, ROmish priests were the first VIC
tins Of popular frenzy. The priesthood
and the monarchy were alike abhorred, and
in the eyes Of the multitude inseparabIe
Therefore the bloody deeds, when NapO-
Icons power, four years ago, was shattered.
Mankind shuddered when helpless priests
were slaughtered By the maddened bui
wronged and bFutali1ed Partisan populace.
There win be other s'reigns Of terror" in
Paris, but the priesthood, il the Pope pur-
sue the policy now defined for him, viii
never more be the victim, and in the surely
coming conflict in Europe between throne.
and prescription and wealth on the one
hand and the people on the other, the sign
Of the times evidently indicate an aEIiancs