The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-12-11
From the Waterman and Wesleyan Advertiser,
Londonl
FATHER GAvAZZI.


popularity and we venture to say, inferior to
none in eloquence, is Alessandro Gavazzi, a
foreigner speaking foreign language. The
fact Is extraordinary, to say the least and ought
to be instructive A brief sketch of his career,
gathered from various sources, may not be UNI
acceptable to our readers.
He is n native of Bologna, where his father
sustained the Office of Judge, besides being Pro-
lessor of Law in the University, and at some
time he was also Peace Magistrate at Forli,
capital of the Legation of that name, and was
one of the chief Advocates for the Papal States.
His paternal grandfather was Proconsul Of
Bologna, and his maternal grandfather Presi-
dent of the Court Of Appeal in the same city.
The latter was 40 remarkable for integrity AS
to justify the epitaph which may still be read
upon the his tOmb-UomO giuao IA Just man.
He is not, therefore, to lie COMPOUNDED with up
start democrats men who rise from dregs to
scum in times of social ebullition. When only
sixteen years of age he presented himself as,
postulant for admission into the order of Bar
nabtes, or Clerks Regular of st. Paul, one of
the most respectable Of the monastic fraterni-
ties whose members are chiefly devoted to lit
erary and scholastic labors, and to missions"
or jtinerant preaching His earlier education
had, of course, been such as became his rank,
and during his novtiate, the institute on which
he entered assured him the means of intellect
ual culture, and so well did he use his oppor-
tunity, that when only twenty years of age he
was thought worthy to be made Professor OF
rhetoric and bellies leitres in the College of Cara
vazzio, at Naples. While occupying that chair,
he cultivated those peculiar powers which, even.
then, gave him entire ascendency over body
of youth scarcely junior to himself with an
energy that raised him at once above his equals
in age and Office, and prepared him to he what
his cOuntrymen now call him--Ihe Voice of
Itcly
Father Gavazzi's liberal opinions in politics
subjected him to imprisonment more than once
during the ROntifcate of Gregory XVI and on
one occasion he remained in confinement for
twelve months. He also incurred the dispeas-
IRE of the church by denOuncing the vices of
the cleygx, ON the accession of Pins X, he
was .::.2-,.'. 60. ~ sae.,~f ;,-,ia',Saas,s (
20 gaa9 .eII into disesteew " th the new Pope,
in consequence Of his liDerk5p n,ous m ,h.ass,v
and state and was thrown into prison the THIRD
time
We have not space to recapitulate the en-
croachments of the Austrains on. the Peninsula
their enormities in Lombardo- Venetia. the out
RACES which marked their course, the horror
the indignation, the madness, to which this
aroused the people of Italy The main facts
are too recent not TO be remembered, and it is
enough to say that when the Austrans had
perpetrated q massacre at Padua, Gavazzi was
chosen to deliver an grafton after mass for
the souls of the murdered, and that on this oc-
casion he made himself increasingly hateful to
the Pope and Cardinals, by his freedom OF
speech in regard to Austria. The sympathes
of the liberal, :" the benevolent Pope were not
with his immediate subjects, but with their
butcher, the Austrian; and instead of laying
up the name of Gavazzi for promotion to the
Cardinalate, he sent him to prison, monastcries
being frequently appropriated to this natural
use, first at Poyeriera, and then in the Capu-
chin house of correction shall we call 1t . at
GenzanO.
While he was under penance there, for the
delinquency of loving his country and for dar-
ing to speak evil of the slayers of bis brethren,
the flight of Louis Philippe, the absconsion of
the old Emperor of Austria and the astound-.
ing events of those months of revolution, were
responded to by similar revolutions within the
Alps. The Pope, hoping to save himself for
better opportunity, still feigned liberalism, even
suffered himself to authorize leves throughout
the Roman territory, and gave air the necessa
nv orders for the march of an army northward
to unite with the insurgents of Milan and
Venice for the overthrow of Austrian power in
italy. and the establishment of independence.
Gavazzi was once more ut liberty. While
others mounted the tri-cOlOred cockade, he
made a tri-cOlored cross, put it on his black
robe over the breast; with that sign of a cru
SADIE against the enemies of Italy, he walked
the streets of Rome; and, while the colors pro-
voked the rage of the priesthood the form of
the voluntary declaration protected him from
their violence.
The sO-called Pontifcal army being raised,
Gavazzi was chosen to be Chaplain General,
and i'm that character once more stood before
the Pope to receive his blessing Again the
Pope smiled again he applauded the man whom
he had so lately silenced and imprisoned, gave
him his perfdious blessing, and, with it
formal sanction to preside over all the chap
lains of the new recruited army OF that army,
Gavazzi was the ruling spirit The rude
soldiers gathered around him on the field, and
wept or maddencd as he discOursed to them ON
the woes of Italy or detained on the enormi-
ties of that lettering despotism against which
they were in arms When the troops entered
town, with this chief ecclesiastic at their
head the people would unyoke the horses from
his carriage, and take him to some great church,
or to some public square that his voice might
console, encourage, or instruct them At his
bidding, the rich brought forth their wealth,
the poor gave out of their poverty Gold.
Jewels, money, provisions, horses, were brought
to recruit the army and the able-bodied came
to him for his blessing, that they might give
themselves to this crusade against the Teuton
and the Croat Their enthusiasm knew no
bounds His bodily strength, his mental energy,
his inimitable eloquence, rose with each incite-
ment His tall figure commanded the rever-
ence of every spectator and his piercing voice,
when once heard, amidst the confusion of the
widest crowd commanded silence, and insured
obedience.
But at Bologna, his native town. Gavazzi and
his cause encountered "a sudden and deplorable
reverse The King Of Naples had perforce
sent Is, 900 men to the war n independence, as
it seemed; but like the Pope and in coniunc-
ton with the Pope, he merely sent them as
blind to provide the retreat of the Austrians
with something like reason. and to divert.
rather than help, the patriotism of the people
The officers in heart opposed to the whole
movement, went reluctantly The men We're
too degraded to have heart in an enterprise 50
noble. An order came from his Neapotan
Majesty to recall the troops, and they. willing
to escape from fight made no question, but, as
of course, prepared themselves to return Ga
vazzi rushed into the camp, demanded hear
ing and got it. The men were riveted. and
began to feel that after ALL they were Italians.
The officers fought against conviction, grasped
their swords, and CRASHED their teeth A
murmur OF threatening ran from mouth to
mouth. cries OF disapprobation and of menace
forbade the orator to dispute the orders d the
King But Gavazzi perscvered raising his voice
higher than theirs, forcing them to hear few
more sentences of that speech which never be-