The Express.
London, England, 1847-12-28 00:00:00

REFORMS IN ROME.

The following is from the Morning atromicie:
" The reforms commenced at Rome with the suspension of
the persecution of the numerous men of letters, who were
objects of enmity to the ministers under the old re'gime.
Exiled patriots flocked to Rome, and the relaxation of the
censorship of the p.m opened • new field of exertion for
such as enjoyed literary celebrity. Signor Gioberti was one
of those rent warmly welcomed by his countrymen, and he
repaid the compliment by becoming the spokesman of public
opinion. He resolved to test the verity of the recent re-
forms, while he proclaimed to the world the position his
countrymen were desirous of occupying amongst the civilised
nations of Europe. He was anxious to give expression to
their unanimous opinion that no reform would be
acknowledged as complete which did not eradicate
the blot upon the Roman scuteheon, inflicted by those who
gave out that the tenets of the catholic church were irrecon-
cilable with civil liberty and constitutional government. In
the divided state of Europe such a declaration amounts to a
demand that the Romeo church ehall fraterniae with the
other Christian confessions which are too strong to be sub-
dued, and against which it is therefore folly to carry on war.
A mode of extorting this confession, at least indirectly, from
the Vatican presented itself through the medium of the un-
fettered daily press of Rome. An article professing this
truly Christian spirit, and applying it practice* to the pro-
ceedings in Belgium and Switzerland. was penned by M.
Gioberti, and inserted in the Conlemporaneo. The
party calling itself the " Catholic party " at Brunets
anal Lucerne is in this article declared to assume
that title without any just right to it. The opposition
shown by that party to good government and social order Is
declared to warrant a doubt wnether the persons pretending
so to act in defence of their religious tenets are Christians in
the true sense of the term. We have deemed this article suf-
ficiently interesting to.fornish our readers with a free trans-
lation which will be found in another column. Considering
the claim which bee so long been maintained at Rome to be
guided solely by arbitrary and momentary considerations in
all interventions in the affair, of other nations, the attempt
to bring the Vatican to the common ground of Christian fra-
ternity is one that cannot but demand both admiration
and sympathy. As the Romano expected, the appear-
tom of this article elicited an expression of opinion from
the French ambassador, who, although a native of Italy,
has identified hiireelf with the rivals, we might almost
say with the unrelaxing persecutors of Italian merit and
success. The censor who permitted its publicatiouvras (as
is said at the instigation of M. Rossi) dismissed. But the
Romans had • man in the councils of the Pope who was fully
aware of the importance of the attempt, and wbo harked,
threw his influence into the popular scale. This was Cards-
nal Feretti, the prime minister, who at ones tendered his
resignation.l (rho Pop, alarmed at the apparent magnitude
of the step he had taken, clung to his minister. The censor
sou reinstated, and the popular cause, with the immense
commie!' which it demanded, was triumphing. Cardinal
Feretti unfortunately finds this foreign influence dill so great
an impediment to the new system that he is ultimately ex-
pected to retire from office. But he has attached a halo to
the memory of his ministry that will go down to posterity