The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-01-08
DOUBLE SHEET.
THE MADTAr FAMILY.
Large Gathering Of the Christian Public.
SYMPATHY FOR THE PERSECUTED PRO-
TESTANrS IN TUSCANY.
y ELOQUEN SPEC ES,
&C., tGc., SC.

utmost capacity by and highly psctabe
blage to listen to the addresses of several eminent d
vines and laymen expressive Of tho sympathy enter
Sained by the friends OF religious freedom respecting the
Madiai family, and other persons imprisoned in the
Grand Duchy Of Tuscany for possessing reading the
Holy Scriptures.
His Honor the Mayor (Jacob A. wssteryelt,) pre-
sided.
On the platform noticed DIS. De WITT Adams
Haisht Culver Cox, patten, and other distinguished
divines.
The President having called the meeting TO order Rev
Or PArrEN read the call OF the meeting.
On motion OF Dr. FAscHiLp. Vice Presidents and Sc
eretaries appointed and ths Rev DR. De wrrr Of
Sered up prayer to Almighty God to protect the unor
tunas Christians who q. present lauguishirg in
prison.
Rev. Doctor BAIRD then came forward and said -
In the years lS4S ana ls49 many thousands Of copies
OF the sacred Scriptures in the Italian language
published in Florence and twelve thousand
put into circulation among the people who received
then with great avdy This done during the reign
OF those liberal views and which the revolution
IN the early part Of the first named year gave birth to- In
many parts Of Italy For the space of year all this
done with the of the govern nent and in a,
cordance with the laws OF Tuscany During this briet
period of religious liberty many persons were led by h
errors Church Of Rome in which they been born
and eoucaed With the exception of the occasional visits
OF Swiss. French and English proestants- ministers Of
the goePel ana lsywenhe influences which operated to
occasion this movement wholly Italian Little
1ne etings for reading and expoundng the word of God
held in private houses For several meaths also
faithful oung from among the Waldsn.es In the
yaes OF Piedmont preached the gospel Ia the italian
Language a. the Prot slant Swiss chapel ia Florence
which for more than twenty years had beea sustain
under the auspices Of this Prussan embassy and in
nection with 1t 1t thus that the truth ade silent
but eotual progress In the capital Of Grand Duchy
OF Tuscany and Its immediate vicinity
But at length the reaction set in ia Tucany we'll
IN all other parts Of Italy excepting the kingdom Of Sar
DINA, The Grand Duke having returned from his tenn
porsry abdicaton Of the throne Of hrs fathers
long till privilege ater and liberty after
another, aboli he'd together with the tution
which had been adopted in lsis The OF Tuscany
induced to adopt after arrest the
spirit inquiry and It's among the people
The Italian pr aching In the swiss chapel interdct
ed In the spring Of sot Count Piero Guiociarui nd
five others were arrested and thrown into for the
sole offence Of possessing and reading the New Testament
At the moment when the gems darmes broke in upon
their simple and truly primitive meeting for spiritual
edihc.tion they were engaged In reading the fifteenth
chapter OF the gospel by John which comAences with
these words of our Saviour am the true vine, and
my father is the husbandnan" The imprisonment OF
these of but short DURATION for their sentence
was commuted (through the influence 1t Is said of the
Late Mr. shel the then British ambassador h the court
Of Florence banme for the period of six months
in some cases and year in Others
This the prelude to greater trials to the little band
of Scripture ipquirsrs O,hsr mprisonmsnts and other
sutumn of 1851 many twenty Of Ghs most promi-
nent persons In this religious movene either in
prison among common ieions In exile. In the sue
ceedng winter Francisco sdai aud his wife Rosa both
persons in the middle period life rather passing out
Of arrested and thrown into osshsome prison
among the vest criminals whero they lsnguishsd many
months, and their health 1t feared permanently
affected length in June lsst they brought to
trial The only chs,g ge Tin the language OF ths n.
dctmsnt literally Translated that Of ilaplety shown In
5uAkipg pToselytes to the called evangelical pure.
20. pei confession In other words it WAS charge that
koyn o-rA C,A. haysr
found the blessed peace which 1t gives, desired to
make their nsghbor and friends partakers in II cir joy
The trial Asted from the 4th to the 3th Of June 1884,
and ended in their being condemned by vote OF three
Judges ageipst them to two in their favor They
defended with great ability by s'g Maggoran talented
Forentne advocate who deserves the greatest credit for
his intrpidity in that trying moment ard for his subse
quent kind and conderate attention TO his unfortunate
clients II is proper to add that the argument OF this
abla adyooste Was fuv Sustained nv the opinions OF
Of the most distinguished jursts in Tuscsny. The
noble confce decoted themselves ths oocason
to command the deepest sympathy of all who were
present Pale and exhausted By their long and niser.
able imprisonment, they answered with meskness and
mness to the in serrogatoes of the court At the
cncement Of the trial senor Mada was asked be was
born in the bosom Of the Holy Mother the Roman Ca
xholic church Yes" he replied, but now l am
Christian according to the Gospel Whs has made
you such aud does there exist an act of abjuration
amongst those to whom You are united!' Ny con-
acquired strength from the study of the Word
OF God. Ii has been mstter between God
and my own soul but which was ontwardy manifested
when took the communion In the Swiss Church. His
wife also testified that the change in her views and feel
ings had been the result of years prsyerful inquiry
and that she had made public profession of her new
ath at tune when the laws gave religious liberty to
the citizens
: But every defence was in vain They we're con.
demned- Sig Hadia to fifty six aud hs wife to forty
I've months imprisonment hard labor and both have
already passed than Elk months OF th terms of their
sentence not in the same penitsnary but In establish.
.ments fifty miles apartthe husband at Notsrrai anu
his wife at Lucca.
Tbi, sentence so unjust no utterly contrary the
G.v hp ms upds mpr, tn
teach the Sculptures" excited n. sentiments Of
horror and indignation in the hearts of good Of all
deno mnatioue Of Christians wherever il became known
No everr language has been applied to it, and to the
punishment wb IN IL has iohcted and promises still to
infiict than that which has be n employed by dstin
puished Roman Catholic la men, and some Roman
Catholic journals In Europe. We wish ws could
say the same Of come Roman Catholic journals
when it bscams kno vn that the health of one
Il not both of these sufferers fr Chsts rake" was
in danger Of giving completely away, and that other
instances OF persecution occurring Mt Florence
the protestspis Of Great Britain Holland France, Ger
many and swtzerland sent deputation Of ten men-
tbel Earls Of Roden and Oavan and Capt Trotter from
England Mr.. Elout Hollands Count de Calparn and
NJ de Mlmont France Messrs Fouftalis and BONN Ger
many and Count de 81 George and Col Tronchin aeneva
eition to Florence to for the comency OF the Grand
Duke. They were refused personal interview by the
Grand Duke Wbereupon they addressed q resp pectfGl
but earnest note to bis royal highness, and returned
to their respective countries to make report to tho'e
who sent them Their report is DC sre the world and
yeveals kabe and alarming state OF things
in Tuscany. On the hand Thousands Of people In
Florence by the reading OF the Scriptures have turned
away from the doctrines and the woshp of the Roman
Catholic Church; and the other, many suffering
in many ways from the rigor Of the government; somo
ote In exile, some In p:on and some under suryeil
lance Of the police which s in respects worse
than imprisonment And recent ordinances or decrees
OF the government denounce the punihmen OF death
<by the guotine) against certain Offences and among
them that contrary to religion Contra re-
gio the very offence charged upon the Madiai And at
the latest intelligence fiom that unhappy country,
nj nua nj tha iuAv ale Tho
ed with Count Guicciardni In 1851 been arrested
and thrown into prison second time for the crime Of
Professionalism His house searched at the hour OF
three O'Clock in the morning and copy 81 Do1atis Bible
the Protestant version found In IL Very serious appre
heusions entertained lest either by the sword and
the fsggot or by confnsment in unhealthy prisons,
amid marshes may be called TO suffer death for
reading the Scriptures and following their convictions
And these things sfne in this nioeeenth century
Tell not among the Mohsmmedans-tell 1t not am ong
the heathen.
We complete this simple narrative by stating th the
Earl Of Roden obtained permission to visit Gig Madei
and his wife in their respective pri,ons; AMI whilst he
Bears honorable testimony to the cyty OF the keepers