New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-03-06
rARDY RECOGNITION OF GREAT MERITS.

TARDY RECOGNITION OF GREAT MERITS.
HIS SERVICES To THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
THE GREAT WRITER As A CoNrEovGRsLAu-r
FROM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF TIE TRIBUNE
LONDON. Feb. Is.-Iti IS announced this morning
that Pope Leo NIL has offered 10 make DR.. New
man d Cardinal. Thus late and Intellectually does
Rome acknowledge her debt TO the Eng.ishmau
who has done her service beyond comparison the
greatest size has received from any F. gIshman OF
the last two generations. IL Is fortyhve year, since
Tract 40. 30 appcaIed tbirJythree year, since
Dr.. Newman Wen, over % Rome. Ia older date
stands ior tie period OF his most signal
influence upon the religious thought OF the
time-tLe dIte whence Tie great movement IA the
English Church toward Rome akes Its departure.
Yet during the whole OF that time, the Church
whose English interests DE Was then powerfully
promoting turned the cold shoulder 10 him. Intel
leltuallv De was immensely the superior Of such
men a. Wisemlu aud Manning, in whose favor he
was passed over. HIS sin lay III certain nteilec-
tual independence winch he never quite Land aside,
and which the Romish Camarilla regarded
unpardouable offence. They would accept nothing
short of abject submission. So Dr. Newman was
left IL as much Obscurty as can surround
man who must be ranked among the
first writers aad most accomplished scholars OF the
dav. Il is said that the late Pope offered him
bishopric some years ago, but the offer, If made,
Wa. made secretly, and Is now heard Of, 40 far As
recollect for the first time. And Or. Newman IS now
in IN, elchueth year. 1t may be presumed that the
compliment rendered HIM Is meant as another token
of what is called the liberalism Of the preseDt Pope
OF late wears, Or. Newman has not often come 10
the front of burning controversies TWO memorable
occasions excepted. He replied to Mr.. Gladstone
attack on the Vatican with vigor that proved he
had los, none Of his old fire and none of hIs singular
uoyerof starement And in S76 he spoke cut against
the Turk and against the effort, which came so
near succeeding to drag England into war for the
integrity of the Turkish Empire. Rome was On the
other side; bolsterlng MP as usual, the power
which Dr. Newman nevertheless denounced as an
infamous, power, the enemy Of God and man
THIS fresh assertion of the right OF private judy
ment IN u0n--Cylesilstcal mat eTs was probably a.
Ittle palatlble 10 the authorities II Rome a. those
which had gone before. Yet ther was nobody who
showed himself at times more credu Jus M matters
Of faith In the very lectures m which he hun
dered against the interesting prOeges IF thc Church
he manIfrsts the utmost su bmssveR esS 10 her his
torical fables He describes the victory OF Lepanto
a. won by the holy Pope " arms # his own,
which the Turks understood not The arms IN
question we're Trduo of supphcation. Jub re-
AL appeal o the Holy Virgin, standard Of red
damasls embroidered With o crucih1. and presented
to rh, Admiral, and q command to the GeuerLl-in-
Chief that he should attack the enemy. relying on
Divine rather than humaR help. Plus v pre-
scrbed u fast of three days for the fleet; all the
mon went 10 communion. and appropriated 10
themselves the plentiful Indulgences which the
Pan. attached 10 the expedition" The Pope
having secured q victory by -uch arms, 1t Is
LatlIv wond -rful that news Of It shoulG nave
reached him by supernatural means. On the day
Of he battle, Pus was e0nversiRg with his treas
urer, when suddenly he stopped the conyersa-
ton. left hun, threw open the window aud 2aZed
NJ into heaven. Then closing II again, 10 loosed
pravely at his official and said Ibis Is no time
for business; go, return thanks 10 the Lord God
In this very hour our fleet has engaged the Turk
isb. and Is victorious (which Dr. Newman re-
lates without any percepuble movement Of the
muscles Of the face, and without any hint of doubt
or dissent nor any Question OF the evidence On
which tho story rests. Yet m other matters he
has a mind of great aeuteness, which he can
apply with extreme ingenuity to the exam
nation of doubtful propositions. The book
from which I quote is - IL storical Sketches"
and bears date 1876. What strikes one
10 unpleasantly, is to find DR.. Newman dealing with
historical Ques ton On q purely myth ~ bssis-