The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-03-27
GheGttGlIiqrneer,
Illness OF the POpe-.WhO VIII
be His Successor?

shows, as, indeed, 1t has for some time
past, that Pope Plus is in very precarious
health, and liable to drop of any mo.
msnt Our dispatches also announce the
names Of certain Church msgnates who
are candidates for the succession, all Of
them Italians, There is no reason to
doubt that an Italian will be chosen to
the position The traditions Of the
Papacy are no overwhelmingly in that
direction, and the influence Of the Italian
JeSuits preponderates so decidedly in
Rome, that the selection Of one OF their
number is almost certain.
The course OF the managers who sns.
round the Pope has been u curious study
Tor some time past. In the ratio OF the
visible decline OF the temporal powe- Of
the Papaoy have their pretensions been
thrust upon the attention Of the world.
There has been prodigious effort to pre-
cipitate Roman question, after the
manner Of the Turkish question, upon
the European Powers, with view oiCX-
torting from them an interference agai INST
the Italian government. But the Catho.
lie Powers, such as France, Austria and
Spain, dare not, in the face Of Bismarck,
England and Italy, make an issue in favor
OF the restoration oi the temporal power
OF the Church. Italy Il now distinct
power among European nationalities,and
a Power, too, Of growing Importance.
Her people are enthusiastically
attached to the idea OF unity,
and while they are Catholics they cannot
be politically controlled by the JesuIts
against Victor Emanuel. Not even the
sentence,oi the major communication
pronounced against the King by Plus,
consignipg him to eternal perlition, has
been effective in alternating the masses
from his support. The tact il the Cath.
olic masses Of Europe are not as much
under the control Of the priesthood US We
in this country think they arc. They
have become accustomed Of late years lc
draw line between religion and politics
and, as arule, the unqucttioning devoiees
OF the Church are found largely among
the women andchlldren
The true policy OF the Plplcy would
naturally seem to be to cut loose from the
Roman question and ally itself with the
cause OF free government. There is no
hope OF success in the opposite direction
The European Powers are too much for
tue church, saying nothing OF the general
progress OF imankind The policy OF the
Jesuits, however, is to meddle in State
craft. On account Of this policy, they
have been expelled, at one time and an,
other from various countries, Hnd yet
still persist in attempting to control the
current OF events in the various Capital.
Of the Continent. The recent agitation
in favor of srringing the Roman question
anew is attributed solely to their insati,
able zeal to run the political machine o
Europe IN the interest Of the Church.
The death of Plus IX should afford al
euviable opportunity TO the sagaciou:
men of the Church 10 give its political
policy 4 new direction. In no country it
the world has the church Of modern timea
enjoyed more facilities Tor growth In
numbers and wealth than in the United
States, and We are bound TO say that it
has really made great progress, as our
American statistics abundantiy prove
No union OF Church and State has beer
necessary to achieve this growth. Simple
equality with all other forms Of religion
has proved quite sufficient. 0i cOurss
we do not lose sight OF the TACT that much
of the growth of the Church has resulted
from the depletion OF European Coun.
tries, and YET, with this, it has evinced
great vitality, and has accumulated
wealth very rapidly in all the leading
States and cities OF the Union.
In Italy the priesthood compels the
people to a certain extent to make choice
between the Church and the government
and thus they involuntarily educate
those who hold the faith loosely to habiti
OF antagonism. The fact that Victor
Emanuel ia able to set the clergy at de,
tiance, and carry the msRses along with
him without revolution shows that the
power OF the Church has greatly waned
in Italy, and that it is bound to 20 to the
wall in the long run as regards political
prestige. The pronunciation OF the dog.
ma Of Papal Iuiallibility has done more
in the short space OF time since the ad.
iournment Of the Vatican Council TO
weaken the political pow, Of the Church
than any assumption put forward by i,
since the Protestant Reformation.
One would suppose that the religion,
Boutbons who aspire to manage the
affairs OF the Church at headquar,cr,
would sec their true interests in tn,
light Of men of the world, and not conr
new conflict with the great ugencie,
that have proved too strong for them ii
the past, and that will as sure as tate pre-
vail against them in the future. The,
should be able and willing to read tn
future by the light OF the past. There i
no lesson Of history that stands out NOR,
clearly than the steady emancipation 0
the European mind from priestly control
Buckle shows this TACT up with power
OF argument and illustration that no ON
nov.a-days thinks Of gainsayiug. Ever,
great agitation like that brought on b,
the pronunciation OF the dogma OF in
falllbility results in loss OF power to tn,
Church. Any such assumption cali
out such sharp ridicnlC and caricatur,
tb,t-;,, .ho o,1 "a Iaoyos ,ha ,s,,,,t