Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1847-12-23

excited by the expressions OF the govern
ment. Secret political societies were always
active, though frequent discoveries of their
designs broug ht great numbers of their lead
ers, often mobiles and men of influence, to
the scafold. A violent revolution seemed
the only hope Of deliverance from the pro-
secutons of the religious oligarchy that
welded the Papal power. The taxes and
public debts paralyzed the energies Of the
people; while the government continued to
contract new loans and anticipate more tax
es, to support the ornaments and police
which it used to keep down the rsngs of
popular hatred. Freedom of opinion in an
I'anan was punished with death, and reli-
gious intolerance, especially against the
the Jews, carried to its height as in the
worst days Of superstition. Political lead
ers were seized, without lawful reason given.
and Judged with closed doors, their Witness
es being spies and their counsel attornies of
the.government. From the judge they were
silently handed over to the execu,ioDer or
the jailor, without, liberty of reply or of
seIf-defence. The punishment of death was
frequently inflicted without the forms Of
trial or writ of condemnation, and under
obsolete laws, raked on, of records as old as
the Popery itself. The judicial department
had become mere anarchy, and every &C.
clesiaslic in power ight inflict ruin or death
under the ligh,est pretences.
The police, especially, illustrated the real
nature and designs of the government. The
commissioners and agents were generally
men taken from among baditti, or from the
prisons and the inferior officers mostly
men abandoned to the worst of vices and
addicted to the commission of every crime.
The Papal army, recruited by men with
out country or family, formed a body Of
mercenaries ready to execute every COM
mand ofthe vilest of rulers: nor was the Pope
himself ever without his guard, composed of
the dregs of the populace, excluded by
their vices from all situations of industry.
In every department and function of govern
ment appeared an odious mixture of super
sti,ion and tyranny. The sacred office of
the confessional was converted into an Of
flee of information for political purposes,
and under the garb Of the priest, the spy of
Austria or of the ministry, was concealed.
Es(reIigious orders triumphed over the
people and lived sumptuously, while the
laborng classes wandered about unemploy-
ed and starving. Everywhere prevailed the
spirit of despotism and retrogradation. Ev-
cry novelty was suspected, and every adj
vance in art or knowledge suppressed. F.
economical enterprises were even absolutely
prohibited t..
The head and organ of this system was
the Cardinal Lambruschini, who ruled the
pontiff and the nation, and carried all affairs
as it pleased him. The Pope himself, tho
often disposed, through the kindness of his
temper, TO grant reforms to the repeated So
lici,a,ions and sorrowful petitions of his
subjects, would do nothing in opposition to
the Cardinal, who had acquired over him
the mastery that strong and inscriptions,
easily acquires over an easy and irresolute
character.
Gregory XVI, belonged properly to the
scholastic ages of the church. His educa-
ton, his weak health, and his yielding tenn
per fitted him to be the recipient of the mar
rowest prejudices. and deprived him of all
real power: so dependent had he become,
the Cardinal, his minister, had but to threat
en- resignation of his office, to bring the
Pope over to any measure that he chose to
favor. Had Lambruschini been elected
Pope, general insurrection and revolution
seemed inevitable, so great was the hatred
with which he inspired all classes, except
ing those who Immediately sought his favor.
There was general understanding among
the people that his election should be the
signal for change, and that they would
have carried the revolution to an extremity,
is almost certain, so intense and universal
was the desire for freedom.
The guns Of St. Angelo and the funeral
bell, announcing the death of Gregory XVI.
struck with no sorrowful tone upon the
hearts of the people. They could not la
ment the death of one who had been the
weak and miserable instrument of their op-
preston. Bot the sounds awakened fears,
lest his successor might be the ,yrant who
had employed him, and reused the bold
spirits of Rome to prepare for one more ef-
fort for liberty, were it even their last
They knew that Austria, their hated enemy
had already prepared herself for Intervention
and would seize the prelext of revolution to
enslave them; that she eagerly awained an
opportunity to annex the Roman States to
her dominions, and by that blow to exlin-
guIsh forever the hopes of truth and freedom
in Italy. t .. ...... .a... ~.
La IMdesca rabbia, the cruel, the eager
Tueton, the enemy of Rome, who had
watched her through centuries, eager for
her blood, was at that moment listening for
the first sounds of rebellion to march in and
silence her forever
When the death Of Gregory XVI. was at
length announced to the people, terrible
silence reigned throughout the city. Fear
and revenge sat upon every counlenance.-