Year: 1875

them view II on its merits with decided dsapprovaL
Bw then there is reason TO suppose that the gem
era sense Of Fr-nchmon wns favorable to the act OF
! violence committed IN lSs9 The ultramontahe sect
evidently directed ~ The support O tnaI seca vas
| government, once installed carried the reluctant
country with IL into tho war, even as on the later ana
greater occasion OF 1870 she was precpated into the
| destructive strife with Germany from motives mostly
identical on tho part OF tho projectors France with
| all her wonderful and IN many respects unrvalled
rfs has vet after a ninety years apprenticeship to
learn the first lessons OF the alphabet OF political free
DOM and her relation 10 the candidates or her gov
crnment well illustrated by Mcntaembert ms that OF
a railway train, with the steam up and all things ready
waiting only for the driver Of the engine when ho who
can first step up becomes, and for the time remains,
| absolute master OF the situation


FRANCE AND GERMANY.


| That powerful setting Of thu current OF
| human motive and inclination, which we III
| term Fate seems TO determine France toward.
another deadly contest with Germany for the
hegemony OF the Continent No doubt her words, and,
what Is more her thoughts o.day are those Of peace
but her underihought 50 TO speak, tho embryo OF her
mind IN the future, which waits for its development,
ana LOT an atmosphere to live in is war; war for recov-
! cry, perhaps more than Tor supremacy. When tho
time OF that terrible war shall arrive the very instinct
OF nature will teach her TO strengthen herself by associ
alton with all tho elements congenal TO her purpose
Now such association hardly arise in the normal
shape OF alliance between State and State Under this
head she may possibly reckon according to general ap
pearanccs, upon the sympathy of Spain But coun-
try which after having risen 30 high has sunk so low
and which resembles France present only in its inca
pacity Of self government, count Tor little. Tho


true ally OF France VIII be an ally without name; IL
will be the utramontanc minority which pcryadcs the
world which triumphs in Bcglum which brags in
England; which partly governs and partly plots
in France; which disquicts, though without
strength 10 ALARM Germany and Austria: which is
weaker perhaps in Italy Than in any of those countries
but which Is everywhere coherent everywhere tena-
cious Of its purpose, everywhere knows It's mind fol-
lows its leaders and bdes its time This minority,
which hates Germany persecutes Italy, will by
fatal and inevitable attraction be the fast ally of
France If ever France be again far ovcrmasercd by
her own internal foes as to launch again upon wild
Of political ambition wearing the dishonorabe
and fictitious rarD of RELIGIOUS Thus then.
there are two great forces which, when the occasion
comes will menace pcace-the political resentment
and self recovering energy Of France which has Ger
many for the object of its hostility and the venomous
ambition of Curalism, determined TO try another fall
before IL finally renounccs its dream of temporal
dominion, which drives at Italy. And these two may,
in ilassorted wedock, while hating another
all the time, band themselves together, in pursuit OF
their entirely distinct objects, by common and ident
cal line of action.


ITALY AND THE FUTURE.


Ever since Italy, not wholly by her own might,
achieved her national unity her successive govern
menrs seem 10 have cast beside and behind them as
evil dreams all these dark specuations the future
In this course proceeding they have probably repre-
sented and reflected with general accuracy the sent
ment II not OF the nation yet OF the governing classes
OF tho nation That such sentiment should have had
currency in Italy Is among the most singular phenomena
Of the day Germany and Austria, which are not
mcnaccd by the claims of Vaticanism, except in
mon with all civilized nations, have deemed it needful
TO defend themselves by reguatvc rcprcssive laws
against the cncroac hments OF ecclesiastical power But
Italy has pursued the negative neutral course She
stands by and folds her arms. And yet she is the
country whose worry heart il is the liked desire and de-
sign OF the Roman Curia and OF it's abetors through
Chrisendom, to tear out of its bleeding body for
the purpose OF erecting anew the fabric OF the Temporal
Power now crumblcd in the dust This indifference
toward the Church. in the sphere of religion has been
accompanied TO some extent with severity, and
with harshncss at its point of contact with property
which could be made available for the needs of the
State But let us for the present contemplate 1t by
itself and give 1t the examination which, in the of
history and philosophy, 1t so we'll deserves.


ITALIAN INDFrERENcE TO rAPAcy


The indifference of Italy, then to Papal claims is in
our view due to her proximity to the local from
whence they proceed and springs partly from the
knowledge, partly from tho illusions which belong
that proximity. The master spirit of Dante, near GOO
years ago knew how to distinguish between the Curia
Popedom, with its surrounding organizations and
the Christian religion as professcd in the Western
Church But this privilege and power OF determination
committed only to the highest minds Even for
Dante it would probably have been tar difficult
to make this great distinction, to denounce his
Antlchrst without losing hold of his Beatrice his
bodied Christianity than Il was at the period when he


lived At any rate as matter OF fact il is undeniable
that among the governing classes OF Italians this dis
tinction has not, from 1860 onward been efccually
drawn. Pronigacy, corruption and ambition have
unitedly and scvcraly, done their destructive work
through the Cura and the Papal chair and in doing it
they of course have heavily tainted the latin of which
that chair the guardian. For long time the prin-
ciplc OF belief remained so vigorous in Chriscndom
that able to bear ~ against these terrible dead
weights, and yet retain its buoyancy But in
ward energies declined IL gradually became unequal
sustaining the unnatural burden its power Of oataton
to nautical term, became less and less The star
red alliance between Curalsm and the dogma could



the dogma; from the educated mind OF Italy the dogma
has been largely efaccd in the discrcd and repu
diation Of Curiasm.


Therefore it is that tho peculiar indifference OF Italy
is due partly TO its special knowledge partly 10 its be-
setting illusions, She has lived With Dagon at her
ccntre she has been able daily to hear touch and
handle him; she has taken the Of his preten-
sions; she knows the materials he is made Of or
erdcs and accommodations she mas had the largest
experience; and, though feared elsewhere they have
lost their terrors tor her and for her children Every
thundcrbot Of the Vatican, it was launched to what
ever point OF the compass has passed before her eye
and familiarity has bred contempt She knows that tho
Ecumcuica Council of Trent has communicated all
who lay hands on the temporal power: and she feels
herself worse, but rather the better, for the
communication. Strong in her sense of national
right and independence, in the high endowmcnts OF
her people, and, TO FAR greater extent than is
monty known in the enduring vitality of her local in
stitutions she has fears OF aught that may bctide
her while walking along the road OF national dignity
and duty and asserting her indcicasible title to an
equal share of the common rights Of men,


All this is we'll and ms to the substance of the issue
raised she is wholly right; the Roman Church Is
grossly wrong. We cannot deny that here and there
the Italian State may have used its undoubtcd right
with accidental harshncss. The secuarizaton of the
property Of


has been ofnecessy more or less rude though highly
necdful operation IL would require very minute
knowledge to pronounce in detail upon the complaints
raised in their behalf But there is OF Italian
legislation which hardly admits of doubt We learn
with surprise that the Italian clergy, even when
having of souls not excepted tho obliga-
tions Of the military conscription. This Ia dcporabc.





not by policy much as by deccncy We trust and
feel convinced, that no long time wilt be suffered
elapse without alteration OF thcaw in tins respect
But IL We turn eyes away from this ugly spot we
find much 10 praise IN the admirable tolcraton and pa
tience OF the Italian state Tho license which has
been allowed 10 vitupcraton and to scdtous Ian
guage, when used by the ministers OF religion
and their organs, might by some be ascrlbed
To chivalry run mad. But IL IS really founded in
WISDOM In the ndisposition 10 multiply issues of de-
tail when great principle is at stake and the full
knowledge OF the traditional capacity of the italian
people TO estimate Curia menace and abuse its true
and very moderate value.


SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND


The great principle which Italy takes for the shccs
anchor OF her Church policy IS tho separation OF the
Church from tho State IL was Cavour who first gavc
authoritative utcrancc to the doctrine in tho shape OF
q formula, now most famous, Libra Chissd in iibcro
Sdto In considering the adoption and tho application
of this formula lot before all things put aside the
disposition TO test II by the ideas and circumstances OF
England, by those 0f other European States.
Let Us forget that England exists II for
Cavour in his business Of nation making, absolute
necessity IL open to other countries to enter VI