The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-09-15

Sacred College may bring forward one can
didatc after another, each known To 10 idcn-
titled with their policy, and thus exhaust
the rights Of veto. thcrcupon clccting
Cardinal who may have been at bottom their
prime favoritc. Asa matter OF fact, this has
more than once been done.
What gravcly complexities the circumstan-
COS under which the next cunclavc will take
place. is the claim put forth by two powers
palpahly hostile to the Papacy to share tho
privilege Of veto hero outlined. The basis
of the claim which BISMARCK has made for
the present Emperor Of Germany can he
briefly stated. Unqucstionably the En-
pcrors of Constantinoplc possessed, up to
the beginning Of the ninth century, n veto
ON the choice Of the Bishop of Rome. This,
with other imperial functions, passed to
CuARLEMAGNE on his coronation rs the
CESAR of the West, and that 1t was suisse
qucntly vested in the head Of the old Ger
man empire was acknowledged by Hide
BRAND, and never disputed. But the So
called Holy Roman Empire collapsed near
the beginning OF this century; ncvcrthc-
less. those lcgists and thcologians who think
the thoughts Of BISMARCK, hold that the
right Of veto is not vitiatcd by a nonuscr
Of well nigh seventy years; that it was not
lost ht- latent, and j. now revived in full vi
tahtv i'm tho person of Kaiser WILLIAM.
Now. whatever bc the abstract plausiblity
Of this view, its essential thsurdity Is obv-
Gus, the exercise of u veto power Inf the cleo
ton of the Roman rontir Ivy Protestant
sovereign being rcpugnont TO common
sense. As " the Italian claim, it Is tcchni-
cally Inconsistent with that of Germany, be-
ing founded on the assumption Of n Roman
Emporium once more resident in Rome. 1t
might, indeed. he argued that the rights
possessed by France, Spain, and Austria
were conceded to their importance as units
of Catholic Christcndom, and that n united
Italy, being herself n Catholic power, and AZ
nearly Interested ms any, ought to have
equal privileges The Vatican, however, can
| hardly be expected to accord much weight
to this argument in the mouth OF one whom
| IL has reason to account its worst enemy
50 much, at all events, will he admitted
| by impartial and reasonable men every
whcre-that the claim Of particular State
! To exercise the veto power, however well
| grounded, cannot bc deemed established
cannot I've held to have taken ON the form OF
right, until 1t has received the sanction OF
the whole Church, speaking through its
head.
| II IL said, however, that the Papacy l.
preparing To ignore the vctucs all around In
the coming concavc, and to appeal TO tn,
| Catholic powers 10 defend the See of st
PETER if Germany or Italy should challenge
the election Of the Pope. No doubt there
are prcccdcnts for such n course. By a
pontiiical bull, existing regulations may
be suspended, the Cardinals may be
freed from the observance of formal obliga-
TONS and tho College convoked within
twcnty-four hours. But II would seem that
such an exceptional proceeding would fur
nish BISMARCK and VICTOR EMANUEL the
prctcxt they need. and that II there ever
was n time when it bchoovcd the con.
clave to shelter its acts behind the mgis OF
immemorial prescription, that time is the
| present crisis.