Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-02-14
The Roman Legations.


The Roman Legations.
Crossing the Italian peninsula near its centre,
the Papal States shoot up towards the north.
west following the Adriatic See to the mouth Of
the PO, whence they proceed westward and
form a block nearly square, each of its sides be.
ing from fifty to sixty miles in length, which is
united with the main body ofthe P0ntifcal do.
minions By sort of isthmus between the Apen.
mines and the sea. from eighteen to twenty five
miles broad. This geographical eIcreseencs
has on its western borders the state Of Tuscany
aud MOdens, viii le the little river Foglia sepa-
rates it to the southwark from that portion OF
the Papal States known as the March Of Ancona
Its other limits are formed by the Adriatie and
the Po. Ifthe reader comprehends this des-
cription he viii lbe able to form general idea OF
the outline and extent of that part of Northern
Italy commonly but incorrectly termed the Ro
magma, and occasionally the legations re
Pion which was revolutiOnized last summer, and
which Napoleon declares has, by the "inexor-
able logic" of facts, been lost 10 the Pope for
ever. Let US add that it contains in all about
1000 square miles, with population slightly
exceeding one million soDls,
Physically this region consists of two separats
states, the larger, or square block referred to,
forming part Of the northern slope Of Che Apen-
mines, while the narrow strip has an inclina-
tion from these mountains towards the cast The
former belongs properly to Northern, the latter
to Central Italy, But in both the geological
formations and natural productions are pretty
nearly alike. There are the same calcareous ridg-
es along the Tuscan border, the same aluVial
plains at the opposite extremity, the same foam
ing streams, with channels grooved deeply into
the uplands, and spreading out into dull sheets
when approaching their mouths; there are also
corresponding belts of country devoted to the
culture of hemp, silk, precious fruits, and the
common agricultural products.
Unlike Piedmont and Lombardy, the Lega-
tons do not afford very marked contrast be
tween the ancient and the modern, as 1.-two or
three civilizations were arranged side by side
They are stamped all over with Roman and
medieval impresses; the modern is scarcely
visible. The Aemilian way, constructed more
than twenty centuries ago, from Rimini (Arimi-
NUM- to Piacenza (Placsntia), in many places
still serves for thoroughfare. Most Of the
cities along its route or contiguous to it were
Roman colonies, several Of them important
points during the Empire. Ariminum was the
first conquest Of Cesar after crossing the RubiS
con. RaYenna was for some centuries the cap .
tsl of Italy. Ferli is a corruption of the words
Forum Li1ii The word Bologna is but slight.
ly altered from the BOnonia Of antiquity, and
the place is, next to Rome, the richest Italian
city in relics Of the middle ages. Ferara is
not known to have struck its roots so deeply
into the past, but is fully up with its other
neighbOrs in the career of declension, exhibit
ing the same ruined Notifications, deserted
mansions and grasscovered streets. Agricul-
ture is conducted without skill or enterprise;
manufacturing industry, in an organized form,
has hardly begun to show itself; commerce has
vscated this part Of the peninsula. Only one
short railroad, from Modens to Bologna, has
been built, as if men feared the neigh Of the iron
steed would startIe dead heroes from their
sleep ofsges and bring them up 70 shame the
living.
The eXarchste of Ravenna was given to the
Pope by Pepin Of France as early as 755, nd
the deed was confirmed by Charlsmagne; but
it took as many years additional to overcome
the resistance of the people and confirm the
Ponti6cal authority over them. At last Pope
Alexander VI. commissioned his son, Cesar
Borgia, to conquer the country. His success
was accomplished by using all the arts Of in
trigue, trsachery and force them in possession
of the Roman court, and was followed by his
receiving the title Of Duke Of the Romsgna.-
In the following reign Julius H.) it was regu.
larry anneTed to The POntifeal states, together
with the other Legations of Forii, Ferrara and
Bologna. Ecclesiastical bigotry completed
what faction had begun, and this part of Italy
almost sank out of sight for centuries, until i
was stirred to new life by the French invasions
of 1877 and 1901, in the latter Of which it was
taken from the Pope and handed over to the
Cisalpine Republic, to be incorporated after.
wards in the EapO comic Kingdom Of Italy.
The four provinces already named, toge her
with three others in different part ofthe Pope's
dominion, are styled Legations, because the
local government is administered by Legate,
while the remaining provinces, governed BY
Delegates. are termed Delegations. The for
meF, adjoining Austria's dOminiUns on the Po,
have long afforded that power an opportunity
as well as pretex. for interfering in Italian
affairs, and in a measure dictaiing the policy of
its rulers By the treaty OF Vienna, Austria
might, ifjudgvd necessary, garrison the city Of
FerTara as well ss Piacenzs; but she was not
allowed 20 construct additional Notifications in
either. So frequently and peTsistenly did she
thus interfere, that Louis Philippe, shortly
after his accession to the French throne, oc-
cupied theport Of Aneona with body of troops
for six years, until every Austrian soldier had
abandoned the Papal territory. But in lS47,
when the present Pope beganto introduce i'm
porlant reforms, theAustrians once more cross
ed the boundary and occupied Ferrara, threat
ening to march to the city of Rome unless his
Holiness ceased to identity himself with the
progressive party. The Pope consented and
obeysd; but the people of Bologna unfurIed the
standard Of revolt, defeated WeldeD, the impo-
riaIist General, and only suceumbed in 1910,
when the liberal interest everywhere had been
crushed to the earth.
It viii be remembered that the Austrians
began the campaign Of last year by marching
an army southwark as far as Ancona, which
they took and gArTisoned strongly. The Bsme
was done with PiacenEa and various other cities
south Of the Pc. This foolish procedure effee>