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

IRELAND.

DUBLIN, THURSDAY MORNING.
SYMPATHY WI?TH HIS HOLINESS AND THE BRIGADE.

Yesterday the meeting summoned by Dr. Cullen
for the purpose of expressing sympathy with the
Holy Father in his present unhappy position, as well
as for those gallant Irish soldiers who fought, 'wed,
and died 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 r';:ports of the proceed-
ings, and the latter paper has an article in refer-
ence thereto, in. the course of which it states that
" the Most R'ev. Prelate" (Dr. Cullen) "in vindi-
cating the. rights of the Sovereign Pontiff takes his
stand on. the principles of justice, of public law,,and
Christ'a,n 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
Father by stripping him of the Romagna and other
parts of his dominions, and to raise your voices in
defence 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 forth the
events 4hat 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 in Europe. Yes, the Imperial writer
coolly proposed that 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-
versid 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
wan growing stronger every day, and becoming
more capable of defending itself efficaciously, for,
seeing the dangers to which Cb rist'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. Uader 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. Dien
in such trying circumstances the cause of truth
• and honour was nobly defended ; those who
fought and died for it shall ever he
mentioned with respect by every true Christian,
while the name of Victor Emmanuel and his asso-
ciates in 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. Acting en 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 othcr
friendly Power to protect himself against the fraud
and open violence of a neighbouring State—that he
must fight his battles by himself, and that it 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-
ries propounded for the sake of carrying out a
wicked design. No intervention !—why, then, have
the French end English Governments sent large
armies to the Crimea and to Asia Minor for the pur-
pose of supporting
danism, and M h
an effete and tottering Ma home-
of thel)
Gospel,
the old and hereditary
French troops in "Deb the Turks ? Why are the
allies in China? why WRohme or in Syria, and why the
Garibaldi overthrowing
the Neapolitan mosarychis
and Spaniards, and :, with. Huns, and Swiss,
English in his ranks . Why are
his guns work d
e at the Volturno by marines from
No intervention ritish vessels? rovra t
ention !—then, for the
f
future, it will be unlawful
arlveller, if assailed
by robbers on the highway, to ca
his friends and neighbours. Nor for assistance to
is the doctrine of
accomplished facts more reasonable, unless we be
prepared to admit that if a highwayman has got
possession of your purse and watch, he has a right
to keep them because it is a certain fact that they
are in his hands. Were these maxims to be admitted
society would totter to its very foundations; no
State would be any longer secure ; justice, and taw,
and obedience would be equallysubverted, and every
one might seize upon his neighbour's property, and
justify himself in keeping it when it had once come
We his possession. Let the rulers and statesmen
who encourage and act on such dangerous theories
beware of the consequences which may be drawn
from them. Mac it not come to pass that rebellion
and sedition will turn them against their authors
with effect ? And is it not already evidehuntrdnthe
thate the
new theory of international law will
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 ha..d, among
neii.
her representatives her O'Ferralls, and %.to 11
and Maguires, and O'Donoghues, and other
the
dis-
tinguished men, who protested against MT
n
dangerous doctrines laid down by our
misters, and raised their voice in rlel cs:
of honour and truth, and the safety of o!
nations. But w,e
are solemnly and repeatedly
ulossed that it is through a sincere love of liberty
that sh, Pope i; to be stripped of his States, and
we are " a askedwhy we should be opposed to
tne establish
tnent of free Governments and to the
progress of 111„,a.n.
00 hypocritical it.
t:ppiness. There is something
tie declarations that they are