Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1858-12-04
From the phlladeIpbla Bu1letln.l
The nrortarn Affair Again.


Pope Plus Ninth, who was, ten years ago,
looked upon as sort Of apostle of liberty in
Europe, and the hope of the world, has answer
ed the demand of the various European govern
ments on the subject of the restitution to his
parents of Edgar Mortara, now in the hands of
the InQuisition authorities. He tells them that
the boys restoration to his pHrents is lmpossi-
BILE. A brief statement of this very remarkable
case will serve to put this decision of the head
of the Roman Church in stronger light.
Edgar Mortara Levi is about seven years old.
He is the son of Momola Mortara Levi, r jew
ish resident of Bologna. In 1852, when he was
| about one year old, he was Ill, and Roman
Catholic nurse, about fourteen years DID, think
ing he might die, administered the rite of bap-
tisIn, lay baptism, under such circumstances,
being tolerated and recognized as all sufficient
by the Roman ecclesiastical authorities The
child recovered, but the girl kept her secret
Vt she was sensible of the wrong she bod done
in deceiving her master and mistress and COM
municated her uneasiness to another Roman
Catholic woman, expressing great regret at the
act she had done, and declaring that she would
not have done it had she been older Thewoman
wanted her to tell the matter to priest, but this
she refused, and the other one then went and COM
municated the whole affair to priest. The girl
was Immediately summoned before the Inqui-
sitioH, and made to swear to say nothing about
the matter. In the middleo of the night, officers
were sent to the house of Signor Mortara, and
to the amazement and grief Of the family, the
child Edgar was violently carried off, weeping
in terror at what was done. He was taken to
Rome and put in charge of the CatchumOns,
who still retain him. Remarkable stories are
told of his being a sincere and even an inspired
convert to Christianity, talking words of wisdom
and truth very astonishing in a child of seven
years. Its even said that he refuses to go back
to his parents. But all these reports want veri-
tication. Indeed, when the boys father was
nAVy tod to I,,,Sr
bitterly and to have begged to be allowed TO go
home. Even if it be true that the child talks
sound Christian doctrine, and even if he refuses
to go back to his parents, it may easily be seen
how one of such tender years, secluded from all
other influences for many weeks, could be train
ed, either by tenderness or by fear, to deny,
not only his religion, but his parents also.9
But leaving out of the question the wisdom
or the inclination of the child and putting aside
also the question of religion, looking simply at
the act of depriVing parents Of child, it is the
most monstrous thing done, under santion of a
civilized government, since the worst days of
the Spanish Imposition. The Papal Govern
ment, in sanctioning the act, fairly presents
itself to the world as kidnapping institution.
The abduction of the child is not simply an I'M
Christian act: it is an inhuman act, the parallel
OF which is only to be found among. certain wild
Indian tribes of our Western wilderness, who
are in the habit of stealing children from white
SetteTS ON the frontier, ana torclbIy making
them members of their own community. So long
as the act was only that of subalterns in the Ro-
man Church, and there wasa chance of disa-
vowal by the higher powers and the restora-
ton of the child TO its parents, it was not quite
so bad as it now is. The determination of the
Pope to sustain the Inquisition, and not to per-
NIT the parents to have their child, makes it
the boldest wrong perpetrated by any despot-
ism, in this century at least. The leading En-
ropean governments, Roman Catholic as well as
Protestant, have demonstrated with the Pope
on the subject. In refusing to listen to them,
and declaring that the boy Edgar Mortara can
not be restored, he sets them all at defiance,
aud insults Emperors and Kings, as he has
already insulted all humanity. From smaller
spark than this a great fire has often been kin
died. 1t will not be surprising if Europe should
yet be convulsed and thrones shaken, as con-
sequence of tho superstitious act of Roman
servant girl Of fourteen in the year 1852.
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