THE PAPACY, SPAIN, AND CUBA.
THERE is a noticeable absence of that enthusiasm for war on the part of Roman Catholics in this country, which marked their demeanor at the time of the difficulty with Great Britain over Venezuela. With not one-tenth of the provocation that is now felt by the American people, the Catholic press of the country was ten times as eager for a war which would have been ten times more terrible than a conflict with Spain could possibly be. . . . The motive for the papal policy in this matter can be readily perceived when it is remembered that the Spanish Government and the Papal Church are in the closest union. The Spanish Government supports the Papal Church, and the latter is bound in turn to support the government to which it is joined. And it seems now that the pope is making an effort to do so. He wants peace; but, more than that, he wants disaster averted from Spain; because disaster to Spain means disaster to the church. The pope wants Cuba to continue under Spanish rule; because Spanish rule means papal rule. A new government in the island may not be as useful to the church as the Spanish Government was; and a revolution in Spain, which would probably follow any serious blow to the present government, might inflict upon the church great damage. These are threatening evils to the church, which the resources of papal policy are now employed to avert.—American Sentinel.