The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-07-02
AsNAblshoP Hughes ON tho Italsan War aud
tho Plight os enc como,

In another page va copy an article from the
organ OF Archbishop Hssbes which no doubt
is from bis own pen or d,ctas'oD, giving his views
he war in ally, and on the present deplora-
rahe condition Of his Holiness the Pope in con-
quence of the dlshosest d-signs of the French
Emperor on the States Of the Church. Follow.
ing the cue OF the Archbishop ot Vienna aud
of the Catholic Primate OF Iceland, the Chief
Bishop of The United States the Metropolitan
Archbishop assails Sardinia aud her King,
France and Der Emperor-slf Catholics Ms they
1e-in the most unmeasured terms They ARE
,hfidels, revolationists and fred republicans"
ard the majority of those who sympathize with
them are placed in the same category. II that
be true, infdes, rev0Iutionists aud "red republi-
States and throughout toe civilized world; ia
fact, there can be no doubt thas they constitute
more than one half Of all Chrisrendom.
The principal charge against the Sandman
government is, that it has plundered the Church
Of its property il Piedmont; and the head and
he has as yet committed any robbery, but thai
he has suspicious and thievish look--a lurking
design to rob the Pope OF 1.-The patrimoay of st.
Peter" Granting the Indictment to he true that
the Church property has been secularized In Sar
dina, and supposing it Is also true that Napoleon
ILL neditates the secuIarization of the States Of
the Church after the fashion of Napoleon L. ia that
really robbery, aud not the restitution or pIuuder;
or would it ipjure true religion or damage the
moral, social and physical condition of the people
among whom the revolution may take place OF
rather, On the contrary, would it not promote the
oest interests of piety and morality, aud advance
The national prosperity OF this beautiful country
50 long trodden down in the name OF religion?
The question is, how did the Church get thai
property? Did che come by it honestly, and is 1t
or the good of society as at present constituted
that the Church should continue to possess it !?
Without hesitation, we answer iu the negative.
II is called "the patrimony of S. Peter" Nov,
ST. Peter never possessed foot OF it, neither din
81. Paul ST. Peter, the fisherman, was SO poor
that when Cripple asked him for aims he re-
piled, "Silver and gold have I none;" and We
know that be was never worth dollar at Rome,
having been crucided there with his head down
by the Pagan Emperor. St. Peter was content
with spiritual sominion, for Christ had told
him bis kingdom WAS not Of this world The
successors Of st. Peter have for ten centuries
claimed temporal throne The inheri.
lance OF ST. Peter would be poverty ana
suffering and martyrdom, not a temporal sover
eigDty and extensive dominious The States
OF the Church are not the patrimony of ST
Peter, but the patrimoDy of Pepin and his son
Charlemagne, who conquered it from the LON
bards In reward for this the former was an
nointed King, and the latter, in the year 800,
crowned Emperor of the West" at Milan, with
the iron crown. After the death of Charlie
msgne the Popes improved on his grant, and
disposed of all the Kingdoms of Europe. The
mutual obligations between Charlemagne and
the Pope form the important link of ancient and
modern, of civil and ecclesiastical history. If
modern Emperor of France, deeming that the
gift has been abused in these latter ages and
That it no longer serves its original purpose.
takes it back or rather places its disposal in the
hands of the people-the true source of legiti
mate power where is the robbery or the wrong
and who feels aggrieved?
II this be robbery and wrong, then the act Of
Charlemsgne was greater robbery and the
act of the Pope in receiving it was as bad as that
of the royal robber. But in that barbarous age
the policy Of Charlemagne was beneficial, and
tended to civilization. In the present age the
Pope's temporal dominion stands in the way OF
the progress of civilization. The Church, as
humanizing, progressive institution had its day
Of utility in the world. 1t was once in the van
of civilization. But it has outlived its influence
for good. At this day mankind are no
longer led by the Church, which is behind the age
the fossil remains Of past generations. All who
are deserving Of the name Of men think for them
selves, and will not submit to leadingstrings
The temporal dominion of the Pope, therefore,
and church property, must give way before the
advancing spirit Of the times and be turned to
more useful account.
The time is gone by when the Pope, in imita
ton Of the Devil tempting Christ on the Mount
can tempt men by saying, Behold, all the king
dorns of the earth ere mine--these will / give
you if you will fall down and worship me-
The time is gone by when the Pope can compel
kings to hold his stirrups and kiss his toe, and
can kick OF their crowns as they kneel in order to
show bis power. BE is now dependent on other
kings for the tenure Of his own kingdom, and
either their power or their will seems wanting to
preserve it. In the present century the Pope
has been three times in exile, and within fifty
years he has been for period Of five years re-
moved from Italy and entirely stripped of bis
temporal dominion. The Catholic religion did
not fare the worse In consequence. Plus TX. is
probably the last Pope who will ever reign as
temporal prince.
The Popes ancient patrimony Of farms and
houses were transformed by Pepin and Charlie
magne into the temporal dominion of cities and
provinces And for more than seven hundred
years this nucleus gathered around it by de-