The Sun.
London, England, 1860-10-20 00:00:00

IRR.LAND.

DUBLIN, THURSDAY MORNING.
SYMPATHY WITH HIS HOLINESS AND THE BRIGADE.

Yesterday the meeting summoned by Dr. Cullen
for the purpose 01 expressing sympathy with the
Holy ?Father in his present unhappy position, as well
as for those gallant Irish soldiers who fought, bled,
and di©d in. defence of his rights, took place in the
church. of the Immaculate Conception, Marlborough-
street. Both the Freeman's Journal and the Morn-
ing News give lengthened reports of the proceed-
ings, and the latter paper has an article in refer-
ence thereto, in the course of which it states that
4, the Most Rev. Prelate" (Dr. Cullen) "in vindi-
cating the ':fights of the Sovereign Pontiff takes his
stand on the principles of justice, of public law, and
Christian morality !" But the " Right Rev. Pre-
late" should be heard for himself. The following
is an authentic report of the harangue with which
he opened the proceedings as chairman !
" Catholics never look with indifference on the
sufferings and persecutions of the Roman Pontiff.
Venerating him as the successor of St. Peter, and
Christ's Vicar on earth, as their spiritual father
and the pastor, of their souls, they grieve with him
in his trials, they sympathise with him in his sor-
rows, and whatever affects the supreme head is felt
by all the members of the body. Influenced by these
maxims, you assembled in this chapel nearly 12
months ago to protest before heaven and earth
against the injuries just then inflicted on our Holy
Fathey by stripping him of the Romagna and other
parts of his dominions, and to raise your voices in
&Sena) of justice, long and established rights, and
of the liberty of religion and independence of the
Apostolic See. Your words on that occasion pro-
duced a deep impression; they were repeated far and
near, and re-echoed over the most distant lands.
Even your enemies were obliged to admit the force
of the reasons and the authority of the facts which
you alleged, and you pleaded the cause of religion
so triumphantly that, though many were ready to
Assail with obloquy and reproach, no one had the
courage to controvert your statements, or to call
into question the accuracy of your conclusions.
Before the tribunal of reason the defence of the
Holy See was complete, its rights and claims were
triumphantly vindicated, the justice of its cause
was fully established. However, neither reason,
nor justice, nor religion could prevent the onward
course of the enemies of the See of Peter ; they
have pursued their career with the most persever-
ing malignity, and we are now called on to protest
against new acts of aggression more violent and
more brutal than any which had been previously
perpetrated. Indeed, the year now hastening to
an end will be memorable for the flagrant deeds of
injustice it has witnessed, and for the acts of rob-
bery and spoliation recorded in its history. At the
first opening of 1860 the world was disturbed by the
appearance of a pamphlet which shadowed fora, the
events that were to occur in its course, as a few
-words directed to an Ambassador at the beginning
of the preceding year had foreboded the storm which
was about to burst upon Austria. This pamphlet, at •
tributed to the Emperor of France, written at least
under his dictation, and never repudiated by him,
was remarkable for the recklessness of its asser-
tions, the shallowness of its reasons, and the cool
audacity with which it suggested the destruction
and spoliation of the most ancient and legitimate
sovereignty is Europe. Yes, the Imperial writer
coolly proposed that his ally, and the head of the
Church to which he professes to belong, should be
deprived of his territories, leaving him without the
means of providing for the Government of the Uni-
versal Church, and of maintaining the independence
of the See of Peter, and the free exercise of the
apostolic authority. Though the voice of reason
and religion was raised against a project as sacrile-
gious as it was iniquitous, yet no means were left
untried to carry it into execution. The infidel press
of France and Sardinia and their colleagues in Eng-
land poured out incessant torrents of abuse and
calumny on the Government of the Pope, and made
every effort to induce his subjects to rise in rebel-
lion and shake off the yoke of his authority. When
it was found that invectives, revolutionary proclama-
tions, and the exertions of secret societies were not
successful, bands of adventurers and freebooters
were organised in Tuscany and Piedmont to bring
about by force what lying and calumny and every
perfidious art had not been able to obtain. But
even the incursions of those bands were ineffective,
and the Pope's subjects could not be withdrawn by
such means from the allegiance due to their bene-
volent Sovereign. Indeed, the Papal Government
was growing stronger every day, and becoming
more capable of defending itself efficaciously, for,
seeing the dangers to which Christ's Vicar and their
Holy Father was exposed, many chivalrous young
men from every part of Europe, inspired by faith
and zeal for religion, had hurried to the Eternal
City, and, rallying round the chair of Peter, had
drawn their swords in its defence; and what was
not to be expected from men animated by so noble
a spirit, and led on by a Lamoriciere, and his
brave colleagues? Among those devoted chil-
dren of St. Peter were many of our own coun-
trymen, whose names will be ever dear to Ire-
land. Under an O'Reilly they have left lasting
memorials of their daring and their courage at
Spoleto, Perugia, and Ancona, emulating the glory
of their forefathers, who had fought at Mantua and
Velletri, and often purpled the fields of Italy with
their blood. As this new crusade appeared well
Calculated to defeat the designs of the Imperial
pamphleteer, it was determined to crush it in its
very commencement, and to prevent the African
warrior—the conqueror of Constantia—from or-
ganising and rendering effective, not for aggression.
(for that was never intended), but for internal pro-
tection, the soldiers of the Cross. No words can be
found sufficient to denounce the infamy of proceed-
ings worthy only of the disciples of a Macchiavelli.
The conduct of Victor Emmanuel and his Generals,
so far from meriting praise or glory, was only that of
robbers and assassins. In the time of peace, without
any declaration of hostilities, they assail the Pope's
troops with overwhelming numbers, adding bad
faith and perfidy to violence and brute force. Even
in such trying circumstances the cause of truth
and honour was nobly defended ; those who
fought and died for it shall ever be
mentioned with respect by every true Christian,
while the name of Victor Emmanuel and his asso-
ciates i the conspiracy will be branded to the end
of time with ignominy and disgrace. However,
they have been successful, and those who urged
them to seize on the booty now justify their pro-
ceedings by the doctrine of non-intervention, as it
is called, and accomplished facts. Actin.- on these
principles, the ruler of France and the British
Ministers inform the Pope that it is unlawful for
him to invoke the aid of Austria or any other
friendly Pozer to protect himself against the fraud
and open vWlence of a neighbouring State—that he
must fight his battles by himself, and that if his
enemies once seized on his States, their right to
them must be acknowledged, on the ground that
the robbery has become a fact. Thus perfidy and
robbery give to Victor Emmanuel a perfect title to
rule over the Pope's States, while it is declared by a
Russell, and a Palmerston, and a Napoleon that in
one instant the Pope has lost all his long-established
and hereditary rights. Good God ! what iniquitous
and contradictory doctrines, what monstrous theo-
/lea are propounded for the sake of carrying out a
wicked design. No intervention !—why, then, have
te French and English Governments sent large
armies to the Crimea and to Asia Minor for the pur-
pose of supporting an effete and tottering Mahome-
danism, and protecting the old and hereditary
of
enemiesthe Gospel, the Turks ? Why are the
French troo
allies in Pnsan Rome or in Syria, and why the
Chi
the Neapolitan al Why is Garibaldi overthrowing
monarchy, with Huns, and Swiss,
and Spaniards, and
English in his ranks ? Why are
his guns worked „at
the Volturno by marines from
British vessels? Nn
intervention !—then, for the
future, it will he unlawful
by robbers on the highway, for a traveller, if assailed
to call for assistance to
his friends and neighbours.
Nor is the doctrine of
accomplished facts more reasonable,
prepared to admit that ifahih unless we be
possession of your purse and highwayman has got
Watch, he has a right
to keep them because it is a certain fact
that
.tllcy
a,ve in his hands. Were these maxims to be admitted
society would totter to its very- foundations(tted
State would be any longer secure; justice, and janwo
• and obedience would be equally subverted, and every'
one might seize upon his neighbour's property, an-a
j• ' himself in keeping it when it had
ustify once come
into his possession. Let the rulers and at t
s esmen
who encourane
and act on such dangerous theories
beware of the consequences which may be drawn
from them. May it not come to pass that rebellion
and sedition will turn them against their authors
with effect ? And is it not already evident that the
new theory of international law will burden the
arts and commerce of England with a hundred mil-
lions of taxation to protect her from the bayonets
of the friend and ally of Palmerston and Russell ?
What a happiness for Ireland that she had among
d Monsells.
her representatives her O'Ferrall, , and
and Maguires. and O'Donoghnea, and other
dis-
tinguished men, who protested af-Ta•;p9t the
dangerous doctrines laid down I'y' our
nisters, and raised their voice in d" Fend
of honour and truth, and the safety of a, '"u
nations. But we are solemnly and repeetedly
• assured that it is through a sincere love of liberty
that the Pope is to be stripped of his States, and
t7Are often asked why we should be opposed to
h ment of free Governments and to the
progee„
0,, 111,04,7,p-Inuq srnan happiness. There is something
"u these declarations that they are