The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-02-17
EUROPE.
THE MAILS OF THE BOHEMIAN AND ARAeO.

the Ercyclycal Letter of Plus TX. After express |
ing his gratitude for the sympathy expressed by
all the archbshops, bishops. and other dignitares
of the Church, for the sutferings he has recently
gone through, IN consequence of political events |
his Holiness goes on to say
Recently, as MANY of you are already aware |
the Paris journal, called the Noniteur, published a
letter from the Emperor of the French replying to
letter from us, in which we earnestly entreated
his Imperial Majesty to protect with his powerful
patronage, in the Congress of Paris, the integrity
and inviolabiity of the temporal power of the Holy
See, and to release it from a criminal Instruction
In his letter, abiding to certain counsel which
ne had before proposed US, on the subject of the
provinces which had rebeed against our Pontii-
cal rule, the exalted Emperor advises us to re-
nounce the possession of those same provinces.
considering such remuneration as the only remedy
for the present disturbed state of affairs Each Of
you, venerable bretheren, perfectly understands
that the remembrance of the duty of our high
charge did not allow us to keep silence after re-
ceiving that letter. Without any DELAY, we has
tened to reply to the Emperor and in the
apostoiical liberty OF our mind, we declared to
him, clearly and openly, that we could not in anv
way adhere TO his counsel because it cal ried with
it insurmountabe difficulties on account of our dig
nifty and that of the Holy See, and also on account
OF the sacred character and the rights of that same
See, which do not belong to the dynasty of anv
royal family, but to all Catholics.
"At the same time we declared that we could not
cede what is not ours, and that we could perfectly
comprehend that the victory which would be given
to the revoted Inhabitants of the Emilia would be
a stimulant to the commission of similar attempts
on the part of the native and foreign perturbators
of the other provinces, when they should witness
the success obtained by the rebels And amopg
other things we made known to the same Emperor
that could'not abdcate the aforementioned
provinces of Pontifcal domination without
violating the solemn oaths which bind US; without
exciting complaints and risings in the rest of our
States; without inflicting injury on all Catholics;
and lastly, without weakening the rights not only
of the princes of Italy, who have been unustly de-
spoiled of their domains, but also of all the princes
of the Christian world, who could not see with in
difference the introduction of certain very PERM
cious principles. We did not omit to observe that
his Majesty was well aware by what mep, with
what money, and with whose assistance, the recent
attempts at rebellion excited and accomplish
ed at Bologna, and Ravena and in other towns
while the great majority of the people remained
stupefed under the blow of this rebellion, which
they did not expect, and were not at all disposed to
follow. And inssmuch as the very serene Emperor
thought that those provinces ought to be abdicated
by us on account of the seditious movements which
have been there excited from time to time we op-
portunely replied that his argument was without
value, since similar movements have frequently
taken place both in the regions of Europe and else
where, and there is no one who could therefrom
draw any legitimate argument for lessening the
possessions Of civil government
'We have not omitted to remind the same Empe-
ror that before the in Italy he addressed to us
letter very different from his last and one which
gave US consolation, and not affcton. And as,
from some expression in the letter published in the
above named journal, we thought that we had rea-
son to fear that our rebellious provinces of the
Emilia were already regarded as removed from our
Pontifcial domination, we begged his Majesty, in
the name Of the Church, that in consideration of
his own welfare and utility, he would put an end
to our apprehension. Actuated bv that paterpal
charity with which we must watch over the eter-
nal salvation OF ALL we reminded him that every
one must one day render strict account before the
tribunal OF Christ, and undergo very severe iudg-
ment, and that every one ought, on that account
to do energeticay everything in his power to
merit rather the action of mercy than that of JUS
tce."
The letter then proceeds to call for the prayers of
all those to whom it is addressed in order that the
gates of hell may prevail against the Church
which Christ has established
AN OFFICIAL RESPONSE.
THE EMPEROR DEPLoREs THE ATTEMPT THE POPE To
MAKE HIMSELF THE ARBTTER OF POLITICAL SOW
EREIGNTY.
The Constitutional Official iourna) publishes the
following article in prominent type:
"The Sovereign POntif has Just addressed an en-
cyclical letter to all the bishops We at first
doubted whether we were legally authorized to
publish that document. The organic law which
regulates the relationship of the political power of
our country with the Court of Rome leaves no
doubt upon this question, and resolves it negative
ly. In fact, article l of that law SAYS:
"'No bull, brief. rescript, decree, mandate, pro-
vision, signature serving as provision,
other documents (erpeditioms) from the Court of
Rome, even when only concerning private indiyidu-
ais, may be received printed, or otherwise made
public, without the permission of the government
"Ihls enactment is formal, and we would not
nave lnfrlnged 1t had not the moderation and the
liberation OF the Administration thought fit to der
ogate from so absolute prohibition. We were in
formed this evening, with our contemporaries that
we might reproduce the Pontiical letter without
improprietv
"This letter is a declaration from the head of the
Church, addressed to his venerable brothers of the
eplscopacv. On the first grounds, it imposes upon
US respect which we shall scrupuouslv observe.
but 1t does not concern questions of faith, for
the settlement of which the authority of the Pope
Is only absolute when conformable to the sacred
canons, and in accord with the universal consent of
the assembled Church.
ga political question alone is here under consi-
deratlon, and on this point the competency of the
Court OF Rome could not be admitted without disa-
yowing all the traditions of the Church of France
The memorable declaration of 1882 to which the
name Of Bossuet is so gloriously attached, SAYS
textually:
"'That st. Peter and his successors, Wears of Je
sus Christ, and that the whole Church itself have
only received power from God for spiritual things
civil things
"Thus, in the encyccal letter of the 10Th of JAN
uary, it is the temporal Sovereign who speaks in
the name Of temporal interest but in the forms
and with the particular character which appertain
to the head OF the Church.
There is, then, here an abuse of jurisdiction,
which, without dispensing us from respectful def
erence, cannot prevent free Judgment
Let us not hesitate to express our full opinion.
"ihe adversaries of the Papacy have always re-
preached it for its efforts to overstep the spiritual
domain, which is exclusively its own. They have
raised against it the minds of many independent
men who refused their submission except in matters
OF faith. 1t in wishing to subject according to
the very terms of the decarafionof 1882 Kiurs and
Sovereigns to the ecclesiastical power that VIII lie
nations nations were alienated from that unity of which
Rome is the centre.
'Ihanks to heaven, We areno longer in the times
OF schisms and heresies; and our epoch is too en-.
hghtcned for such distractions ever to arise from
passing misunder standing.
"But 1t is impossible for us not to deplore the at
titude which has been forced upon Plus k under
circumstances when the spirit of Cancellation an
peared as if it ought to ally itself so well with the
august character of the Holy Father. Is it not sad
10 see, In so grave document as that of which we
speak, the eternal cause of the Church mixed up
with and lowered by interests so little worthy of
it, and associated with the fortunes of those Princes
who, IN Italy, only maintained themselves by the
arms OF Austria, and could not return there, ex-
cept at Der back?
ln fact. one of the given in the letter of
the rope Tor refusing the separation of the Romag-
ma IS that he could not abdcate that portion of his
territory without 'detriment to the rights of the
Princes of Italy, who have been uniustly despoiled
of their domains
"Here we have, then, the head of the Church
making himself. as in the days of Boniface VIII
"'N ALL Tue dTUlITatOr Oh political
ereignties. And mark it well this theocratcal
arbitration, which in our dav would be the most
dangerous prerogative for the Papacy, is by a
strange contrast, only the undeniable proof of his
dependency, for before as after the war of Italy we
find Rome bent under the influence of AustriaDun
der that influence which Father Iacordare so lust
~ considered cause of decline and fall of the
Holy See. ''0
eve should pity French Catholics who could
not feel the sad position assumed BY the Papacy
coming forward to restore, against the popular
will, Princes who, having fallen at Solfernino had
no other refuge than the baggage train of Austria
This position deceircs the hopes of all those who
would have liked TO the Head of Christianity
resume the prestige of his political power in his
union. with regenerated Italy.
"The encyclica letter will doubtless serve as a
rally point for many passions which have nothing
French or Christian about them, and which will
wrongly endeavo- to abuse the authority of this
document and its venerable origin. We do not fear
that they will succeed for the policy of the Emper.
or cannot give occasion, we certain, to any le-
gitimate anxiety. The Emperor, inspired by de- |
votion which for ten years has never beled itself
one single day, first counseled to the Pope reforms
which might have saved the integrity of his do. |
minions. Those couusels were rejected the evil has |
become aggravated, and now it seems no longer !
possible to lead back the population of the Romag- |
ma, unless compelling them by force
1.-The Emperor thought it was more advantage |
Gus for the Pope to give up the Romagna than to |
conquer it at the loss of the blood of his subjects
oy foreign intervention. He said so sincerely to |
the Holy Fatter in letter worthy of the eldest |
Son of the Church, and of the Sovereign of France /
The Pope at liberty to follow or reject that ad-
vice. He rejects it.