The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1858-11-24
L ii E DISPATC Fl.
MOANING. NOVEMBER "a.
THE MORrARA CASE.

The New York Freemsa's journal gives the FOL.
lowing view Of the circumstances of this case:
"As the matter stood when brought before the
public, our exchanges stats--lst That the bov
is no longer an infant, but lad Of eleven years
aud very intsligent for his age. "a. That In :
stesd of being terrified captive la the hands OF
sidnappsrs, he 10 Of his own free will and choice
resicing IN q scholastic establishment Of Rome,
where his parents have access to him; all that
Is forbidden them 10 to interfere with the eIsc-
tion the boy has made, and 70 which be firuly
adheres, OF being Christian. Sd. The ontcsy is
sa'd to have been raised, not by the boys family
nor at Bologns, where they live, but ty some Of
the Jews at Aiessandria, ir Piedmont. The
father OF the boy, after interview with the Pops.
ana long conversations with his son, acc uiesced,
u alleged, ID the arrangement. Ths boy, on
MS part, shows tue waTmest affection for his
parents, 10 always rejoicsd TO zee them, but ar.
Gently desires their conversion to Christianity,
aud will not leave the school where be now is
The question 10 thus altogether changed in It's
poets. The father no doubt prefers that his son
should return to his home and be subjected to In.
Huences leading him 80 renounee the name aud
faith Of Christ In which he has been vslidiy bap-
tiZed and instructed, and which be now processes.
The government Of the Pope would have to
take the responsibility OF thus assisting the apps
tacy of christian child, or else Ii must say, ia
| this instance, that the child being Christian,
| aud eleven years Of age, shall have the right Of
indt pendepoe of its Jewish father and Of choos-
ing ite own guardians. In any government whore
| there is one privileged religion of State, Que
oaiy course would be taken. 1t is n hard case
for the parent, aud he has the sympathies Of the
power that is compelled to decide against him
But 1t must be remembered that the parent, living
IN land where bis religion is not tree, bat only
| tolerated, has exposed himself to this painful
| fortune by breaking law Of that and, enacted
for his special prott ction-yiz tie law forbidding
| Jews to Keep Christian donestios or inmates in
their houses. Catholics are strictly forbidden,
everywhere, to bsptize the children of Jews. Pro,
testsnts iufiiels, without the consent OF their
parents except in the case OF children abandoned
by parents. or slss in dTfteitt0 morris"
Commenting on the above remarks Of the Jour.
nal, the New York Post says:
If the father freely and fully acauiesces in the
arrangement, and makes no objection to the edu.
cation Of hrs son in the church into which he was
candestinely baptized, there is no be said.
The abduction and detention of the boy might
have been wrong; but If the parents now say it
is all right tbs case is one la which We see no oc
casion Of expressing oEr ~ mpatby.
twill be said, and We must admit with great
probability, that the scJuescence of MoTtara the
fsthcr. in the detention Of his CHILD, was a com.
pe.led acc Gaiescerce--a prudent resignation to "A
decison which he did his best to prevent, and
which, ss sutjsct of the Pope, it might be uu -
safe for hiCo to question In the rccounts given of
this affair his parents are spoken of, from which
We infer that be had mother equally interested
with the fatber in demanding the restoration of
their son. and, doubtless, with stronger yearnings
and desper passion. Has the ecQuiescepce of the
mother been secured.
u strikes that there is some inaccuracy in
tie statement OF the Freemahs Journal, that
ish families are forbidden to employ Chris
tian servants. The Cpiysrs, Of Paris which, on
this question takes the Catholic side states ii diff
fsrsnlly, ia the fot wing abstract of the laws OF
the Ecclesiastical Ststes, relating TO the baptism
ca Jewish children.
'lst. Inserdiction to Christians to baptizs the
children Of Jews ithout the consent OF their pa.
rapkS of I'm. iat,t
Child ID evidently in danger Of death. IDLY. Ex-
press recommendations TO Christians rot to enter
as eervapts into Jewish families. Similar recon-
msndstions to jews not TO take Christians iBto
their servcsand above ali not to entrUst Christian
women with their children. 3Gly. When. in srite
Of thess precautions. it happens that q child be-
longing TO jewish family, has been validity bap-
tized, there is an obligation to protect the faith of
that child, aud toT that purpose to carry it away
from its parents. should they not consent to it's
being brought up in the Christian religion
According to Inis statement, which is probably
accurate, it is not a Law which the Mortara family
vioiatsd-it was only q recomR endasion which
beth the Christian nurse and the Jewish family
did not tiud il convenient 10 observe. If there
was any fault iu this, II was as much committed
on the Catholic as On the Jewish size, and to do
tain the child in consequence looks very much
like taking advantage OF ones own wrong.
That the child is eleven years old, quito ;ntelli
gent, and declares that he prefers 10 stay where
hs is. docs not materially change the case. He is
certainly not old enough TO form y judgment in
regard TO e SYSTEM of religious tenets.
That there is rule requiring that q Jewish
child ClaDdestinely baptized iuto the Latin church,
should not be delivered up TO its Parents, but
ried off 20 be- educated in another faith than theirs
do not dispute but it is time that the rule
shonld be repealed. The recommendation that
christian servants should not be employed in Jew
sn families IL wise and the rule that eccie-
siastic shall baptize = Jewish child without the
consent OF its parents is founded 10 strict Justice
What is now wanted is the adoption of a rule that
the cisndestiue aud unla~ full baptism shall not lead
TO a violation of the law of nature and of God.
which gives to the parents the charge of their child
In the second rule given in the abstract already
quoted, that law lie fniiy rscosnized;in the third
Is arbitrarily set aside. That the Pope was paiDded
10 refuse the application Of the Mortara family for
the restoration Of their child we easily cops
ceive, for be is q kind aud humane man by tsmpe-
rament. aud the struggle which this refusal tost
him was recognition OF the humanity and tyrsn-
ny Gf the rule he obeyed.