The Express.
London, England, 1860-01-07 00:00:00

ITALY.

CENTRAL ITALY.

(peon ova arscaan 00111.1111PONDINT.)
FpOSBNCIL, Dac. 81.
The news was suddenly spread hue this morning
that, owing to the protest made against M. La-
gneronniare's new pamphlet by the nude of Rome,
Naples, and Austria, the Coogreu had again been
postponed ease die. Great therefore is the excite,
ment which prevail both at Palazzo Vecchio and
among the people of this city. Although I am not
in a position to test the troth of the news which the
rulers of Tuscany have received from Turin, I should
not wonder if it should turn eat true. Those who
know the obstinacy of the Roman court were already
aware that the Vatican would resort to every means
of moral and material agitation before accept-
ing the reasonable and just plan laid down
in the remarkable work of the French pub-
licist. It strikes me that even the inspirer
of the pamphlet himself could not really believe in
the practicability of the suggested solution, for the
French Emperor, who knows by experience what
popes and cardinals are, could not suppose they
would swallow the bitter pill without moving heaven
and earth to avoid it. It may be therefore that, in
order to frighten them and to induce the Pope to
accept the ultinsatuas presented to him by the Duke
of Grasnmont on the 7th of this month, he launched
the pamphlet as a Won d'essai. You will perhaps
recognise the probability of this supposition when I
shall have told you that one of the first concessions
asked of the Pope in the above-mentioned ultimatum
is that of recognising the separation of the
Legations from the States of the Church.
Threatened now with the danger of losing both
the Marche and Umbria, the Pope might be induced
to yield at once, or, at any rate, to accept as • bees
of the forthcoming negotiations the status quo of the
provinces formerly belonging to him. I am in a
position to state, on what I believe to be good autho-
rity, that at the last interview which the French
Ambassador had with his Holiness, at which Auto-
aelli was, of course, present, the discussion went so
far that the Duke of Ommmont was obliged to leave
the room, in order to prevent a scandalous scene,
which would have compromised the dignity of the
Vicar of Christ. When the French diplomatist de-
emed to him that the ultimatum he had presented
was the &reser mot of the Emperor, the wrath of
Pio IX. reached such a pitch, and the words he
spoke were so unbecoming, that the duke could do
nothing but retire.
On leaving the Vatican the French ambassador
wrote to the Emperor that the dignity of the power
he represented forbade his remaining any longer in
Rome, and he begged accordingly to be recalled.
This, if I mistake not, occurred on the 11th of the
month, and it was very probably Grammont's de-
spatch which induced Louts Napoleon to cause the
publication of the famous pamphlet. M. Lague-
ronniare or whoever isthe author of it, was an-
doubted directed to examine carefully both the
report of Aldini, which had just been published in
London, and Chapter XIIL of the pamphlet which,
under the title of "Italian Independence," Cavaliere
Salvagnoli published in February lA. In the
above-mentioned chapter the utility of the temporal
power of the Pope is disproved by almost the same
arguments employed nine months afterwards by the
French writer.
That previously to the appearance of the pamphlet,
and perhaps in the expectation of it, directions had been
sent to the clergy of Italy and France to have a re-
ligious agitation organised throughout both countries',
is apparent from the virulent attacks made upon the
French Emperor by the Arnionia and the clerical press
of Europe generally. Here in Tuscany the same religi-
ous movement has already been initiated by the priest
party. The Bishop of Volterra has followed the
example of his brother of Pisa, by communicating
to his clergy the letter addressed by the Pope to
Cardinal Corsi. The Archbishop of Lucca had
already published all the mandamenti of the French
bishops, adding to them a most venomous letter of
his own. Even the mild Bishop of Leghorn ooald
not abstain from writing a letter to the Tuscan
Minister of Worship, in which he heartily abused .
the liberal government of the country, and made
it responsible for the fact that a blackguard at
Leghorn had spit upon a priest who was
passing through a back street of the town.
You are already acquainted with the stupid
epistle addressed with the same object to Baron
Ricasoli by the Archbishop of Florence. The auda-
cious philippic is not indeed Monsignore's own, for it
was really written by the Vicar-General of the
diocese, a violent and notorious fanatic. Only six
days ago this small Torquemada had the audacity to
condemn an ignorant curate to five years' imprison-
ment in the clerical prison of Alvergos, because, in
Monsignors's opinion, the poor priest's faith in the
temporal power of the Pope was not stanch enough.
Of course, the Minister of Worship opposed the
execution of the sentence, on the ground that, accord-
ing to the existing laws, Curia Vescovile bad no
jurisdiction over the citizens of Tuscany. To return
to the Bishops of Tuscany, however, some other
virulent pastorals are announced to appear either to-
morrow or next Sunday. The war against the lay
power of the country began on the Novella of the
Ceppo, a catholic feast peculiar to this ancient city,
when the Archbishop of Florence started • lot of
fanatic monks on a regular crusade against the pro-
testant'.
Cavaliers Selvagnoli did not think proper to pre-
vent the savage preaching of these Capuchins, but he
sent word that religious frenzy would be allowed
neither to catholic," nor to protestant., and that
attacks against public order and public persons
would be promptly punished, no matter where they
came from. The warning had the salutary effect of
appeasing the ardour of the Capuchin preachers, but
out of revenge the archbishop has pronounced the
interdictum against Abbate Fiorenzi, a learned and
liberal priest, who is en intimate friend of the
Minister of Publics Worship. It is obvious that the
agitation of the clergy has been ordered by
Rome, and that it forms a part of the
plan already organised by Antonelli and his
adherents against Louis Napoleon and the
liberal governments of Italy, with the object of op-
posing—no matter by what means—the threatened
limitation of the temporal power of the Holy Father.
Religion is bat the pretext ; for in this country that
has never been disregarded since the Dukes and
Austrians left Central Italy. What the Roman
catholic clergy are aiming at is to disturb public
order, with a view to make Europe believe all the
calumnies they have heaped upon the liberal govern-
ments of Italy. The pious wishes of cardinals and
bishops will not, however, be granted, for the
rulers of Central Italy are strong enough to main-
tain public tranquillity, and remove all offences
which could justify the attacks of M. Venn-
lot and his friends. To the calumnies of
the religious sects, the rulers of Tuscany oppose the
most admirable forbearance, whilst they are pre.
aring and carrying out wise reforms which will
prove beneficial both to the Church and to the State
Evangelical and other protestant congregations will
be allowed to build their churches both in this town
and at Leghorn; for whilst the government has
decided to oppose any importunate proselytism by
religious sects, it will leers totally unfettered the
great principle of liberty of conscience. In a few
days a decree granting civil and political rights
to the Jews will be published ; and, if I am
rightly informed, in the next budget of public
worship Cavalier, &dragoon intends to enter • :sum
of money for the expenses of non-catholic denomi-
nations. This minister has already made up his
mind to have it proposed; but before doing so, he
will show to the public how rich and numerous are
the endowments enjoyed by the Roman catholic
clergy of the country. These endowments are most
unfairly divided—the bishops and higher digni-
taries being very wealthy, while the majority of the
inferior clergy are living in the most heartrending
poverty. The condition of these helots of the Roman
catholic hierarchy will be before long greatly im-s
proved through the kind exertions of the present
minister. In spite of these wise and liberal measurer,
however, the clergy of Tuscany are openly agitating
against the national government.