The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-01-08
The Mortara Case.
THE CATHOLIC VIEW OF THE AFFAIR.
JAMES G. BENNETT, Esq. Editor { New York Herald :

the American public in regard to the merits Of the Moara
case and the Catholic side of the question has hal 80 little
chance OF being fairly FORTH having met with tho
enclosed article in the Catholic Herald and Visor pub
shed in Philadelphia, have ventured TO enclose il TO
YOU leaving to your OF justice and fair play-on
which know may reyto publish either the whole or
part OF IT, according as VOC may think best.
/. b. BINS5E,
Consul Of Pontical States
| SECRETARY CAss UPON THE MORTARA CASE
We take from cotemporary journal the following let
ter, written by the present Secretary of State of the cde
raj government Washington, to Mr. Jonas p Levy Of
| that city,
wAsnIscros, Dec. 20. 1853.
Letter Respecting the proceedings at Bologna "a he
til fS o Ga "st osl apS
sss $ wS 81 h ~s s
delay there was need repeat the communications cape
ment You but justice when you class among The
1T s 9s and S when % s
there touching the rights of fellow citizens Of the Hebrew
DOR @ % apesSa
@ and n'a
aosan from when other nations are concerned But =
and regret at the deporable Papal
aSs s suss a sa s as
OF hSrops Tne Judgment of the world will epadsmn
The letter Of Mr. Cass, he says is written by him as
an individual and not the Secretary State but com
ing, as it does from man who has in many and va
rious ways served well his country-frOm high in
honor and respect-rom man who in honorng the coun
try is honoredsuch letter is important AS 1t has been
published generally in the journals, and very probably
was written for the purpose of being published feel
at liberty, in placing 1t in columns to add to what
ever reflections it may have inspired in own mind
and what Is more we feel 1t to be in some respects
duty TO do All liberties bear with them weghty
duties and while thankful for the liberty of the press
Joyed IN this free country, feel the responsibility
entails in forcing us to speak freely We're
dumb when free to speak should be suspected of being
ashamed OF cur cause or of feeling ourselves hopeiossy
in error We not conscious OF being the other
This affair Mortara has been much talked OF and
well known that it may unnecessary 10 say
what it is. 1t is however, always preferable always
Safest to state clearly at the time the true point in ques
ton; and we, therefore, few words will state again
what 1t is, this affair MOrtAra 1t became known that
child, seven years OF age, the Of Jewish parents
siding in Bologna had been baptized when young by
Catholic servant living in the family The baptism was
shown to be valid by the examinations made
fully by the Roman congregation the persons who
part in It, and happily there several their
mony under oath We would here remark that il ought
to be sufficient to know that Christians declared the bap
unbelevng sconers should not be allowed To
say how baptism must be administered
to produce produce sacra,nental effect This known,
child should be Jew or a Christian, for the would
be one or the other, according he educated;
made no difference where he was, that he could be
brought up Christian. In a Jew family it mposs,
BILE for him to grow up Christian and he therefore
placed in Christian school, where his family was freely
admitted to visit him. but where he taught the
of Christianity There his education snail be finished,
when he will be free to go wherever he choose and
to believe whatever he may think fit.
This is the true history Of occurrence which the let
ter we publish day styles ian act of injustice great
that difficult TO conceive how it could take place in the
middle of the nineteenth century and in the heart of
Europe" To use such language, aged and venerable
man, who has great knowledge and experience, must
look upon this occurrence nos horrible, horrible
beyond all thought, beyond all expression Only think
the middle of this century II onlv wear since the at
tempt to destroy the lives Of the Emperor Empress
rrance s BY throwing internal engines Of in
tal spot OF civilization 1t only year since Sisters Of
Charity were beaten in the of Lisbon by dregs
OF its populace hunted by the cries preaching
liberty of conscience. 1t not year the dcstruc
ton by styling themselves phanthropists humapta
rans lovers OF the liberty OF conscience of the schools
Belgium taught by the Christian Brothers 1t is not a
year since whole families have been exed from Sweden
for daring to leave the religion established by aw-thc
religion Of Luther, the champion of liberty
We can scarcely believe eyes when the Nor
tara affair styled act Of injustice almost nconceivaby
great Surely the author of this letter had vet vivid re-
collection OF despot who tore children from fami-
lies to send them far away to lose the faith in which they
were born; he surely remembers to have seen whole
populations violently cut loose by the sword from Catholic
unity and # he listens he will hear England tho
for their children children of Catholic soldiers who died
lighting for England, now being bought up by the
money o6tanedfrom Catholics 10 a religion odous to them
Blessed with many and such striking points of com
parson can be that the author Of this letter finds the
Morara affair 70 surpass them all in injustice and afro
city, as almost inconceivaby unjust II be that
he does so because the child jew for he must know
that the ukase of the Emperor Nicholas of Russia the
head OF the Greek Church, has since 1884, carried away
thousands from their parents to the Greek Church.
If he fOrgets this, let him rccollect that the
Jews, than a million in number who in the
ancient Polish provinces had been free from recruit
ments were made subject to IT, Experience showing that
out Of one hundred only M to serve as soldiers
il was decreed that the children should he yh,,
eight years of age brought IN in large buildings nj
the Emperor expense and when old enough placed in
the army This ukase styled patenai executed with
all the rgor Russia in following out the Ordinances
of the auocrat When the children were collected thew
all baptsed by immersion By the Greek priests and
Greek names were given to them Sir Moses Monedore
the rich jew LONDON the same who is now so active in
the Mortara affair." ST. Petersburg aud was kindly
received by the Emperor To all bis entreaties and
complaints, however the Emperor answered that tine
very things of which he was complaining were a
proof OF his paterna Kindness TO ali his subiecs 40
10 the religion he protested that Jewish customs and
laws were incompatible with the duties of SOL
der, and when the Jews were raised from their
ignorance and superslons to the light of the reli
gon protested by the Emperor they ought TO sec theron
desire his part 10 draw them out of the bru, cond
ton in which they were and To be thoprnI for II wi,h