New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-07-01
The Destruction of society.

preach sermon NJ Sl- itElCh NdtHO-
dral in Mott-street, in which he unfoded TO
his hearers the result of his studies and
observations during the months of his abb
sence in Europe The audience was a
large one,-it could scarcely have been
larger had His Grace returned wearing the
purple mantle of a Cardlnal,-and The int
rest intense. 1t was indeed not of the joy
Gus and exultant kind which prevailed at
the great public meeting at the Tabernacle
held to congratulate Plus TX on the constitu-
tlonal liberty, II was supposed he intended
to confer upon his subjects; but now, the
day, the place, and the purposes of the as
sen blage were solemn and religious. and
the dominant feeling was properly OF that
serious and earnest sort which has survived
Illusions and now feeds upon the sober and
poignant marrow Of experience.
In truth. experience has abounded since
Plus N with indiscreet and unluc.y good
ness raised the. banner of reform and hui
manlty in Italy. The enthusiastic saluta-
tons wherewith hopeful and generous
hearts of every faith and every cline
greeted him as the liberator of his country,
have proved precipitate and mistaken; and
the object of all those ovations, after brief
career of almost tragic vicissitude, returned
to the traditional despotic policy of his
court, now governs Rome by the help of
foreign bayonets. And if it Is recolected
that this prince is the revered head OF one
of the greatest religious organizations IN
the world. and that Archbishop Hughes had
but lately seen him, seen Rome, and COM
muned with the men charged with the d.
rection and government Of that church, 1t is
not surprising that his word, should be lis
tened to with extraordinary attention.
The sermon had two divisions, thcologi-
cal and a political our business is with the
latter
The Archbishop regards the Italian peo-
pie, and especially those of Rome, as cor
rupt and ungratelul, and why! Because
they insisted on the transformation of their
Government from an absolute into a consti-
tutional one This was all they asked for,
and had Plus IX freely granted and SIN
rerelv adhered to it after 1t was granted, he
would never have had occasion to flee from
Rome, and the Republic would not have
been proclaimed there. This, we appre-
hend is undeniable The difficulty had It's
origin exclusively in the fact that the Pope
having begun the work OF reform, and eX
cited the spirit of liberty and progress, per-
tiraciously refused and resisted every re-
quest for the establishment Of Constltu
ton and Representative Government IN his
States But was it corruption and lngrat-
tude to demand such a Government Was
it mark of depraved and vicious people
20 insist upon constitutional guarantees Tor
the liberties and rights of citizens, and
against return to the arbitrary rule and
utter stagnation of Gregory XVI
Evidently the Archbishop now thinks 50,
but such was not his opinion formerly. Tie
was present at the meeting at the Taberna-
Gle he sat in prominent place on the plat
form during It's proceedings; nay, he knew
! beforehand what those proceedings were TO
be he knew that both the resolutions and
the address, to the Pope were based on no
other idea than that ne had founded and
meant perfectly to establish constitutional
and liberal Government AT Rome.
To that idea the Archbishop then uttered
no protest, and took no exception. In a
word. he publicly approved II. He virtual
" said that he, too, thought Constitutional
Representative Government would be good
thing for the Roman people, and that he re-
i jolced IN the prospect of It's establishment.
How, then, can he now pronounce the Ro-
mans corrupt and ungrateful for contending
for that very benefit, as for 4 matter of life
and death ? For our part, we should find
them guilty Ola worse corruption and more
radical ingratItude had they failed so to con-
tend.
but this Is not the main question which
the Archbishop brings up for discussion -
tie goes back of governments. back of lib
erty and despotlsm, TO announce that Society
itself Is at stake. In view of this issue it
becomes OF small moment whether there be
little liberty or none at all. Anything is
better than the Destruction of Society. and
that calamity he regards as imminent. II
we ask what threatens this evil, We are told
that IT is the doctrine OF Humanity, GER
I ri . ~