New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-01-09
THE LATE ROMAN G0rERyuLyr

To the razor Of The Trfbuuc.
SIR: If "An Old Resident of Rome knew
much Of Roman political matters lie would not Tor could
not in honesty attempt to controver the annadycrsons
Of THE TRIBUNE the old Roman Government. re
sided in Rome from 1861 TO 1865 and saw, in official and
private capacity much any artisan could Of the
Government.
II was simply the most atroCous in existence except
that of Louis Napoleon BuOnapaite lis traditions were
as old as its authority and the system Of repression and
espionage quite worthy OF st. Petersburg MOI to speak
OF vague and general complaints, know that spies
placed at the doors of the places Of Protestant worship
to see if any Romans went in, and that friend Of
mine surgeon in the French hospital arrested, for
having waited OH his wife ian English woman and car
red at night to the prison Of the Holy Office the
euphOnc for the inqustonJ where he meuaccd with
punishment If he not only did not abstain from
courteses TO Professionalism but compel his wife to leave
the Anglican Communion and enter the Roman, and he
finally escaped from them by appeal TO French pro
lection as an employee
The brother OF one OF my most intimate friends
arrested in his bed at night carried of by officers OF the
Holy Office and heard Of again. until years after
when released prisoner came to tell the survivor that
his brother had died in the prison with him. ana
buried in the earth OF the dungeon
Another Of my friends, Castelani, the Icweler
under 80 police surveillance that for several years
he had not dared walk in the street with any OF his
friends and when his father died. the body was taken
possession Of by The police at the door Of the house the
coffin surrounded by detachment Of officials, carried 70
the church. and the next day buried all tokens respect
to the deceased being forbidden and all participation in
the services by his friends He aud his were Lib
erals In opinion.
The system Of terrorism such that liberal Romans
dared meet only in public, and never permitted a
stranger TO approach them in conversation. never
dared enter the house OF Roman friend for fear OF
bringing on him a domiclary visit.
MasOns know very well the history Of two brethren
hanged and buried in the highway for other oense
than being MasOns. When the lodge which meets In
Rome In spite OF ALL wished to send address
sion Of LncOlns death, they obliged to transmit
the document through four messengers the last not
affiliated 30 great was their danger II discovered ~ Oe
Masons.
/ can conceive system OF torture worse than this
terrible espionage under which every patriotic Roman
lay fearful Of his own breath-One scarcely daring TO
speak 10 another except in trOpes and nnuendoes They
suffered the penalty Of crime for the irish merely to be
free Had 1t not been for the system Of counterespon
neut no Liberal could have lived In Rome When sus-
peeted they generally had warning by their own spies
Worse than this-wOrse than anything We can con-
ceive-was the system OF debauchery kept up by the
priesthood. II proyerb among the Romans that,
IL one would 20 to house OF illfame he must 20 by
day night the priests had all the places, and another
that all married women seduced by the priests"
The amOurs and prOhgacy OF AntOneli were well
known as those Of the late Emperor OF France and
one who has lived In Rome long De that the
OF that city Except among the obstinate
Liberals who rejected all prerogatyes OF the Church,
such) was greater than any city In Europe, except
Vienna and Naples and In It's type than that Of the
latter city
The Roman Government OF my time was the embodI-