The San Francisco call., 1896-02-13

erUment entered the eternal city and made il
| the capital of the kingdom.
Against this invasion the Pope still protests,
| and demands that his civilindependence be re-.
stored. DR.. Wendte looks upon this as pre-
| posterous claim, and as one which proves that
we would antagonize American institutions if
| it suited us.
| In the first place we may remark that the
/ claim OF the Pope has nothing whatever to do
| with any part of the world except Rome. In
the second place, let DR.. Wendte remember
that the claim of the Pope could have nothing
/ to do with any other part of the world except
| Rome, because he is Bishop of Rome and the
| primaey is connected with that see.
| In the third place the claim of the Pope is
neither preposterous nor un-American. If the
Catholic nations consider that the spiritual
ruler of the church should not be the ubject
OF any Of them, why should they not set apart
a district in which he might rule
The United States has set apart district for
! the Federal Government in order that the
Government might be independent of all the
States. 1t has deprived the inha abitants of that
district of the right of self-government for the
sake of the Union. What is there un-American
in the idea that Christian Europe Should es-
tablish an Ecclesiastical District of Columbia
| in Rome?
What is there un-American in the idea that
we Catholics should like to see the Pope made
| independent of all national or racealties? He
| Is the father of the Catholic church, and he
belongs equally to all his children, just as the
Federal Government is over all the States and
belongs equally to all.
/ DIR. Wendte does not seem to realize that the
establishment of the temporal power depends
entirely on the agreement of the Catholic ma
tfons, just as the establishment of the Federal
district depends entirely on the agreement oi
| the States. Maryland might be willing enough
| to give the few square miles required, but the
| giving would not make the district a Federal
! district unless all the States took it under
| their protection. So in the same way Italy is
! willing enough to grant the Pope a federal
| district. but the Pope wants an international
guarantee. He has no temporal force, and
| cannot have any temporal force to protect his
| states from an enemy, therefore he requires
/ that these states be made truly international
| or as we should say federal The Pope's claim
| is from top to bottom just and American.
Moreover, the claim is not preposterous III
MARYLAND objected to giving up the territory
necessary for the formation of the Federal dis
| trict, would any one say that the claim of the
| United States to that particular piece of land
| is preposterous? If the people OF Washington
| objected TO the Government depriving them of
their rights as citizens the objection would be
answered by the plea of the general good So.
| If Italy objects or the people of Rome object
valid plea against them is the general good
But some one may remark the cases are not
parallel. The District of Columbia is what
it is, simply because the Federal Govern
willing to put uD with certain restrictions on
their rights because of the benefits they reap
1t is added thatif the Government should re-
move from Washington it would rapidly sink
back tc its pristine condition of worthless
morasS.
1t is precisely the same with Rome. The Pona
makes Rome. If he Should leave it to-morro,v
twenty wears would see it the decayed capitaI
OF fourth-rate kingdom. II has no commerra
no manufactures, no. natural advantages
Washington would not decay more rapidly