The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-04-13
"AMERICANISM."
The Views ola Liberal Periodical of
Florence, Italy.

Florence. Italy.
Passegna Mazionale: "Bisdes hay
ing dissipated all equivocation and JUS
tilted the American episcopate. the let
ter Of the pope has conferred another
great advantage.
True Amerlcanism has never been
theological or religious. US Is pretended
by Able Maignen and company, but po-
lltlcal. inspired by the great liberty
Of the American constitution. whose
benefits all enjoy. above all the Catholic
church. This system has nothing to do
with the unity of the Catholic HER
archy. nor with the virtues, nor with
religious orders. And Able MaIgnen,
who created out OF his own imagina-
tlon this new Americanism, II he had
the satisfaction of seeing 1t condemned,
must feel keenly the clear words OF
Archbishop Ireland and the protests OF
Mgr. keane, for both are in accord In
affirming that they have not even
dreamed Of such eNtravagances.
This condemnation OF theological
Americanism contains implicitly an ap-
proval Of political Americanism. which
Catholics and the United States. Nor
will such conclusion appear unwar-
ranted; because the fact OF not finding
any marks OF disapproval OF the Amer
lean political programme In n document
entirely concerned with AmercanIsm
leads us to suppose. as Is natural, that
these political ideas are not opposed by
the holy see. In fact. the see Of Peter
does not mix In politics.
But 1t Is not only not disapproved:
on the contrary, We find in the letter
Of the pope clear Indications of ap-
proval OF political Amerlcanism. When
In the beginning the pope mentioned
his admiration for the noble character
OF the American people. ready for any
noble enterprise and for the gaining of
anything that adds 20 civil well-helnG
and national glory: when Mt the end
OF the letter the pope proctaims that
there Is no reason to reject American
ISM understood as the synthcsiS of
those peculiar qualities of mind which
adOrn the American people Hike other
qualities adOrn other peoples. or the
state OF your cities. the laws and GUS
toms You live under. With such cx-
pressiorH the sovereign pon,ifr has
given a clear approval (ap0lOgia) Of To-
liticnl Au"r!canl5m, which in substance
IL
aStic system. but Is constituted by the
usIGes. customs and laws OF American
liberty.
This AmerICanism Is warrant OF
liberty and OF progress.
1T Is the first time that the supreme
authority hag approved these principles
OF American progress and liberty. and
II Is passing strange that some liberal
newspapers, when commenting on this
letter. hnrc considered Il as II Il were
an net Of summary justice tgiuS,!ziu)
upon modern Americanism. II Ia easy
to see that they have not caught the
rcnl bearing OF the document.
AFTER what ! have said 1t IN bcauti-
ful to open ones soul to n greater hope
for ltaly-tO the hope that also here We
shall ut length see the cquivocntiOn be-
tween religious politics dissipatcd: thnt
at length the church md state meet In
true accord on the common ground OF
liberty, which produces such good re-
suits in America: TO the hope that. this
concord once being reached. tn" COndi-
tions In Italy may become ag prosperous
us they are in America.
'rhc ultramOntnnes OF France and
Italy ought eorcly to repent Tor having
provoked Il condemnation which falls
upon their own heads; true American
ism will now flourish more than ever"