The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-06-20
- C0rIesPondence Of the Nelo York Erening Postl
LOUlS NAPOLEON AND THE HEPOPE-ABOUT'S
ROCK SITDDDHSCEn

bOOh SUPPRESSED.
There is at least power in Europe that the
Emperor of France is afraid Of and that is the
church, or, if not afraid he is not at all disposed at
present to awaken its hostility. An almost ludi-
crouS illustration OF this has recently occurred NJ
Edmond About went to Brussels and published a
volume of some three hundred octave pages, all
about the misdeeds OF the Papal government and
the miseries in Italy, of which it is the parent He
entitled it La Question Romaine. 1t is one of the
ceverest and at the same time of the most pun
gent criticisms ever written against the worldly
side of the Papacy. What gave it more impor-
tance just at the time of its appearance the fact
that Nj. About is, or has been until recently, one of
the writers for the Moniteur; indeed, portions of
this work appeared in the form or letters in the
government journal. The Unirers takes advantage
of the Emperor's well known anxiety just now to
stand well with the church, to crafty its bit
ter feelings towards him by laying NJ. AbOut's book
indirectly at his door. The Steele replies that the
government could not prevent the circulation of
the book, implying that it had tried. The Unirers
retorts that the Emperor found means to exclude
all the brochures with which the Brussels press
teemed Immediately after the second December,
and that none OF them could be had for love mo-
ney in Paris. In day two the Constitutional,
semi-official paper, had the following announce
ment:
"a journal has pretended that the circulation of
the book of NJ. +. About, entitled The Roman Ques-
tion had been authorized. This assertion is errone
ous The book of Nj. E. About has been seized and
handed to the tribunals
Tae Unirers followed up its attack by affirming
that up to the day of its own publication the book
was offered for sale in all the stores and as to its
authorization, the Unipers could only say that it
had been passed the French Custom House by thou
sands, and that it had been sold freely all over
France. At last the URiUers triumphed, the book
was seized and its sale prohibited. 1t is not now
to be purchased anywhere in Paris.
The Question Ron,aine is certainly very extra
ordinary book to be published in Catholic France,
the eldest born of the Catholic Church, and all the
more extraordinary for coming from one of the edi-
tors of the government journal. He says in his
preface:
eff | sought publisher in Brussels when had a
good one in Paris it not that the regime of the
press the rigOr of the French tribunals inspired
me with inquietude; but the Pope, who has a long
arm, might have reached me in France. have
retired little further from him that might tell
him the TRUTH
The first chapter commences follows:
"The Roman Catholic Church, which respect
sincerely, is composed of l39 millions of individu-
ais, without counting the little Mortara"
at is governed by seventy cardinals, or princes
OF the church, in memory of the twelve apostles.
"The Cardinal Bishop of Rome, who is also de-
signated as the Vicar of Jesus Christ, the Holy
Father, or the Pope, is invested with an authority
without bounds the souls of 139 millions of
Catholics. The cardinals are named by the Pope;
the Pope is named by the cardinals From the day
OF his election he becomes nallible at least in the
Judgment of NJ. de Maistre and of the best Catholics
of our time Bossuet was not of that way of think
ing, but the Popes have always been. When the
Sovereign Pontif declares to us that the Virgin
Mary was born without the stain of original sin,
the l39 millions of Catholics are bound to believe
him, and that has happened quite recently"
NJ. About then goes on to state that, while the
people OF this fully occupied age, instead of cutting
each others throats about theological dogmas, have
been tracing railroads, planting telegraphs, build
ing steamboats,, launching ships piercing isthmuses,
creating sciences, improving laws, repressing fac
tlons, nourishing the poor, civizing barbarians,
draining morasses and recaiming lands, they have
remarked around Rome and its bishop violent agi-
tatiOn, which neither the Vaccinations of diplo-
macy nor the pressure of armies could quiet they
have seen in little of a peninsula a fire
without flames, which neither breaks out nor goes
out, but which in twenty-four hours may kindle all
Europe. Our age, he adds prudent from duty
while it has great things to accomplish, cannot but
be moved BY the situation of Rome and wishes to
know what is the matter with her.
The Bishop of Rome they find the temporal sov-
ereign Of l,000, 900 hectares of land and of about
3,l24, ,66S men, who put up loud cries of distress.
''Ot what do they complain? Listen to them only,
and you will know soon."
NJ. About then proceeds to present his indict-
ment against the Papa government. We give it
in full
"They say: That the authority to which they
are subjected without ever having asked or accep-
ted it, Is the most entirely absolute that ever was
defined by Aristotle; that legislative, executive and
Judicial powers are united, coniounded and mixed
up in this same hand, contrary to the usage of civil
lized states and the theory of Montesuuieu; that
they recognize willingly the nfallibiiity of the
Pope in all religious questions but in civil matters
intallibity appears to them more difficult to ac-
knowledge; that they do not refuse obedience since
no man can be allowed his way entirely in this
world, but they would prefer to obey laws that
the good pleasure, be it ever so good, is not SC
good as the Code Napoleon; that the reigning Pope
is not bad man, but the arbitrary government o
priest, even an intallible one, can never be any
thing else but bad government.
That, IN virtue of an ancient usage which no
thing has yet been able to root up the Pope has
| tached to the temporal government of his state
| Chiefs and sub chiefs, and spiritual EMPLOYEES O
| the Church; that the cardinals, the bishops, tn
canons and the priests plunder indiscriminately
that one and the same caste is charged with the ad
ministration of the sacraments and the provinces
with the confirming of children and of judgments q
the courts, with the directing of sub bdeacons an,
of arrests, with despatcbing the dying and commits
sions to captains that this confusion of the spritua
| with the temporal no doubt furnishes for the re
| sponsible empoymentS multitude of excellent mer
In the sight of God, but insupportable in the ewes
OF the people; strangers, often, to the country
sometimes to business; always to family life which
Is the foundation of society; without special knowI
edge, except of heavenly matters; without children
which renders them Indifferent to the future of the
nation; without women, which renders them dan
gerous to it; and finally, incapable of listening tc
reason, because they fancy they share the pontica
intallibility.
"That these servants of God, ever gentle and
sometimes very severe, simultaneously abuse gen.
leness and severity; that full of indulgence for the
Indifferent, for their friends and for themselves
they treat with extreme rigor whoever has the
misfortune to offend them; and that they more ea-
silly pardon wretch who cuts mans throat than
one imprudent enough to complain of an abuse.
"That the Pope and the priests who assist him,
never having learned accountability, manage the
finances badly; that the unskilful or dishonest ad-
mlnistration of the public resources could be borne
two hundred years ago, when the expenses of reli-
gion by the Court were paid by l39,OO0,O0O OF
ath bnt thofi &c 20
closer alter the expenses now when g. l24 66S sub
| jects have tc furnish the whole.
| "That they do not complain of paving taxes-for
that is necessary everywhere-but they would like
to see their money spent on things of earth that the
basicas, churches and converts constructed or
| sustained at their expense, rejoice them Catho
| lies but sadden them as citizens-for, after all
churches but imperfectly take the place of rail
roads, highways, canals and dykes; that faith hope
and charity receive more encouragement than ag
riculture, commerce and industry; that public sym
pathy is developed to the detriment of public in.
struction.
"That justice and the police are too much occu.
pied with the safety of souls, and little with the
safety of bodies; that honest people are prevented
from damning themselves by blasphemy, reading
bad books and associating with republicans, but
scamps are not prevented from assassinating limo,
cent peoples that property is protected the per-
son. that is badly and that it is very hard that
can count upon nothing with any certainty but a
| seat in Paradise.
'That they pay more than 1000, 900 year
for the support Of an army without discipline or
instruction, of questionable courage, and destined
never to make war except against the aggrieved
people; that it is very hard not only to be beaten
but to pay themselves for the rod; that they are
| likewise compelled to give hospitality to foreign
armies, and particularly to Austrans who have a
heavy hand by virtue of their being Germans.
'Finay, they say this is not what the Pope
promised them in his motu proprio Of the 18th Sep
tember; and it is very sad to find infaible people
| fail to keep their most sacred engagements"
When it is said that the rest of the book is de
voted to an amplifcation of the points glanced
in this indictment, cannot be surprised that i
should have given extreme offence to the ultra
montana party in Paris, that the Ninistre d,
Cutie should hasten to clear the skirts of the gov
ernment of all responsibility for its circulation.
M. About, after recommending a reduction of tn,
| temporal power of the Pope to the most moderate
practicable limits, concludes with the following
significant paragraph, which the Uniuers has uset
remorselessly against the Emperor
''But the Pope and the cardinals will they be con
tented to become mere ministers of religion Viii
they renounce their political influences with gooC
grace? Will they, in day, part with their hab
| of interfering in affairs, OF arming prince
against each other, and of dscreetly arousing sub
jects against their kings? | doubt it. But prince
also may the right of legitimate defence. They
| will re-read history They will see that the stronl
| governments those which have held religion ii
! their own hands; that the Senate of Rome did no
give Carthagenan priests the privilege of preachin.
in Italy; that the Queen of England, the Empero
| OF Russia, are the heads of the Anglican and Rus
sian faiths, and that the sovereign metropolis of h
churches Of France ought properly to be at Pnris."
ABoUT's BooK-How 1T WAS sUPPREssED-THE EMPE
RoR BUYING TWENTY THOUSAND COPIES.
| PARIS, May 26.-The book ofM. Edmond Abou