The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-01-10
Mr. Banks, Chairman on Foreign Affairs in tho
House OF Representatives,, was adoptei De-

AVu00 W asCPicDo@s0Svo0y Wu0 auoPto-B &c
cember H.
and prsjadiosa 70 rep.Scaa institutions have Tor
Zine been carried bctwce0 spain and severi Auer
Saos the Pacific coast and also between Paraguay
and Brazil and Uruguay and the Argentine repablc on
Reserved. that |, e recommended 70 the Executive De-
6e govern nsns psaccaSis. bs os~ed for the prone
tea Of peace and harmony In South America
This,.wc think, explains the secret mission Of
Mr.. r. W. Seward, Assistant Secretary Of State,
in the war steamer Gettysburg. for parts un-
known We have no doubt any longer that his
mission d that Of psAoenaker n South America
on behalf Of republican Institutions; and 20 We
wish him complete success
--
Italy aal the Ohsrch- Barsa Ricassai's AAns.
sAbas Letter. ,~-:s
One Of tho most remarkable public doou-
nents which has been issued for maay years
past Is tho letter Of tho Itsl Ian Premier. Baron
Ricasa,i. to the exilsd bishops resident in
Rome, wAieA ws published h the HnsAIS yes-
tsrdsy,. Il Is remarkahla. NOT alene because Il
definitely sets toftA. kdags. 10 ~ Issue, sad
absolutely Lays down the uitimatum upon the.
conflicting question, Of Church spiritual and
Church AsmPosai 1autAssity, bat beosase y In
wolves . magnificent recognition Of the prin-
cipies Of the American governmsnt aud people
and the institutions Of these United States, IS
expressed, acted upon and successfully estab-
lished in the face of doubt and fear and mis-
representation for the last three-quarters of o
century.
The success Of our principles Of religious
liberty being recognized and adopted by Italy.
the cradle Of religious bigotry, renders the cir
cumstances surrounding this letter Of Ricssoli
more significant, while, at the same time, it
proves the wisdom and foresight Of that states
man In anticipating the views which before
long must be arrived at by other European
States, both Catholic and Protestant. The
unnatural alliance Of Church and State was
fully compreheoded and wisely guarded against
by the founders Of this republic. II has taken
some time for the nations Of the Old
World to comprehend the spirit which
has preserved us from the unhappy con-
flicts that have arisen elsewhere between
elements, which experience has taught
many Of them, bitterly and bloodily, are radio
ally discordant and cannot be reoonciled. The
difficulties Of Italy hinge upon this question of
Church supremacy in matters of State, and it Is
brought to fine point by Ricasoli, when he
cites the action Of the Catholic Council ct Balti-
moro, and hopes that Italy may soon enjoy
"the magnificent nd,imposing religions spec
taSie Afforded to the free citisens Of The United
States, vkses5a religious doctrines are ftesiy
.disenyped, and whoas decisionA eppspysd By
the Pope, will be. proclaimed and sxecuted IN
every town and sillass without exsq,.atsr or
psaeisis Here sur exampis b proniasntiy
held up TO the people and the Church IN Italy
a. one from which civil and religious liberty
may inherit its most substantial birthright He
goes further into the condition OF affairs which
exist In this country when he presents this
truthful and pleasant picture Of religious
liberty as Y y enjoyed here. he says :-a In
the United States every citizen is free to follow
the persuasion that he may think best, and to
worship the Divinity in the form that may seem
to him most appropriate. Side by side with
the Catholic church rises the Protestant temple,
the Mussulman mosque, the Chinese pagOda-
Side by side with the Romish clergy the Gen.
evan consistory and the Methodist assembly
exercise their Office. This state Of things
generates neither confusion nor clsshing. And
why Is thisi Because no religion sskeeither
special protection or privileges from the State.
Each lives, develops and Is followed under the
protection Of the common law, and the law,
equally respected by all, guarantees to all an
equal liberty"
While restoring the exiled bishops to their
sees and guaranteeing them all the protection
Of the laws, the Italian government speaking
through its first Minister, admonishes them that
they must demand no privileges not consonant
with law and civil liberty; that they cannot be
considered simply the pastors of souls ss long
as they seek to be "the instruments and de-
tenders Of power at variance with national
aspirations" In other words, II is decreed that
hereafter, in reconstructed Italy, there shall be
as absolute separation between the exercise
Of spiritual authority snd affairs Of State rs has
always existed In the United States with such
happy results In behalf of progress and civili-
satiou.
This declaration on the part OF the Italian
government cannot fail to produce an electrical
effect upon all Europe, and while it will tend
to solve the difficulties of Italy, resting as they
do upon the very pivot on which the vital issue
between Italian freedom and Church inter-
ference with the civil government turns, it will
cause an awakening Of other States upon this
subject that may lead to q complete revolution.
For example, England, which through Its press
and statesmen has been for years haunting Italy
with its traditionary evils Of religious bigotry
and Its concomitants Of ignorance and popular
oppression, may DO led to discover from the
example Of that hitherto benighted country that
the social evil Of her own Established Church,
with all its rich emoluments bestowed upon the
hierarchv nj the cost NJ the neonle Ia The 0rcct