New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-11-06
THE POPE AND HIS FINANCES.


Otates and seen the country destitute oil ines anu
dwellings and almost lying waste, the ci'ie' eo",s
70 ruin. commerce, industry aud Puonc scn'"''
absolutely wanting the agricultural P"puh''"h
mining in a misery which is rendered less glarlng
I'D mora .,erslle than that of Ireland only BY the
fertility of the soil and the frug"hty OF i's inhao
tapt- Won will be- surprised u learn toa' ''e P'"Pe
Of these States are among the most heavily tax
ridden il Europe and that the government which
r,les them is saddled with debt which eats up
half IFS revenue. This surprise Will be- increased
by the obseryation that, setting aside the almost
complete absence Of every institution and improve
ment Of modern civilization, this government has
Tor many generations not wsged any war, that 1t
has no navy whatever, 10 army worth speaking OF
no armed iorresses in ,hort, none OF those things
which account for the Indebtedness Of other Euro
p.an States Nor will this surprise be diminished
by a comparison of the Roman States with their
psighbors. While in the Kingdom Of Naples, even
under the unm;tigatcd despOtism Of the King, at
L.sst the matt rial condition Of the people il i'm
proving gradually, and industry aud commerce are
Enthusiastically increasing, while in Tuscany net OF
,aroadscovers the land, industry fourshes andLeg-
horn is one Of the emporiums of the Mediterranean,
commerce in the Roman States is decreasing, the
few branches of industry, in which they excelled,
krgush, real estate is dcpreciatng, and unhealthy
marshes encroach daily upon the surface OF the
cultivated soil.
No doubt much of the medieval stagnation in
which the public and economical life of the Fapal
States is Wondering away, is owing to the posi-
ton of their sovereign head of the Catholic
r Al. ..t r..tb
never rested on the country subject TO their tenn
poral rule. Their Golfers have been filled with the
tribute of all the Catholic nations; their spiritual
power extended over the whole globe. Rome WAS
hong the diplomatic center of Europe, and IN
short her might has depended upon the constitu-
tons of the world at large, and her relations TO
other Catholic governments have always been the
leading consideration for the Popes In the adoption
of their policy, to the exclusion Oi all regard Tor
the wants and the welfare of their temporal sub
jects. The POpes have never had a home policy;
they have always neglected the country, aud have
never spared any attention to the promotion OF In
dustry and commerce. The nature of the country,
the wants and wishs Of lis inhabitants have, at no
time, exerted any influence on its political history
nor, far as il depended on its Government, ON ITS
economical development Hence the political and
economical misery in which the people OF the
Roman States have anguishcd ever since the dawn of
modern times. But if the high position in the world
court and that most positive of all advantages |
which consisted in the confux of varied features
in Rome, were sufficient to reconcile the Romans |
to their lot until the close of the eighteenth century,
the transient taste of civilized administration |
which, even in the shape of the iron rule of |
Napoleon, proved blessing in comparison with |
the efete hierarchy, and the reduction of the Pope
to his present threadbare authority in 1915, |
despOiled the government even of those apparent !
outward merits which had been its last and only 1
claim upon the attachment of IFS subjects.
One might suppose that, when they were thus !
compelled TO fall entirely back upon their secular
dominions, the Popes would have endeavOred to
gain the sympabes Of their subjects, and that II 1
there had been no other motive, the instinct OF
selfpreservation would have prompted them to
iDauguratc wiser policy. But even when ATS
prestige was gone-when its old resources were
dried up, and itself reduced to Il mere local. sub
ordinate part in the affairs of the world-the PaPal
Government continued TO move under the influence
srd in the direction of IFS traditional impulses.
All the traditions of the Middle Ages, all the obso-
bite superanuated abuses, were retained III full |
force. The very intricate government machine
was entirely III the hands OF the pI1ests-eyery lay
n an being excluded by law from both admlnlstra- |
five and iuapisteral Offices There nothing |
ike a clear definition of the different powers of |
governments and the principle Of the naIlibilty OF
the Pope was not only applied to matters of mere
technical administration, but he went even 10 the
length of annullng solemn judicial decisions ny |
virtue of his spiritual sovereignty. At the same
time, the financial operations were involved IN the |
deepest mystery and the widest disorder; no bud /
get existed; the accounts were never balanced, |
and il is very doubtful if any were ever kept; |
municipal liberties were destroyed; the Jurlsdc- |
ton Of the different secular and ecclcslastlcal
courts was entanged in inextrcable confusion; the
highways infested by bands of robbers; and
poverty, ignorance and crime increasing at fear
ful rate This is the state of things which the
Popes of the nineteenth century have endeavored
to perpetu9te, and upon every modification OF
which they have looked with an evil eye as traught
with unknown dangers. Standing in fear and
adherence Of modern science, they williuly disre-
Rarded all its beneficial results in agriculture and
industry and deliberately neglected every chance
of even q material Improvement of the country.
With systematic defiance of every rule of pubic
economy and orderly management-with an I'M
movable incidence an6 q sovereign contempt for the
TEMPORAL welfare of their sublects-they left them
Ia perish in the cid misery and allowed the evil to
grow without even stopping to think where II might
end. 49,
The cry of distress among the victims OF this
miseoyernment rang at last so loud through Europe
that in 1881 the five great powers including nus
sa and Austria, felt themselves called upon To IN
terere in their behalf, and 10 force upon Gregof!
XVI. some Of the most indispensable reforms, That
is the introduction OF order into the admihlstra-
ton admissibty of laymen 10 at least the inferior
government offices and judgeships, and the iorma-
ton Of Central Board, which, under the presi-
dency of a cardinal, should have consultative
vote in the management of the finances. But even
these small measures were gall and wormwo0d 10
Gregory XVI. He stroye To put off the evil day
Of their realization, and succeeded The good IN.
tcntions which his successor, Plus IN, manifested
in the beginning OF his government, had not stern
en,r oh to hold ont against the influences