Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1870-10-13
Letter from Victor Emanuel to
the Pope.

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The following is the letter ad'
dressed by King Victor Emanue
to the Pope and sent to His Ho'
illness by Count Ponsa di Sar
Martina:
Mosr HoLY FATHER: With tn,
affection of a son, with the faitt
of a Catholic, with the loyalty o
a king, with the sentiment of al
Italian, address myself again
as / have done formerly, to the
heart of Your Holiness.
A storm iull Of peril threatens
Europe. Favored by the wal
which desclates the center of
Continent, the party of the ces'
mopoiitan revolution increases in
courage and audaeity, and is
preparing to strike, especially IL
Italy and in the provinces gov
erned by Your Holiness, the last
blows at the monarchy and the
Papacy.
know, Most Holy Father,
that the greatness of your soul
would not fall below the great
mess of events; but for me, a
Catholic King aud an Italian
King, and as such guardian and
surety by the dispensation OF hi,
wine Providence and by the will
of the nation of the destintes OF
all Italians, 1 feel the duty of
taking. in face of Europe and of
ECatholicity, the responsibility of
maintaining order in the PENN
sula and the security Of the Holy
See. .eaG 90 -
Now. Most Holy Father, the
state of miHd of the population
governed by Your Holiness, and
the presence among them of for
'eign troops, coming from differ
ei.t piaces with different inten.
.tiona, are a source of agitation
and of perils evident to all.
Chance or the effervescence of
passions may lead to violence
and tn effusion of blood, which
it is my duty and yours, Most
Holy Father, TO avoid and pre-
vent.
T see the indefeasibIe necessity
for the security of Italy and the
Holy See that my troops, already
guarding the frontiers, should
advance and occupy the posi-.
ton which shall be Indispensable
TO the security uf Your Holiness
and TO the maiutenauce of order
Your holiness viii not see a
hostile act in this measure of
.preeautiuu My government and
my forces will restrict themselves
absolutely to an action conserva-
tive and inteIary of the rights,
enssly recencilable, of the Roman
populations with the invioiabili-
.ty OF the Sovereign Plntif and
of his spiritual authority, and
with tile independe, &c of the
Holy See.
II Your Holiness, as ! do not
doubt, aud as your sacred char
acter and the goodness of your
sonl give me the right to hope,
is inspired with a wish equal to
min of avoiding all conflict ard
escaping tie danger of violence,
yom will be able to take, with
the Goamt Ponza di San MARITIME,
who preseafs you this letter, and
whois furnished with the neces-
sary Instructions by my Govern
ment, those measures which shall
beet conduce to the desired end.
Will Your Holiness permit me
to hope still that the present mo-
nlent, as solemn for Italy as tor
the Church und for the Papacy,
will give occasion to the exercise
of that spirit of beneyolenee
which has never been extin-
guisheda in your heart toward
ibis land, which is also your
owu country. and of those senti
ments of Cancellation which II
have always guided with an in
defatigable perseverance to trans
late into acts, in order that, while
satisfying the national aspira-
lions, the chief of Catholicity
surrounded by the devotion of
the Italian populations, might
preserve on the banks of the
Tiber a glorious seat indepenG-
ent of all human sovereignty?
Your Holiness in. delivering
Rome from the foreign troops, in
freeing it from the continental
peril of beng the battlefield of
subversive parties, will have ac-
complished a marvellous work,
given peace to the Church, and
shown to Europe, shocked by
the horrors of war, how great
battles can be won, and immor-
tai Victories achieved, by an act
of justice aud ny a single word
of affection.
l beg Your Holiness to be-
stow upon me your Apostolic
L1nA1snfs0D -. -