Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1808-09-21
STATE PAPER.

=
excellence N. I11aupas7sy, ad4aressedto M.
lie Fe0re, charge d'a8aircs fran the en-
ber0r of France, datea
APRIL 10, 1908.
g After your excellency had made known
to the holy father, that it was the decided
wish of his majesty the emperor and king,
that he should enter into an offensive and
defensive league with the other powers OF
Italy, as had been declared by M. Cham
pagny to the cardinal Caprara, by force or
the Sd current, the dispatch of the said car
dinal has been received, which brought the
original note Of the said minister.
g The holy father, after having attentive
" read and considered the said document,
has ordered Gabrielli, first secretary ofstate,
to make known TO your e,scellency his hoil-
ness sentiments On It's contents beginning
with that which forms the cardinal point a
mong all the others. His holiness has seen
with pain, that even the final proposition.
therein contained Of the offensive and de-
fensive league, should be accompanied with
the threat Of depriving him of his temporal
dominions in case Of his noncompliance.
If worldly considerations had at al in6u-
enced the conduct OF the holy father, he
would, from the first, have yielded TO the
wish Of his majesty, and net have exposed
himself TO suffer SO many cs..amities but
the holy father is regulated alone BY the con-
sideration due to his duty and his conscience
both have prevented him from agreeing to
The federation, and they equally hinder him
from consentlng to the offensive and deten-
sivc league, which differs but in name; its
nature, however, does not except any prince
10 wnoa the pope, according 10 the circum-
stances Ct the ;.mes, rnighs not become an
enemy.
{. His holiness feels, moreover, that this
article, far from improving, detracts from
his situation. la Tie; articles presented 10
cardinal dc Bayan, the federation was pro-
posed as alone against heretics and the Eng
lish. but this is couched in general terms
pointing out 10 people as On enemy, yet ex-
Guiding, no government, no nation, from the
contingency OF becoming one. If,then, his
HOLINESS declined from conscientious mo-
t.ves TO be party to chat federation, SO is
ne equally withheld from this league. The
holy father would not merely bind himself to
q defence, but to an aggression. Then
would be seen the minister ct the God Of
Peace placing himself IN a state Of perpetu-
al warfare; then wou.d be seen their com
mon father In arms against his children, and
the head Of the church exposing himself, by
his own act, TO deprivation Of his spiritual
connection with the Catholics Of those pow
ers against which the league would make il
imperative On hin 10 act hostiicLy. How
then can his holiness Shake off his power
ard natural character, and sacrifice, as must
/, be the consequence, the interest Of religi-
on :,
His holiness, unlike other princes, IS IN
vested with a two-fold character, nalnely, OF
sovereign pontiif, and OF temporal sovereign,
and has given repeated evidence that he can
not, by virtue OF this second qualification,
enter upon engagements that woald lead to
results initiating against his first and most
important oiii-e, and lnIuring the religion Of
wAic!i he Is the head, the propsssator, and
the ayenger. His Holiness, therefor, can
nor enter INTO any offensive and defensive
league, which would, by a permanent and
progressive system, drag him into hostility
against al those powers upon which his ma
Jcsty may think proper to make war since
the Italian states, nov. dependant upon his
| majesty, can never avoid taking part IN such
| wars. His Holiness would consequently be
Obliged to become party in them by virtue
OF this league. Such an engagement must
begin 1obe acted upon by the pope from this
moment, and against any Catholic prince;
| thus waging war against him without a mo-
tive. Farther, 1t must be waged against ali
those powers, whether Catholic Or not, VINO
may, upon whatever grounds, be the enc