Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1871-01-25
fUatphman & journal.
WEDNESDAY,, JANUARY %, 1871.
TrsMs-sl1U per year, strictly in adteneei orr $50
10 not paid within three months
The Unity of Italy.

to express the sympathy OF the people oil TINS
country with the recent political unGcation
of Italy. The speakers were Goodwin,
Beochor. Judge Emott, Dr. Bellows, Bryant,
Greeley Cyrus W Field and others. In all
/ the speeches there was no shadow Of sectarian
prejudice. and no utterancc which tran'ccnded
the proper respect due to the personal char
aclcr aud the ecclesiastical position Of the
/ Pope. The object Of the vast assembly seem.
ed to be to express their satisfaction that the
Roman people had at last made choice Of The
free constitutional government Of Italy, aud
rejected the obsoutism of the papal govern.
mcnt. Il was intended to show that the peo-
pie Of this country have not yet forgotten
their biIthright, aud are not willing to do
aught to sustain any Of the decaying despo.
tism, Of the Old World
There was ono musug fact connected with
this celebration and that made it larger and
orecuthu.iastic than it would otherwise have
been 4 large number Of the Congressional
politicians were invited to be present A few
Of them dared to write letters expressing
sympathy with Italian unity, but the most OF
them lodged or confessed their fear. We
wish the committee would publish the letter.
Of the towards and let the people see what
stuff these politicians are made Of. 4 good
exposure Of the politicians, who are perhaps
the " bascst and meancst of mankind, would
do a. much to limit ecclesiastical arrogance
o. anything that could be done 1t might
also give IA, some insight into the motives
which acmatc the modern politician and
trimmer
There can be no doubt that this meeting
truly declared the sympathics and wishes OF
the American people. They arcpoascd that
Italy is united under a government Of its
choice that Rome has at last reached the
acme Of its desire, AMI ambition. For con-
turtles the population Of the Ghetto at Rome
have been subjected to the most degrading Of
tyrauucs. The inhabitants of this famous
Jewish quarter have been delrauded out Of
every right Of conscience and liberty. They
have been shut up 10 their own domiciles and
streets. They have been compelled to 60
to the Catholic church and listen to the
iuycctves and abuse Of Roman friar.-
| rhey have been robbed Of all that men hold
most dear aud sacred aud their treatment has
been dishonorabo to the government which
inflicted H. A nation that was the elect Of
Heaven for generations, that has furnished to
our race its Savior, from whose lons spran
the apostles, even Peter himself and Paul
that has given to the Catholic church much Of
thepagenntry Gifts forms and the splenlor gifts
ritual, has found no respect for its conscience,
no honor for its convictions. no tolerance for
its hereditary faith, no regard for its privileges
from the Roman Government. There could
be little doubt what their vote would be at
the taking Of the p'eJiscae
But they were not singular in their vote.
Almost the whole Roman population elected
the Italian government and voted for Italian
unity. Catholics in Rome, as sincere and de-
voted as any that have protested against it,
voted for the unity of Italy. 1t was initiated
by Catholic sovereign aud consummated by
Catholic suffrage. 1t was an almost blood
less change from absolutism to constitutions
monarchy by the will Of Catholic people
/, Why then should the republican Catholics Q
= this or any other country protest, when thei
brethren Of Italy have chosen government
for themselves We fail TO see.
, This overthrow Of the temporal power, -
e. small thing in itself, derives its signiicanc
@ from the fact that it is the expression Of r'
ideas which have found Judgment in the POI
ular mind and heart in this nineteenth cer
" tary The idea Of the political rights an
10 equality Of the people, their right to deter
,r mine their own institutions aud laws has bee
y growing very rapidly in our day. "All co.
ernmcnts derive their just powers from II
re consent Of the governed is the politics
y leavcn which is efecting the changes in moo
,e ern European society, aud is destined to nav
,e its perfect work. The people are certainI
learning their rights and duties and al
N slowly casting of the IDEAS Of Journalism al
IL absoutim and asserting their political priv
4 egcs They are becoming conversant wit
as their rights, and are also coming to the iute
liscuco necessary to exercise them. Wi
is politicians will fnd out by-and-by that Il
he hand never goes back on the dial Of histor
VI The days of absolutism are numbered.
- The other idea which has found favor
m this age is that state aud church are tv
be separate interests The identity of the tv
had been the cardinal doctrine for fifteen hu
nc drc1 years but il has been shaken since the r
~ formation, and the recent events which ha
of occurred in Europe have virtually given it
st death blow twas a noble idea once, al
} nobly realized, but it fell away from it's oy
of promise aud introduced the worst Of evils
the hands Of corrupt men, and now it has z
-" ~ its coup de grace. 1t has persisted belo
II, the civilization which it begot aud which
re. has opposed There is every reason to ho
ms that religion will gaiuin spiritual power by
ln' much as it has lost in temporal, aud that VIII
" the Catholic church ceases to grasp at t
= s,epter which has fallen from her hand, new
in to be regained, she will seek to maintain h,
he self by renovation of Christian puri
he enterprise and vitality, aud so be the gain
%, When she yies with Professionalism in deyoti
T.. to the word Of God, in the education of I
people, in the use Of simply moral and spir
d. ual agencies, the differences between Rom,
re- ism aud Professionalism will rapidly dsappe
no aud the Church of the future will embrace
uiS the bends Of the same fellowship these
he long contending forces. The unity of IT.
ige takes away from these hopes the air Of
nd dream. Its a matter Of no consequer
Tue now what the Pope will do, whether he Z,
, to Malta or England or comes to the Uni,
40 States. lie may as well cease from his pol
b a cal aspirations. lie eau never regain