The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1871-01-18

and impious efforts of the Apostate Emperor Ju
llan-he who on earth said: = He could ask of His
Father and He could give Him legions OF angels
to light for Him if He wished, can at any mo
ment rise in His might and scatter the wolves that
ragged around His fold
In the Italian Senate, August "a, 1860, Count
Ponza di San Martina said the day will, aud per.
haps is not far off, when Italy will either absorb
Rome or be annihiated by Rome
Victor lmmanuels army has made the move for
this I" absorbing of Rome" The curtain has risen
and presented to the world the first scene of the
tragedy; but what will be the progress and conclu
slonf II we look at history, says the Unita Cath.
0tlca OF Turin we find that those who wish to alb
sorb Rome are sure to be brought to naught them
selves. lie illustrated this point by giving list
OF those who had temporarily usurped the tempo
raj power Of the Pope.
The speaker then said that Victor Emmanuel
and his friends tell the world that there was Ro
man VOTE "pLebtScituna," an expression of the
will OF the peope-that the people themselves in
voked this unifcation of Italy With Americans
the plea OF vote goes great way They hold
that the people are the source of power In govern
ments. All this results from that disastrous CO.
met called the Reformation, which,, under pre-
tense of making the Bible free had actually
robbed the people of the Word of God. 1t gave
birth to this heresy, that the people are the source
OF power. This is the American doctrine. They
hold the theory that "men are to be governed by
their own consent" This doctrine he rejected
1t gives room for all the arts of the demagogues,
who are strenuous for people having right to
vote especially if they will vote according to their
views. But it is becoming now every day more
apparent that people cannot be governed by their
own consent. There must always be a large por-
ton, the minority, who are not governed by their
own consent at all, but by a majority, and often
fictitious majority Though this idea of popular
government is the American idea, and was the
idea to which he, the Bishop, ID common with all
Americans, had fondly chung, yet he was begin
ming to doubt, irlis old age, whether it vas such
with an apparel Sgnegls for populG. government
that blinded many to the present. s.uation of the
Pope. They did not reflect upon the importance
of the Popes having one place in which he is
spiritually as well as temporarily supreme. Ad-
hitting that the Romans are governed by His Ho-
illness without their acquiescence, it is only true
that they give up some rights for the good OF the
world at large just as the citizens OF the District
of Columbia are debarred of certain privileges that
other people of the United States enjoy, in order
that the seat OF government may be free from the
influence of State governments. But was this
Roman vote? A false vote-the will OF foreigners
made by compusion at the point OF the bayonet.
1t was no fair expression of the viii OF the peo-
ple
But even had the Roman peone expressed their
will, the Catholic world $50 millions of Catholics,
deny that they had the right 20 vote away the
patrimony of st. Peter, which belonged 20 the
universal church, and not them, Were they
fools enough not to know that Rome would have
been but the ruined Mausoleum of the Pagan Ro
man Empire but for the Church, and that cats
and owls would have made night hideous amidst
its ruins as in ancient Babylon, and that all its
glories in modern times are the spaendors and I'll
ties of the Church these are their follies and
misfortune The rest of the world knows this
And it was for the Romans in every respect a
thing honorable, and privilege, to be jewellers
upon the patrimony of st. Peter They had the
advantage to see from every part of the Christian
world the children of the Church coming to
Rome, as to their fathers house, and there eav-
ing more or less of their money in city which had
no commerce or trade and nothing to commend it
but its water, its monuments aud = residence OF
the chief of the Christian world
Christian Rome has been built up by the gifts
of the Catholic world. The Romans have no right
to vote away this pious trust of Christendom. u
Therefore, as to the Plebiscite taken after the
army of Victor Emmanuel entered Rome, we may
cry out as did the deputy Anelli, in the Italian
Parliament, in the sitting of May 2Sth, 1860, re-
garding the plebiscite of Savoy and Nice
too ignominious; at least, you will not add mock
cry to nfamy." Yes hide this shameful vote,
the fabrication of the scum that followed in the
wake Of the Italian army, the fatal sign Of the
success OF iniquity dealing in brides and proting
by disorder. Let no one approve it who prizes the
ballot box as privilege, and claims right to vote
as boon.
Church p We answer, mo" The persecution
of the Head of the Church is no new thing. Since
the 4th century this thing has heerlgaing o. with
brief intermissious. Popes have been imprisoned
stranged. poisoned, or driven into retirement. but
the Church has always been triumphant and the
kings and emperors who have sought its overthrow
have always met dastard's fate.
Victor Emmanuel wolf in sleeps clothing,
protesting to kiss the cross and slipper, takes ad
vantage of the fact that the defender of the faith
the protector of the Church (Louis Napoleon) is
overthrown and Catholic France under the iror
heel Of the upstart of Prussia goes to Rome, like
a coward, to take possession OF the Eternal City
and make prisoner of the Sovereign Poutiff-all
under the pretence of making Italy united king
dom. Is there man whose breast does not burn
with indignation at such an outrage2 United king.
dom 1t is but dream As soon as this puppet
of king disappears from the stage the Red Re
pubcans will come forth like the locusts of Egypt,
and devour the substance of the land
But, the speaker repeated, there is no fear for
the Church. As Catholic he had Catholic S
faith in the word of the Pope ana believed him
when he said that his temporal sovereignty was
indspensably necessary for his spiritual indepen-
dence. Victor Emmanuel will be foiled the in.
dels and socialists will be scattered as chaff before
the wind, and the great head of the Church will
again be indicated before the world. Meantime
let us-all good Catholics and all who love justice
ON Bonded knees besiege the throne OF the Al
mighty, and remember that the prayer of faith
cannot fail of an answer.
At the conclusion of the Bishops speech the
committee appeared, and reported by the chairman
the following
RESOLUTIONS.
"Whereas, the Catholics of this diocese have
witnessed with the profoundest concern the recent
cruel and causeess invasion of the Papa States by
neighboring sovereign, and the sacrilegious vio-
ence with which the Holy Father has been driven
from his throne and beret of his lawful authority
And whereas, it is meet that the voice of even
this small fragment of the great Catholic world
should be raised in reprobation of this outrage and
impety:
|. Resolved That the Catholic clergy and laity
of Richmond, confident that their course will be
endorsed by the entire diocese, protest against the
invasion and spoliation OF the States of the Church
BY King Victor Emmanuel, as a crime against
solemn treaties and against the independence of
the Head of the Church on earth, which must al
ways be imperiled while he is the subject Of any
temporal prince or government.
2. Resolced That while no supposed necessity
could justify, and no anticipated benefit could ex.
cuse this outrage, itchahhenses peculiar replehen-
sion from the circumstance that there was not even
the pretence of consulting the prosperity or liberty
OF the Roman people in the aggression but it is
conceded, and indeed triumphantly claimed as a
merit, that spoiation was effected in the interests
of the people of foreign States and to pander to
the vanity Of alien communities.
3. Resolved, That while these political considera
tions justify the world in stigmatizng this invasion
as fragrant crime against social order and the peace
Emmanuel invites even more serious denunciation.
Pretending to be a Catholic prince, he has smitten,