Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1858-12-25
A PRECEDENT FOR THE MORTARA
OUTRAGE.

Some Roman Catholic Journals, in upholding
the course pursued by tho Papal government in
regard to OBTAINING from his parents the Mortara
boy, asserted that the Pope is but acting in &C.
co-dance with the established precepts of the
Church, and following the example of his apostol,
ic predecessors. NJ. Mortara, or some friend on
his behalf, has ransacked the ponderous works of
the old church writer's, and in his petition to the
Roman government, the results of these searches
are made public, in a series of arguments which
go far to %disprove the theory that the outrage COM
mitted on the Jewish boy of Bologna is author
lied by the acts of preceding Pontifs.
1t is unnecessary here to cite the learned dis.
QUESTIONS of the old theologians. A single fact
will suffice to show the kind of precedents that
Plus TX. has for forcibly proselyting his subjects.
The most recent analogous case that we have heard
of occurred in IVA. At that time Clement XIV,
one of the most vigorous and liberal Of all the
Popes, and the only one who was bold enough to
abolish the Society Of Jesuits, filled the Papal
chair. The adjustment of this powerful sect, and
the liberal course Clement pursued in other res
poets, aroused the enmity Of certain ecclesiastics,
and his death is generally supposed to have been
owing to poison However this may be, he was
one of the Popes, a predecessor of him who now
wears the Papal tiara, and his example is there
fore an authoritative precedent.
1t was during the last year of the Ponti6cate Of
Clement XIV, that a Protestant Irish family
named Mcnamara, Of wealth and good social pr
sition, came to Nice, then, as nov, a favorite place
of resort for the Weather classes of Northern
Europe. The daughter of Mr.. Mcnamara. a little
80 ohnrt n,pa aor of ona INNS onkr,ato ) y tho
care of an Italian lady, who took the child to the
Bishop of Nice, and had her baptized and confes
sed by that ecclesiastic. who also administered the
sacrament. When the Mcnamara family wished
to return to Ireland they could not get thei: child
from the Italian lady and the Bishop. who urged
as does Plus TX. in the Mortara case, that theil
conscience would not allow than to permit thi'
brand pluckod from the burning to fall again int
the fire. The afflicted parents laid the matter be
fore the British Government, which at once com
municated with the Sandman authorities. Thu
king of the latter country. though disappearing
of the conduct of the clergy, deemed it expedien
to refer the matter to the court of Rome, which
far from defending the surreptitious administra
ton of the church rites, and the forced detentiol
of the little convert, directed her immediate re
turn to her parents, and suspended the proselyt
ing bishop for two years from the exercise of hi
episcopal functions. 1t is true that in this cas-
the kidnapped child was born under the Englisl
flag, and o powerful nation was ready to deman,
her restitution, while the Mortara boy is but
| Jewish subject of the sovereign who sanctions tn
, outrage perpetrated upon him. Yet, while Blu
one nation protected the little Irish girl, we no,
8 see all the great governments of Europe, and tn
; moral influence of the whole civilized world, plead
0 ing for the Jewish boy of Bologna.