The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-10-21

Of God II depends on the Italian people
whether the Holy Father shall retain bis tenn
poral sovereignty or not; and what they will
do nobody can say. They are capable Of doing
anything hostile to the Pope ono moment, and
the next Of falling on their knees before him,
and, with tears in their eyes, begging his abso-
luton" Victor Emanuel, in his speech at the
opening Of the nav Parliament year ago,
said, "Time and the force Of events viii solve
the questions pending between Italy and the
Papacy. We must remain faithful to the con-
vention OF September, which France will COM
pletely carry out within the appointed time.
Henceforth 1t will be easy to wait" He will
now have to wait but few weeks before the
appointed time shall arrive. And up to this
will adhere to his secret convention with Italy
and withdraw all the French troops from Rome
But we are not so sure that either Napoleon
or Victor Emanuel will deem that the logic Of
events inexorably requires the transfer of the
capital Of Italy to Rome. Napoleon can hardly
help seeing that the Gordian knot may be cut
and this last troublesome question be solved
by counselling and encouraging an arrange
ment between the Pope and the King, by which
the former shall remain at Rome and the latter
at Florence.
Florence-beautiful Florence-is admirably
adapted to be the capital of modern only
of modern, Italy. In 1915 the Florentines
took part in the civil war between the
Guelphs and the Ghibelines. After strug-
gle of thirty-three years the Guelphs, or
the papal party, were beaten and expelled
from Florence by the victorious Ghibelines.
Let the Guelphs, the Papal party of to-day,
possess Rome and leave Florence to our mod
ern Ghibelines, and that without any quarrel.
Let Florence retain its supremacy in art, with
its slender and elegant Campanile, the lofty
bell tower of Giotto, its palaces and gardens
and galleries of sculpture and painting, in
Guiding such masterpieces as the Venus de
Medici "the statue that enchants the world"
the Knife Grinder, Niobe and her children,
and the paintings Of Raphael, Titan and
chel Angelo. Let her retain her one hun
dred and seventy churches, surmounted by
the Duomo, the dome of which is equalled
only by that of st. Peters at Rome. Let the
Academy Della Crusca still labor to improve
the Italian language. Let science and charity
work hand in hand in her numerous
hospitals. Let foreigners continue to make
Florence their favorite resort, rejoicing Gfcver
weary of her artistic attractions) in the scenery
Of the lovely valley which stretches away from
her walls along the Arno to the surrounding
Apennines. Here in this valley alone, well
wooded, well cultivated, with its broad fields Of
the richest husbandry imaginable, there is suf-
fcient reason for making Florence the metrop-
oils of kingdom. For its oil, wine, raw silk and
abundant agricultural productions Of all kinds
can yield food and wealth to an almost innu-
merable population, and the trade and manu-
features within the city already promise to
develop to an unlimited extent The silk
stufs, straw hats, artificial flowers, musical and
scientific instruments, jewelry and hne porce-
lain Of Florence are known throughout the
world Of commerce. Above all, let Florence,
as the capital Of the new kingdom, illustrate
the inestimnble advantages Of constitutional
government, and raise up citizens not unworthy
Of the great names which have made her
annals famous-such names as Dante, Petrarch,
Boccacio, Machiavelli, Michel Angelo, Leo
nardo da Vinci, Benvenuto Cellini, Calico,
Guicciardini, Americas vespucius, Cosmo and
Lorenzo de Medici and the rest
And as for Rome, with her Seven Hills, her
Temple Of All the Gox, the Pantheon, the
Coliseum, Triumphal Arches, Pillars Of Trajan
and Antonine, the world renowned Flavian,
<bo Co+e corrhs x,,;tb al ~. roc,rocts oe cacac
antiquity, and with its medieval and modern
ecclesiastical glories, the dome of st. Peters
rising sublime over oil; its galleries Of art and
its libraries and colleges, and all its manifold
attractions, let Rome remain the chosen home Of
the Pope. Let IL forever remain the pure, the
spiritual capital of the future greater empire,
or greater Church Of Roman Catholic Christi
anity, freed from its follies and superstitiens
and founded only on truth in art, religion and
philosophy. Even ifpolitical exigencies should
strip the Holy Father of all his temporal estates
save Rome alone, what treasure, what an
accumulation of treasures would still remain
in his possession! About summed up the
question when lie said that at the worst, and
rs a last alternative, the Pope might retain
the city of Rome, his palaces and temples,
his cardinals and 'prelates, his priests and
monks, his princes and footmen, and Eu-
rope The might have said the world) would
contribute to feed the little colony. Peters
pence would pour in from all parts Of the
Christian world, enough 10 build chapels at
every cross road in the South, that new field
OF missionary effort among the millions Of
freedmen, to send missionaries everywhere
else, and last, not least, TO sustain the spendor
Of Rome itself as the grandest show-placc on
the globe. With all its relics Of the past-not
to forget its inexhaustible stores of relics Of
martyr and saint, including with the genuine