The Portland daily press., 1865-10-19
Parlismentary Eleotion in Italy.

measures which the Kings ministry propose
| to present to the new Parliament when assem-
bled will be one for the suppression of relig-
ious bodies, and the organization OF ecclesias-
teal property" The Government has issued
a kind of circular, addressed to the projects
throughout the kingdom, setting forth the
principles on which it asks the support and
confidence of the electors, and the policy
which it desires to be assisted in carrying out,
and from this circular we quote the words
above. 1lffF
1t will be seen that the question here open
ed up involves weighty matters OF rehglous
reform. The Government is resolved to carry
ont the nolicy of suppressing the monastie and
other religious bodies, and turning their vast
revenues into some channel which shall make
| them available for the benefit of the people,
The use to which it is proposed to apply the-e
revenues is mainly the establishment of schools
for the education of the people. The whole
matter of education has hitherto been under
the control of the priesthood, and the necessi-
ty for withdrawing it from such control and
committing it to lay teachers viii be sufficient
ly apparent from the fact that of % millions of
italian citizens, II millions can neither read
nor write! The Florence correspondent Of the
London Morning Post says
Sin this fact you have in their bold, naked.
and undisguised deforfnity, the effects of con-
tessionals, and inquisitiens, and Bourbon ty-
rannies; here you have at least one of the KEYS
to the deep and heartfelt detestation with
which every honest Italian regards the monas-
tic orders; one of the keys, may further add,
to the neyer-ending arnazement with which
every intelligent Italian receives the news that
there are EnglishmenA SO mentally blind and
besotted as to aim in the dominions of Queen
Victoria, at the restoration ola system which
the Italians of al ranks, and ages, and classes,
and provinces, with the sole exception iots the
| priesthood) are determined to sweep. away
from the dominions of King Victor Emman-
uel."
Of course, the attempt to destroy these loug
established abuses will be met by the most
strenuous opposition on the part of the reac-
tionary and Papal party. Eve learn without
surprise" says an English paper, "that the
word OF command has been giyent to the adher-
ents of Rome and Of the expelled dynasties to
strain every nerve to return their candidates
to. thenew Parliament 1t is to be hoped
that Italian Liberals and Reformers will be
equally in earnest to secure majority for the
party of free principles. Italy cannot afford
to allow these immense revenues to be locked
up forever for the benefit ofinstitutions which
keep her people in ignorance, or withdraw
them from the service of society and the state
to a life of Incidence and stagnation. She has
started in the race of nineteenth century
| progress she has railways to build, harbors to
improve, trade, agriculture and mechanic arts
to foster, and a thousand things beside her
schools to bring out of the mouldy atmosphere
of the cloister to the light and air of liberty.
She is entering on her tasks with wonderful
amount Of energy and youthful vigor, and it
will be great point gained if by the aid of
the incoming Parliament, she can sweep out
of her path the obstructive rubbish of these
monastic institutions. ar f~r~l
In the meantime, at latest advices, the peri
cd was drawing near when, according to agree
ment, the French army should be withdrawn
from Rome, and much interest was felt to see
whether the agreement would be fulfilled, or
some new pretext devised for continuing the
occupation. Should the latter contingency
arise, very serious complications must newt.
ably ensue, of the probable nature of which it
is notnow necessary to speak. If, on the 9TH
erhand, the evacuation should be promptly
made, there is reason to believe that salts
factory arrangementmay be arrived at between
Rome and Italy, and the conflicting claims of
Church and State be adjusted on basis of
reciprocal liberty and independence. ~.s 4
Shall the People lately in Revolt be guar
antied Republican Governmental
We have seen the truth of the Presidents
declaration that the rebellion in certain States
destroyed all civil government, and that, as a
matter of course, at the end of the war the
inhabitants of those States came into the
hands ofthe government as people only. Y The
States as political organizations were gone,
buried in the past. There are several other
facts showing the same relations of these peo-
pie to the republic, and opening clear way
for the government to legislate for the common
good on the ground Of fact alone, without re-
gard to any disputed or doubtful theories
whatsoever. 4 confne myself now to one
of them.
I These people are a conquered, suTugoted
people. know there are men who do not like
this fact, who turn their faces from it. This is
not at all surprising. 1t Is simply Of piece
with that strange persistency, to which Ihaye
before alluded, with which politicians and peo-
pie forsomany years resolutely ayerted their
eyes from slavery, and whatever had any con-
nection with it, not only refusing to inquire in
toits me aiming and tendencies, but actually I'M
der seemingly the strangest infatuation; per.
verting the truth about it into the very oppo-
site--falsehocd. Before VIM. Lloyd Garrison
was known as a power in the State, or Wen
dell Philips had come on the stage, Calhoun
said, after the failure Of the tariff issue, that he
meant ito force the anti-siavery issue ON the
North" Gen. jackson knew it, knew he
meant it, and told the country 50. What did
! the politicians and great mass of the, people
do with this serious fact? Why, they shortly
turned round and began to curse the 'con-
founded abolitionists," as the demons of the
Storm - y n
The same persistency, which still widely
exists at this hour, was shown quite in charac
ter at the onset Of the rebellion. Certain States
went of, and immediately began series o
the most fragrant acts of war, Selling nationa
vessels, arsenAls, and forts--acts any one q
which committed by a foreign power, would
instantly have brought the whole nation .tC
its feet. Z KS this WARP" "oh, no, not yet
wait awhile" This war actually began. ''Well
is this. war ~ sPerhaps SO, perhaps not" And
then Congress passed one Of the most extra
ordinary resolutions, to say the least Of it, to
be found in the annals of any people, to the
effect that the war was not waged for the pur