The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-12-10

| OF peIllb, hnAleIleS, ana bOFfOW5, OlNluo GEo-
| videpce conferred on us meanwhile the
greatest consolation, venerable brethren,
from the noble piety and zeal of yourselves
| and of your faithful hocks towards us and
towards this Apostolic See, of which piety
and zeal you continually gave signal proofs,
by works of Catholic charity. And although
the very grave dangers in which we were in
volved left us scarcely any respite, yet with
! the help of God, we never relaxed our efforts
to secure the temporal prosperity of our sub
iects and the state of public tranquility and
| security under our rule, the condition of all
the best arts and sciences, and the loyalty and
affection of our populations towards us we're
matters of notoriety to all nations, from
whom strangers continually came in crowds to
this city; and especially on the occasions of
the nume1 Gus solemnities which we celebrate,
and at the times of the solemn festivals in
their succession.
And now, when things were in this posture,
and our people enjoying peace and quietness,
the Piedmontese King and his government,
seizing the opportunity when two of the most
powerful nations of Europe were engaged in
great war, with one of which the said
Government hae entered into a treaty to
preserve inviolate the present state of the
Church's dominion, aud not to allow it to be
invaded by the revolutionists, all at once de-
termined to invade the remaining territories
of our dominion, and even our See itself, and
reduce them under their power. But why this
hostile invasion, and what pretexts were
alleged for It'll It is matter of notoriety
what kind of representations were made in
the letter of the King to us, dated the Sth of
September last, and delivered to us by his
envoy commissioned for the purpose.
In that letter, with lengthy and in
sincere circuitousness of words and SEN
tences, under the assumed character of
loving son and a Catholic and under the
| pretext for the preservation of public order
and of the security of the Papacy itself aud
of our person, the demand was made, that
we would be pleased not to take as a hostile
act the overthrow of our temporal power, and
would surrender that power of our own ac-
cord in reliance on the futile promises made
| by himself, which, as he said, would
reconcile the aspirations of the peo-
pies of Italy with the sovereign rights
and free exercise of the spiritual authority of
the Roman Pontiff. We in truth could not
but greatly marvel al seeing in what manner
the violence intended to be used shortly
against us was attempted TO be yelled and
disguised, nor could we help deploring from
our inmost soul the sad case of the said King
| who, impelled by evil counsels, inlicts daily
new wounds on the Church; and, having
respect to men rather than to God, does not
reflect that there is in the heavens
KING OF KINGS
and Lord of Lords, who doth not regard the
person of any man, nor fear the greatness of
any man, for He hath made both great and
small; and that for the stronger there is but
the stronger punishment Wisdom, vi, S-9).
| But as to the propositions made to us, we
thought that we ought not to entertain them,
but that we should obey the laws of duty and
conscience, and initiate the example of our
predecessors, and especially of Plus VII of
happy memory, the sentiments of whose un-
conquered soul uttered by him in cause
completely similar to our own we have plea
sure in quoting:-
"Let remember, with S. Ambrose (De BASIL
trad. n ~, that Nabuth q "ly man, and the pos
SCISSOR of a vineyard of his own, called upon by
royal demand that he should make his VINE
plant common pothtrbs therein, and that he an
swered, God forbid that should sell the inherit
ance OF my fathers Much more do we judge that
it would be unlawful for to surrender so ancient
and sacred an inheritance, namely, the temporal
dominion OF this Holy See, which not without the
evident design of Divine Providence has been held
in possession by the Roman Pontifs our predeces-
tacit assent that any should take possession OF
the chief city OF the Catholic world when the unset
Iement ana aoohton OF the hollest form OF govern
ment which has been left by Jesus Christ to His
Holy Church, and has been ordained by
the sacred canons authorized by the
spirit OF odWoud introduce in its place that code,
which is contrary and repugnant not only TO the
sacred canons but to the precepts OF the Cos
pei, and would bring in, as is usually the case that
new order OF things which tends most manifesty to
mngle and confound all sects and supersttions with
the Catholic Church. Nabuth defended his vines
with his blood Is. Ambrose ibid) Can we do other
wise, happen what may to us, than defend those
rights and possessions or the Holy Roman Church,
as are in duty bound to do by the solemn oblga-
tion OF our oath? Can we do otherwise than vindi-
cate the liberty OF the Apostolic See which is In
timately connected with the liberty and welfare of
the universal church? And how great in reality is
the congIpy and necessity of this temporal prlncl-
paty TO the assertion OF that safe and free exercise
OF the spiritual power grantedby God to them over
the whole world too many facts that are now taking
MI nt 70 hn finn al rlg
demonstrate. Letters Apostolic, June 10, lSO9)"
Therefore, adhering to the sentiments
which in many of our allocutions we have
constantly professed, we reproYed in our an
swer to the King his unjust demands, and
yet so as to show that, with our bitter sorrow,
was conjoined that fatherly affection which
cannot wholly repel from its solicitude even
sons who initiate the rebellious Absalon. But
this our letter had not yet been conveyed to
the King when the cities of our pontifcal do
minion, which were as yet untouched and at
peace, were invaded by his army, the garri-
sons whenever they attempted to make any
resistance being easily routed; and then in a
short time that unhappy day dawned, the
20th of last September, on which we beheld
this city, the see of the Prince of the Apos
ties,
THE CENTRE OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION
and the refuge of all nations, beset with
thousands of armed men, its walls battered
down and itsek terror-stricken by the cannon
shots fired upon it. And we had to mourn
over its capture % Ct dTmjs by order of the
man who Just before had professed so strongly
his filial affection towards us, and his fidelity
to religion. What could be to us and to al
] oo1. off hon OF 1axrC