The Sun.
London, England, 1860-01-18 00:00:00

ITALIAN STATES.

The great struggle for Constitutional freedom
of which Italy is now the scene, claims the deep
sympathy of every man who believes in the right
of his fellow men to think for themselves, and
openly to profess their opinions. The conflict,
though local and limited in its scene, is universe'
in its relations to the rights and interests
humanity. On one side we have the tyrants wln
wish to throw their death-pall over the Minds and
hearts of their fellow men, we have despotic Dukes
and Duchesses, the Pope acted upon by the crafty
Antonelli, and the Emperor of Austria the prop
and crutch of Rome; on the other, we have the
people in the Italian States who have embraced
the first opportunity to assert their freedom, and
are determined to maintain it, and rejoicing in the
shelter they derive from the King of Sardinia,
Of the position of the Emperor of the French it is
difficult, but unnecessary, now to speak ; but our
present object is just to show by a most significant
fact that the real question at issue is, whether or no-
men may call their souls their own, whether they
are to be trodden down by armed force and held ill
priestly chains, or to stand up among free peopls
as those who have happily been rescued from thi
grip of political and spiritual tyrants.
Let us look, then, at the present state of
rence, and at the large concessions made to the
principles of civil and religious liberty since the
flight of the Duke of Tuscany from the country hP
had so long oppressed. The day after the des.'
picable tyrant fled from his irritated subjects—:;
that is, on the 28th of April last—the Provisiona.!
Government proclaimed liberty and equality of.
worship to all Tuscan subjects. There is, there-
fore, no legal right in Tuscany to interfere with.
any Protestant congregation, or with its open pro-
fession of faith, and the people who have been
convinced that the purest form of Christianity is
something very different from that taught by the
priests, are now meeting in a thoroughly Protes-
tant congregation, without the dread of being pro-
secuted for heresy. The position of this body has
been already represented to the public, but it is ton
interesting to be dismissed in the report to which
we have already given insertion.
There is now in the city of Florence a temporary
place of Protestant worship, consisting of a car-
penter's shop fitted up as a sort of meeting-house-
The peculiar form in which Protestantism EP'pears in Florence it is important to notice.
we were speaking of an English Protestant chucil'
or one of the acknowledged reformed ehurches,Pr
the accommodation of Protestant residents in
rence, we should have no proof that the prinspl°ll
of religious freedom had been adopted by tb' o°.
vernment. There, however, we have a conirsg_t
tion more resembling the Dissenters of this enstli
than our national Protestant Church. Tle roil"
gious officers of this church are not regulely
or-
dained and recognised ecclesiastics like Soso ill
France or Germany. The only person rho ar
proaches to such a character is the hustle
penter in whose workshop the congreption
sembles. Nothing could be much more hmble, of
destitute of any political influence. A ynagogill
of wealthy Jews, whose monetary aid was felt
to be of importance, might be tolersted simply
on the ground of expediency or necessiy, without
the State being committed to the bred principle
that every man has a right to svorsip God ill
mode according with his religious convictions'
No greater test could have been pplied to the
Government than has been applied Iysuch a boa'',
of Dissenters as that now under conideration,
therefore no greater opportunity maid be given 1'
the Government of Tuscany to assrt that, so losi
as it is allowed to remain, the priniples of religions
as well as of civil freedom shall tiumph.
This congregation, to which tie aid of rank and
wealth are not accorded, is alloyed to assemble 1.
open day, and really with owl doors—for U.T,
doors are left ajar—and any ?arson may be su,
mitted as long as sitting or staining room remaill;
The only test that is applied by the congregsti°
is as to whether the applicantsbelieve in the POI;
Happily the faith of the Italians in the Pope
A
rapidly on the decline, so that there are hundrer,
who can conscientiously qualify for admission ";,
giving their reply in the negative. The only 110
sons refused admission are the lying informers, !id
wish to enter that they might carry away ni
reports to their patrons, and represent as polite
and treasonable the meetings that are pure'
religious.
Wonderful, indeed, is the fact that this congts
gation, which now reaches three hundred, 1,11°,,is
have been gathered so soon after liberty of worsi'd
had been proclaimed, and that its members sh°lo,
openly assert their confidence in the safetl
corded to them under the new regime. bite
" Evangelical Brethren," as they are tertneaV
not under the slightest apprehensions as to 4'oo
safety; The confidence they display is the '4,44
significant as they, from their social position, "" 011
be well acquainted with the feelings of the Pee4it
as to the right of men to profess a religion diff,
from that of the Pope. Their language is, till'o
• should the Government show uneasiness onoit
account ? We neither humour the priests nor g,
them any good reason for complaint." We haystS ift
the remarkable statement of Barsali, the carpel:lt
and minister of the flock, that " the rage of ail m
Tuscan priesthood could not find twenty-five E
sons out of the very worst Florentine rabble will
to do them harm, or disturb their peaceful and.!l
ti • "
emplary reunions ;" and this confidence is pisft 0.
by the opinion of an intelligent observer on

spot. -
'lOll3l
Meanwhile the Romish clergy are strati
every nerve for the purpose of depriving tiVo
people of their newly-acknowledged rights. to.
hope that the noble stand taken by the Gee ,
ment of Tuscany will be maintained without o'o%l
ing, and that the people of this country will
fail to give to that Government the whole 04 r-
moral force. We have not the means of
ofir
nouncing on the religious opinions and wore' el
the Dissenting congregation in Florence. iioa
may be very orthodox or otherwise. Our pethe
is, that so long as they do not interfere wilt out
order of society, cause disturbance, er breo
into offences against morality, the people are .t
titled to the protection of the Government agikti
all the opposition the priests may try to 001'
against them.—Advertiser.