The Express.
London, England, 1859-08-18 00:00:00

THE TWO SICILIES.

Mon oca owN magi

NAPLES, Avousv 9.
The Cardinal Archbishop or Naples has just pith-
Hailed an encyclical letter to the clergy and to the
faitnful of the city and the diocese. It is of very
great interest as betraying an intimate knowledge
of the thoughts and proceedings of the Almighty,
which are laid down as distinctly as are all the
physical features of a country on a geographical
map. Paseisg over these pleasant speculations of
the cardinal, there are, however, one or two pea-
sages which betray the feelings and the fears,
and show what will be the tactics of the church in
Southern Italy. " The malignant spirit of unbelief
and correptionwhich forms the abominable character
of this age seduces very many Christians who,
as if they had no hopes beyond the tomb,
determine to establish their happiness on earth, and
by their works fall into the quiveirof God, and there
produos the arrows of his wrath, &c.' Ac." It is to
be hoped that the cardinal and his coadjutors will
have assorted the happiness of those who depend
upon them in Heaven ; for surely here on earth they
have been but too successful in establishing the
reign of misery, want, and vice. However, the
words which I have just quoted display the spirit
of the church in this part of Italy, and it is tolerably
clear against whom they are aimed—against these
who are impatient of the abuses of the papal
government, and against Piedmont, who at
the present moment is regarded as the embo-
diment of the spirit of evil. Appeals therefore wilt
be made to the religious feelings and prejudices
of the Italians, and political questions will be embit-
tered by religious animosity. Already here in
Naples the clergy are declaring that the members of
the confederation are proteetauts and unbelievers--
. .

that it is impossible to.hold communion with them;
so that, u tar as this country is moaned, that pan

of the Napoleonic programme which recommends a
ormfiederation may be considered ea an impossibility.
The letter attributes the cessation of the war to the
Mother of Gracie, and orders continued prams to
her " who alone can pass through Heaven, arrive at
the throne of the Most High, take from his hand the
thunders which have been prepued by our sins, and
oblige him to regard us with t s smile of his love, end
overwhelm us with the treasures of his mercy." This
is perfect painting, and the cardinal, with a master
hand has thrown off an interesting sketch of the in-
terior of Heaven. To conciliate the favour of God
a memo is ordered on the occasion of the Jets of the
Assumption of the Madonna, and another for the
fete of St. Januarius, beginning from the 10th of
September.
For the last three months the history of this
country is that of religious festivities, processions,
holidays, and the necessary accompaniments of such
proceedings. The summer is always rife in these
fetes, but it seems u if this year the church was
making an extra effort to give a
.special direc-
tion to the public mind. You may imagine what
a strong and combined action will be made against
internal reforms in this country, and what difficulties
will be thrown in the way of effecting any arrange-
ment of Italian affairs calculated to satisfy the rea-
sonable wishes of moderate reformers.
I believe that the necessity of giving a constitution
has been suggested to the government, and I know
that amongst the enlightened portion of the com-
munity it is the unceasing topic of discussion and
desire. The hopes are very slight, however, that
any act of that kind will originate with this govern-
ment. A judicial blindness seems to hang over it-
Those at the head of affairs appear utterly un-
conscious of the dangers of the position; and whilst
ell Italy is in a ferment, ministers of state are occu-
pying themselves about the removal of nuisances
which are never removed, and the drying of rags.
The fleet is still at Castellamare, as though it
were the faithful supporters of his Majesty,
iwe who, as
I told you in my jest, is now at his of QM si
Sans, in that neighbourhood. Ato gram from the
Admiralty was received by the admiral last Saturday,
and tt was asserted that it contained orders to leave,
but I believe that it will remain yet some days. It
is now understood that the fleet will leave on Wed-
nesday or Thursday, the admiral having signalled to
the fleet to hold themselves In readiness after the
arrival of the mail.

THE FRENCH AMNESTY.