New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-11-27
ITALY.
IIALI.
Ecclesinstical Reform In Piedmont.

commonly known as the Slccardl Law
The law for the abolition Of ecclesiastical courts
and privileges, known BY the name OF their orlg'-
nator Slccardi have acquired from subsequent
events notoriety and importance which at tlrst
seemed scarcely to attach to them The abolition
of privileges which were directly at variance
with the new constitution OF the ardinian States
and which had previously been abolished IN every
other Catholic country in Europe, ought, one would
Loye Thought. 10 have been almost matter OF
course. aud to which the court OF Rome could not
reasonably object. Strange 10 say however, not
only is the absolutlst aud tyrannIcal Plus IN OF
1e50 Crnosed 10 it. but the liberal, constitutional
list and reforming Plus x. OF 1917 and la48 was
equally decided not, II he could help 1t. 10 place
Piedmont on O level with olher Catholic countries
i, Ills resDect The fact we believe to be, that
even at the time Of this greatest liberality, Plus
TX was unwilling to annihilate the only example
Of ecclesiastical immunities that remained IN hu-
rome Sucb an example was too valuable pre-
cedent to appeal to, in the strug9 OF the Catho-
lie Church to regain its privileges III other couH'
tries to be sacrificed on any condltlons whatso'
over, and not even il Plus *. had continued n
reforrner would he ever have willingly yielded to
the represeutations OF the court Of Turin on tins
noint The Sandman ministry has been lnucn
blamed by its friends as well as its enemies Tor
lis precipitation in this matter but we reaLy DO
not see what other course was open to 1t but 10
realise the ng-expressed wishes OF the people,
and then let the Pope accommodate himself to
the urgency az he best may 1t certainly seemed
a homeless ATTEMPT to obtain by negotiation IN
$50 yhot the Able Rosmini himself, 4 man Of
preGminent reputation for pety and orthodoxy
and a most particular tavorte OF the Pope, could
not effect in 1913. Even had negotiations been
practicable the compromise agreed on "oulu
have been only q half measure, and would nave
given 40 satisfaction to the chambers or the peo
0le. Whereas the measure carried lnlts integrity
md REGARDED as the forerunner OF other reforms,
has earned the highest popularity TOR the hlng
and the ministry, and relnstated the Piedmontese
people in the confidence OF the rest Of the ltalans
We admit that the position OF antagonsm into
which Piedmont is thus brought with the reac-
ton which is for the moment triumphant III the
rest Of Italy is one OF undOubted peril Austria
has been threatening an Intervention, and would
fulfill her threat if she dared. The rench Gov
erpmeut has been weak, treacherous' and Dase
on this as well as on every other point, where the
Liberties of Italy have been concerned. The Sar-
dinian envoy has met with the worst possibie re-
cepton from the Pope; and the latter is SAID to
be preparing an communication OF the Pled-
montese IN D0SSf. AL tins denotes grave and
serious crisis. But after all, it must have come
i'm one form or another. The Sandman ministry
had to choose between two evils ana we thlhh
tbey have chosen the least They have every
thing to dread that the courts OF Austria, Rome
and Naples dare to inflct on them. Bat they
have consodatedth the throne OF Victor Emanuel
recouciled the Piedmontese to their fellow lta-
iens. and earned for themselves the respect and
esteem of all Europe absolutsts and olSotS eA-
cepted.
The necessity for reform at once so imPera-
tivo. md go difficult to achieve without injury TO
the State was entirely due to the loily OF victor
Emanuel l., who, on the recovery oil ms doihlh-
ions in 1914 rcestablished all the ancient laws
md nrivileges without any regard to the requisl-
tions of an era which he and ms ADVISERS were
fo,oll,, ;ncomnctenl to understand. The concordat
Of Ig6l bv which the relations OF Piedmont to
the HOLY See had been regulated, was super
seded and everything reverted TO the ancient
,(oI,oc Not only that, but clerical influence
bEcore predominant in every branch oil the Gov
eminent For the next 80 year the Jes ats
were alI.powerful in Piedmont, and the country
was nearly as much an ecclesiastical DOMINION
md exhibited ali the evils OF clerical msgovern-
ment as forcibly as the States of the Church it.
selr Education was entirely IN the hands OF the
Jesnits. rieid censorship repressed all utterance
~ nnbjic ouinion; and the threats OF Austria
neeatived every movement OF poHtlcal hmeiora-
ton This state of things lasted Tor the tllrd Oh
century: and what was the end OF II AN inter-
necine struggle with the giant power OF Austrai
and hostility to the Jesuits, of whIchthe nblest
living member of the Catholic clergy was the
organ and the leader. If it were not special
and papable Judgment OF Providence, 1t would
seem strange that those Jesmts can nowhere,
make themselves beloved. They had the whole
oil the commons anu lLc lblluciOC VI IilS AiOuSO
ofSayoy at their back for more than thirty years ;
and no where are they more hated. Even IN the
Island of Sardinia, among the most Ignorant and
bigoted population in Europe, worse than the
Maltese or the Maiorcans, no attachment is felt to
them. The expulsion OF the Archbishop OF Gag
ari an avowed jesuit, was hailed with the loud
est reoicings by the islanders. Secluded and
priestridden Sardinia is as resolute as Piedmont
Savoy, that clerical jurisdiction shall be limited
TO spiritual matters
Of course in such state of feeling ms this di-
rect opposition to the Siccard laws was princi-
pally confined to the clerical members of the two
chambers Even among these some were found
to support the ministerial project, and ewspeech-
es in its favor were ADLER or effective than
that Of NJ. Turcott We quote the closing para
graph of his speech.
"W hat after all, are the privileges of distinct
tribunal IN comparison with other more important
liberties Let true believers enjoy liberty and
the church will be sure to enjoy it too. If we
talk OF the Roman apostolic church as spiritual
administration, does it not enjoy IN Piedmont all
the most important liberties p! Or must we suppose
that it requires more here than elsewhere in
Piedmont and in France than at Naples, at Rome,
or in Lombardy What does that meant The
church OF Rome counts among its defende the
whole OF its very numerous secular and regular
clergy The King, the two chambers, the mobiles,
the powerful OF the nation are all in its favor. 1t
Is supported by the laws and by the people
Dlplomatists, men OF wealth, and men of the
highest genius, with their books and journals, all
toll for its interests. Governments coalesce and
go into debt for it, For it foreign armies combat
and mighty fleets are put in motion. The treas
ures OF the bankers, whether Catholic or Hereto,
Christian anti Christian, are all at its service
II Piedmont in particular be considered we eccle,
slastlcs enjoy liberty of Speech not only in Parlia-
ment bat in pulpits and public places privilege
which laymen are not allowed. Government does
notintertere with our use of the the press nor
can we be denied the privilege of using for the
interests OF the church the all powerful means of
the confessional or of instructing the people pub
ely IN church. We alone have the privilege of
certain sense OF constranng them to listen to our
admontions. All these liberties are guaranteed
to US by the constitution and by the laws And
shall we be now so tenacious, under the pretext
OF religlon as No entnr into Inl nrt -. q