Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1851-08-12

Roman peoUIe, some twenty odd centu-
ries ago, who were capable Of selfgoyern-
ment, and who maintained i long and cred
iably. Why should il be otherwise with
the Romans Of lo-dayi don os.beieye il
is. They have great vices ! admit, for all
Testimony affifms IL thal they nigh, some
what abuse Freedom u fear, for the blessed
sunshine is painful and perilous to eyes long
used to the gloom Of the dungeon. But,ho
experience Of Freedom mus, Tend 10 dispel
the ignorance and correct the errors oil It's
volaries, while slavery only leads from bad
10 worse. If len centuries OF such rule as
now prevails here have nowise qualified this
fpeople. for self-government,. what rational
hope is there that ten more such would DO
liti If reform is ever 10 be. eiiecleo, II
cannot commence TOO soon. '''F
As,o the actual government Of Rome and
her dependencies, il could not well beworse.
The rulers fully understand that they are
under no obligation 10 The people fot the
power they exercise, nor for the submission
which it commands. The despotism which
prevails is unmodfed even by the heredl,a-
ry despot's natural desire 10 secure the
throne TO his descendants by culliyaling lhe
good will Of the people. The Pope is nom.
inally sovereign. and all regard him as per-
sonally pure and good man; but he exer's
no actual power inathe State, his time and
thoughts being wholly devoled TO The yari,
GUS and complicated cares Of his vast Sprll-
ual empire. Meantime The Reaclionist in
fuences so omnipolenl with his predecessor;
but which we're repressed for a time alierthe
present Pontiff's accession, have unchecked
sway in the political administration, The
way the present rulers Of Rome read Hlslo.
ry is ,his-"Pius TX came into power Lib.
eral and Reformer, and did oil he could
for the promotion Of Republican and Pro-
gressive ideas: for all which his recompense
was The assassination of his Prime Minis
Ter, and his own personal expulsion from his
throne and which is guile enough
of Liberalism for one generation; we, al
least, will have no more Of it," And they
certainly live up 10 their resolution.
|, is currently reported that there are now
seventeen thousand political prisoners con-
fired here, but nobody who would tell can
know how many there are, aid | presume
this statement is gross exaggeralion, sig
nifcant only as an index Of the popular
feeling. The essential fac, is that there
might be seventeen or seventy thousand thus
imprisoned without publicity, known accu'
salicn or trial, save al the convenience o
those ordering their arrest; and with no re.
cognized right of The arrested 10 Habeas
Corpus or kindred process. Many of the
best Romans Of the age are in exile fol
Liberty's sake. | was reliably inloi med a
Turin that there are al this time three hun.
dred thousand political refugees in the King.
dom Of Sardinia, nearly all, of course, from
the despoisms Of Lower Italy. Europe is
kept quiet by system Of terror, which is
efficient while the spell holds; but let ii break
at any point, ard all will go together.
The Cardinals are The actual directors o
State affairs here, and are popularity helc
responsible for all that is dslked in the Go
vernment. They would be likely to fare
roughly in case of another revoulion,-
They are privately accused Of immoraliIies
which men so powerful and so unpopula
would naiprrlly be, whether with os wiihou
cause. know no facts that sustain the &C
cusation.
A single newspaper is now published il
Rome, but. have heard it inquired for o.
mentioned but once since came here, ant
then by Scolchman studying Italian. lii
ullra-despolic in its spirit, and would moi b.
tolerated if il were not. 1t is small
coarsely printed sheet, in good part devoted
to Church news, and to the progress of con
version from the English 10 the Romisl
communion. There are few foreign jour
mails taken or read in the koman States
Lynn or Poughkeepsie probably, Newarl
or New Haven, certainly, buys and read
more newspapers ,lian the entire three mil
lions of people who inhabi. the Papa States
couG not relish such a stale Of things.
have just paid 1910, (more Than half of
10 our American Consul) for the privileg,
of leaving the dominions of His Holiness
and shall speedily profit by The gracious per
mission. HG.