The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-12-12

1oaurcK anaagiEpeRare him the more, as.bf tbes
, suferlngs he IS seen to walk more closely IN tn
footsteps OF Him who bore His cross to the sum
init OF calvary. ..!z;.l.
they are trials and are painful; and 1t Is our dut
to SEEK and to- pray for peace aud tranquility
We claim for the Sovereign PontIH exemption
from these snares and trials to which the attemp
of the italian Government would Inevitably sub
ject him. In h official capacity, having intimate
and conscientious relations with the children o
the Catholic Church scattered throughout the
world, he nesls the fullest freedom from such
| embarrnssments and we claim 1t for him.
| we claim it also as needful for our own relgi
GUS liberty and peace. We are Catholics, and
have the right to be sucn We have the right to
approach siIe common father OF the faithful, and
| to communicate with him freely, and to consult
him in our religious affairs. This Is sacred right,
bound up with the very essence OF our religion
one that we cannot dream OF surrendering. 1t
has been freely admitted and freely exercised
ever since those early times when persecution
ceased. The very first Christian Emperor, Con.
stantine the Great, withdrew from Rome TO BY.
zantium, and Rome has never since bee1 the resi-
dence or an Emperor or King who could claim
precedence over the Ponttn, and the authority
or power to supervise and control the
| Head of the Church. After enjoying this right
for more than fifteen centuries the Catholic world
is not prepared, in this nineteenth century, to
Gee yttor Emmanuel or any other civil power
ouetiy glide In to infringeit or to take it away.
| I've claim the right still to approach the holy
father freely, and not 70 oe stoppe at MS VeStl-
buIe by the soldiers Of this tntrudiLo power and
allowed TO enter only on condition that our per-
| sons and our business are not unsatisfactory to
| them. Il ..,o ara 49,; ,,.o-. .,,,
| otSer dIflcntIes. II is not impossible that ere
MANY months all Europe may be plunged into q
! general war. The nations may be gathered TO.
gether In two opposing hosts. Italy may join one
Gathoilcs in those nations, to which Italy would
stand opposed, be able to communicate with the
Pontitr under the rule OF the King OF ltay? Would
NOT an effort to do so be looked on at home as an
efrorr to communicate with an alien enemyP II
| one 20 me in person would he not make himself
| Iah,e 10 The penalties OF martial law as spy or
| as an enemy, II seized 10 Rome or wlthln me
| Italian domlnions! a similar dl1lculty Wouid
arse whenever Italy, justly or unJ1stly, Wonid
enTooe in war with any nation OF Europe. The
| embarrassmeut would be in olerable TO the con-
Sciences and minds Of the children OF the cnurcn;
They cannot consent that their religion snould
| Tins be practically enslaved and manacleu oy Tue
caprices, or made subject to the variable LOT.
tunes OF any civil power. IL E'uss DC Tree as !"
has been hitherto. 49,. .ho
Iu the name of freedom OF rellgion-that tEe
Sovereign Pontin In the exercise OF his religious
AUTHORITY. NAV not be trammelled or hlndered py
the arts and wIles OF politicians. and that 10 our
intercourse with him we may be Tree from tnelr
suspicious and their annoyances, anu n9G oe Mn Ia
dered by their political interests or des1gns-We
earnestly protess against this unwarranted lnVa.
sion OF sacred, ancient and most lmportapt
right. ;. l.. .,, ,ono
Finally we protest against i 10 nasce 5ae and
national freedom 1t would be standing menace.
The statesman, whether he believe In Divine ReV.
elation or be an in6del. whether Cathonc or
Protestant, must recognize tne laet Inat 'e ,.s.
In the civilized world. Many efforts nave Deen
made Ia times past to crush and destroy Eer;
They have all failed. She has survived them, anu
Is as strong today stFOnge re- ger ,od oIn over M TWO
hundred millions Of Catholics. vi thlS cauIcm sue
Bishop of Rome Is the head and chlel pastor;
Every word he speaks Is reverenty hearu, anu
sinks into the hearts and minds Oh tnese mlliIons
of the faithful. He thus wields moral power,
without example, In the world, and far exceeding
any physical power OF civil governments.
1t was with deep sense anu cnaIaC
teristic military appreciation of the grandeur
Of this power, that the great Napoleon
instructed the ambassador whom he was sending
to Plus VII. then in the weakest days OF nis
temporal power, to treat his Holiness ~ as II ne
ha two hundred thousand soldiers" Napoleon
ranked the Pontln as equal to the stfongess
powers of Europe. To-day, In the altered condl
lion OF things he would say, five hundred
thousand soldiers" This immense moral power
of the Pope the statesman may admire or may
dislike, but he must admit It's existence, and
must give 1t its place and It's due value, "heh
making his political calculations.
Now the Pon'ltr must be either sovereign, ' H. as
subject, as Victor Emmanuel would make him.
II subject, then he owes subjects duty, ALE
glance the better and rIeT CRTsah NH he n ne E thas
duty. BY IT, he would be oonnd to promote Ine
welfare and to forward the interests OF his own
nation, to carry out the policy and 10 0oey Tue
commands OF the government he IS under. so
far as the laws OF God are not violated. Just as
good clergyman is bound to use all MS influence
over his flock, to promote gooa order anu Inc
faithful observance or law, so the Pontln woulu
be bound as far as he could and until estopped by
the law Of God to use all his influence In favor oi
his country and government, In every legitimate
Wav ut home and abroad.
Would any government In the clVlllzea Wosia
feel safe In allowing another government TO pos.
spss and hold under Its exclusive controi SO Vast
power? Would Prussia, or Austria, or France
meeHly allow Victor Emmanuel to Weld power
NOT restricted In Its influence 10 his own domn-
ions but felt also in theirs, with force greater
than that uf q vast army. 1t Is a question which
goes out beyond the sphere Oh religion, anu WHICH,
as the world goes and political aspirations would
assuredly ever strive TO shape r, must enter into
the domain OF national interests and national IN.
dependence. Not even Protestant England colld
consent to It, She would act again, as SHE did Ia
1914, when she sent military guard OF honor 10
conduct the Sovereign POntin ln triumph hack 10
ROME and when In the Congress OF VIENNA ler EN-
bassadors insisted most earnestly that In the re-
construction or Europe, lt was absolutely neces-
sary That the States OF the Church snOul1 be re-
placerl il their previous condition under The Soye
rcignty OF the uoly Father
Doubtless, many government Would reJolce 10
ful subject OF such immense power. But no other
civilized nation would or could safely allow It,
The position would inevitably give rise to suspi-
ciuns. iralji sies Jarring Interests and ever re.
curing wars-the more bitter, because religion
would ever be more or less mixed up with the
questions ana interests Involved.
Even before men became conscious Of the dill
culties aud dangers, provision had been made to
ayod them Under the dlSpensaiion OF Divine
Providence, which watches over and protects the
church and guides The hearts OF men; while the
shattered fragments OF the mighty Roman EN-
pire were crystallzing into me nations OF medln.
val and modern Europe, with their rival and jar
ring interests aaG purposes, the Bishop OF Rome
found himself tn. sovereign or small portion OF
Italy lust large enough to exist by Itself and in
dependently, and TOO small to be a cause Of fear
or of jealousy to other nations BY this arrange
ment-the natural growth OF events, rather the
decd OF mans distinct purpose-the Worldwide
problem received its only possible solution. The
Poutiir can stand aloof from tile political ques.
tlOns oil nations, and be In nowise mixed up With
their cver-recurring wars. Even amid the dln OF
arms. while wars rage Tor years, ne can lreeiy
comm nlca.e In matters Of religion with his chill.
dren on either side OF the contest, and they with
him, without violating the laws, or tetraying the
interests OF th'ir own country.
SO long us the world Is divided into various
nationalities and klngdoms-rivals In peace and
In war; so long Us the catholic Church exists, and
the Bishop OF Rome Is her head, her chief bishop,
aud the centre of her ecclesiastical unity and au
thority 80 long Will 1t be necessary, and for the
common good Of ALL that Rome and the States
of the Church stand apart as neutral ter
ritory. where no other civil sovereign than
the Sovereign Pontlf shall reign. The peace
OF the world no less than the interests OF religion
and the welfare OF consciences claiming freedom
In the exercise OF religion, imperattvely demand
atuill n O no pNp