Untitled article

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Third-day, August 27, 1867

The Pope's Concordat with Austria, which became a law on the 5th of November, 1855, has been abrogated by the Austrian Diet, by a vote of 130 to 24. By the terms of the Concordat, every person, institution, and thing in Austria, were submitted to the Church, education was confided to her, worship was confined to her, every grand transaction of life—birth, marriage, burial—could be legalized only by her assent. Every hospital was surrendered to nuns, every school to the fathers, every charity to an affiliated order. All the German Representatives in the Diet voted for the abrogation except one, and this one refused to vote with the majority because the act was not radical enough.

The Prospect.—Under the heading, “The Republic Safe,” a heading taken, we presume, on the principle of whistling to keep the courage up, the Springfield Republican says:—

The general aspect of public affairs is not altogether pleasant to contemplate. During the war the patriotic devotion of the people elevated the tone of politics, and led to the hope that they had been lifted permanently out of the slough of small partisanship and personal self-seeking. But disappointment has fallen upon these hopes, and at this moment we seem to be in danger of sinking back into worse degradation than that from which the war lifted us. The contest between president and Congress is not wholly wanting in earnest convictions as to principle and policy, on either side, but the means and the spirit in which the controversy is waged shame the moral sense of the country. What more monstrous could be conceived than public charges against the president of the United States by members of Congress that he procured the assassination of his predecessor; or the hurling back by the president of counter charges that these men have been trying to suborn false witnesses to fix the terrible crime upon him. And all this for party ends and against the peace and honor of the government and the country. The disgraceful violence connected with the close of the Surratt trial, and the spirit of partisanship so often seen cropping out in the trial itself, are smaller exhibitions of the same degeneracy, which seems to mark everything at the national capital.

Yet the Republican is disposed to take a hopeful view of events, as every one is bound to do who has committed himself to the doctrine of a good time coming. Ingeniously admitting that there are troublous times which raise the scum, and stir up the sediment of evil, it continues:—

Yet we must not despair of the Republic. In spite of all perversions and hindrances, the restoration of the national unity is assured, and with it eventually the freedom and equality of all citizens. The scum that always comes to the surface in troublous times will be thrown off and leave the body politic sounder and purer. The people are quiet, but they are not indifferent spectators of events; when their forbearance reaches its limit they will move with irresistible force and sweep away at once the whole swarm of plotters, of whatever party, who would keep the country in perpetual turmoil in order to promote their petty ambitions or gratify their personal revenges. These are dog-days in Washington politics—and the dirtiest dogs must have their day—but the cool breezes of autumn will drive away the fog and fetor, and bring clean and invigorating air once more. Deep in the heart of the people there is a sound basis of honor and patriotism, and while that lives the republic cannot die.