The times., 1899-07-06
THURSDAY, JULY 6. 1899.
The vatican and Our Expansion.

OF course there are churchmen and
churchmen. The Roman Catholic organ
ization. in late years at least. may be
properly likened TO a great Republic of
confederated States in which there is much
liberty of local action and even policy and
sentiment, subservient, however, TO CEN
tral power, constitution, and administra-
tion. So, when a popular or influential
European prelate criticises America and
Americanism, and lauds the Latin peoples,
and the Latin Catholicity of countries like
Spain and Portugal, Brazil and Peru, and
deprecates the ideas and tendencies of
lands without state religions like Great
Britain and the United States, nobody
thinks much about it. Such utteranees are
but the necessary result of heredity, ante
cedents, and environment. They do not
commit the Pope at Rome, nor do they
compel Cardinal Gibbons in Baltimore 10
announce adhesion to all that his brother
of Paris, Marseilles or Vienna may have
said. The papal power is religious, and
claims domination over the hearts of its
adherents in matters of faith. II did not
become necessarily inimical to our Gov
ernment. because some Of its priests were
chaplains-possibly. in cases, fighting
chaplains-in the Confederate army. It
was not the foe of Isabella and her son,
because one of the most effective of the
Carlist leaders was the famous Cure OF
Santa Cruz. 1t is not now to be classed
as officially an enemy of the United States.
because its sons, the Spanish prelates,
heaven down to consume the universal
Yankee nation, The Church neither as
sumes nor could assume to make a Spar
lard, Dutchman, or an Austrian, any
thing but what he is, in his patriotic in
stincts and race or national relationships
These considerations are prerequisite
TO a proper appreciation of the hearty
Anglc-American sentiments uttered by
Cardinal Vaughan. Archbishop of West
minister at the Fourth of July banquet
given by the American society in London.
When His Eminence as Briton, and with
al a Briton's love for Anglo-Saxon civil
ization. said: Il have in my heart the
deep-seated and mature conviction that
the welfare OF the Christian world, espec-
tally those parts which have not yet been
brought into the pale OF civilization, de-
pends. in a great measure, on the good
feeling and cooperation. that shall exist
between the American and English peo-
pies" he spoke what every thinking man
who uses our common language, and who
lives under the aegis OF Anglo-saxon
institutions. must feel and know to be
true.
But. Cardinal Vaughan went further, and
directly invoked the corporation of An
gio-saxon peoples in spreading the free
dom and civilization which they enjoy,
among the teerning millions of Asia, as a
means TO prevent the subiugation OF these
same millions to the autocraey of Russia.
In this we are able to see the ideas, ideals.
and principles OF the British citizen. rather
than the official views Of the Roman Car
dinaI.
1t will be asserted that such a pregnant
speech could not have been made by q
member of the Sacred College, unauthor-
ized by the Vatican; but we do not regard
. point OF that kind as well put. II
the Roman side OF the Archbishop of West
minister ia 10 be taken into account at
all, IL must be so taken with strict refer
enee to the tendencies and policy which
have marked the pontlfeate of Leo XIII
for the past twenty years OF more. During
that time we have seen the Pope detach
the French hierarchy from the cause OF
monarchy and admonish it to support that
OF the democratic masses. We have wit
messed a growing disposition on the part
of the papacy to actively espouse the
cause of the people against oppression
whether of political or economic character
1t is very possible, then, that prospect OF
the religious freedom which Anglo Saxon
civilization promises to the pagan hordes
OF Asia and Africa may appeal TO the
head Of the Church as a golden one for
the spread Of Christianity, and Cardinal
Vaughan may indeed have been exhorted
10 help along the good work.
However that may be. II is satisfactory
to know that force in Europe which in
times past we have been inclined to regard
az conservative. IL not reactionary, isS il
some sense committed, by the words OF
Cardinal Vaughan and other exponents o.
its sentiment and authority. to an en-
dorsement of Americas new position as
progressive. developing Asiatic ant
world power. Il amounts to fresh eyi.
denee that the bona ides Of the Ameri-
can people. in their radical departure