The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1860-02-02
TEMPORAL POWER OF THE POPE
THE NAPOLEON PAMPHLET.

1
termination. 1t has long been known that his
Holiness has lost all moral power over the peo-
| pie who are under his immediate government,
and that but for the presence of foreign armies
his subjects would be in open rebellion against
his authority. The Pope is said to be, person
ally, an amiable and benevolent man, but his
Government, in the hands of corrupt priest
hood, is an unmitigated and insupportable des
potism. No sooner was war declared by France
and Sardinia against Austria, than the subjects
of the Pope in his more northern provinces, in
common with those of Tuscany, Lombardy, and
Parma, revolted, and set up provisional gov
eminent for themselves. The Austrian troops
which had held them in subsection to the priest
ly tyranny being driven out, they have ever
since maintained their independence of the
Pope and his temporal authority has since the
war been confined to the city of Rome and the
provinces south of it.
One of the most difficult questions to be ad-
justed by the proposed Peace Congress is that
relating to the disposition to be made of these
revolted subjects of the Pope. Are they to be
reduced to their former subsection, or are they
to be allowed to dispose of their own fortunes?
Austria and the ultra Catholics, including those
of this country, insist that the rights Of a free
people must be crushed under the iron heel of
despotism, and that the province of Romagna
must, at all hazards, and at any sacrifice of
blood, be resubjugated.
In singular and most honorable contrast to
this Austrian policy which Bishop Hughes and
the Catholic priesthood of this country sustains,
the Emperor of France, though an almost alb
solute monarch, insists that the people must be
protected in their rights of selfgovernment.
A pamphlet has appeared in Paris, with the
semi-oficial appreciation of the Emperor, and
which is believed to have emanated directly
from him, in which this subject is discussed
with mastery ability. We cannot praise the
writer for directness and frankness, but more
adroit or more forcible presentation of the sub.
ject, in the difficult circumstances by which it
is surrounded, We can scarcely conceive Of
The Imperial author is all Difference and rever-
ence for the Holy Father and for Mother
Church. He insists that the temporal power of
the Pope must be maintained An elaborate
argument, more specious than solid or sincere,
is offered in support of this proposition. :" If
the Pope were not temporal sovereign" says
the Imperial pamphleteer, she would be either
French, Spanish, Austrian, or Italian, and the
title of his nationality would deprive him of his
character as universal Pontiff The Holy See
would be nothing more than the stay of a
throne at Paris, Vienna, or Madrid. 1t was so
at a former period, and successor of St. Peter
had the misfortune to allow his authority to be
absorbed in the Holy German Empire"
But the pamphlet goes on to define what
the temporal power of the Pope should be; and
the paradoxical position is laid down with ap
parent seriousness, that the smaller the terri
tory, the greater will be the sovereign" And
again =" 1t is only possible, if exempt from all
the ordinary conditions of power-that is to
say, from everything that constitutes its activity
its development, its progress. 1t must exist
without an army, without Parliament, so to
say, without a code of laws or court of JUS
tice."
This temporal government should be con-
fined to the city of Rome and, in the same
spirit of mockery, the pamphleteer says, but
this sovereignty must not render it obligatory
upon him to act a political part, for the Pontif,
instead of finding in this power a guaranty of
independence, would find only condition of
servitude for himself, or necessity of servitude
for his people" And therefore municipal
liberties, as extensive as possible, should re-
lease the Papal Government from all the de-
tails of administration, and thus give share of
public local life to those who are disinherited
of political activity" In other words, the tenn
poral government of the Pope is to be nominal
over the city of Rome and real nowhere.
The real temporal advantage which the Ma
poleon pamphlet proposes to secure to the Pope
is q handsome revenue, to be contributed by
the Catholic Powers. His Holiness would do
well to accept composition in Peters pence
for the loss of his misgoverned provinces. 1t
would be an almost intangible addition to the
budgets of France, Austria, Spain, and the
smaller Catholic States of Europe and Amer
lea, to guaranty far more splendid revenue
to the Pope than he can raise by the severest
system of taxation from the small provinces
which have heretofore acknowledged his sway
"The city of Rome" says the pamphlet, and
the patrimony of st. Peter, must be guaran-
tied to the sovereign Pontf by the great Pow
ers, with considerable revenue, that the Cath
Ollie States will pay, as tribute of respect and
protection to the Head of the Church. An Ital-
ian militia, chosen from the elite of the Federal
army, should assure the tranquility and invi-
olability of the Holy See."
1t is admitted by the pamphlet that the Pope
has Just title to Romagna and the other
States of the Church, secured by the treaty of
1915. But what one treaty has given, another,
for sufficient reasons, may take away. The
reduce his revolted subjects to obedience, and,
if he possessed the power, it would be highly
derogatory to his character to exercise it. Who,
then, shall do it for him? Shall France? "But
never consent to strike so serious blow at the
moral power of Catholicism. A liberal nation,
she could not compel people to submit to
Government which their will rejects" The
pamphlet goes on to declare that France is |
not used to such work." and to boast that,
"under Louis XVI, we went to the New
World, to help it to achieve its nationality. |
Belgium and the Danubian Principalities are
indebted to us for their political existence. 1t
is not the Emperor who could prove unfaithful
to these generous traditions" And if France |
will not intervene, she will not let Austria do |