The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-04-02
FROM ROME.

ROME, March A. 1S71.-I am glad to be
able to say that the Holy Father in now in
really good health, and we may give up all
being likely to,prove inimical to him. He is
in very good spirits, and receives crowds of
persons daily. He created quite sensa-
ton am ng the Irish and Irish Americans,
who were pretty numerous in one of his
late audiences, by telling them he was ia
miiiar with the writings of Tom Moore,
and as he could not remember the surname
of Thomas he gave instead most
graphic description of that lively little au-
thor, and "his Voyage in Search Of q Reli-
gion." It was intensely amusing. was
sorry Earl Russell was not there to hear
him.
spoke in my last letter how o priest
had been imprisoned because he had distri-
buted some aims ON behalf Of the Pope's
aimoner. I now give you the particulars,
and beg your readers to remember how In
q former letter mentioned the cruelty to
the poor, infirm, old pensioned soldiers Of
his Holiness. This will make them appre-
ciate the atrocity committed still more,
particularly when I state that until now
those unfortunate men have not received
one sous from the Italian Government. A
few of these pensioners were in residence
at San Felice, little fishing hamlet on
the sea shore, midway bet ween Nettuno
and Terracina. Here they lived in an old
tower, and rambled about doing a kind of
pretence at coastguard duty. After the
10Th of September they were ordered to
come to Rome, where they remained in the
Pretorian Camp until q counter order ar
rived commanding them to be sent back to
San Felice, where they were to await uiti-
mate orders, which never arrived, as neither
did any money or rations. The poor men
were actually starving, and the inhabitants
of this sterile spot, who have only their Ash
ing to depend on, were too poor to aid
them, and even the few willing to do some
thing were afraid, as strict watch was
held on every house which kept up any
communication with those Sin the Pope's
harness" by the Royal carabineers. They
then had recourse to him whose charity
never failed any of his suffering subjects.
The good Holy Father at once sent to them
through Monsignor de Merode sum of
money, and q priest of the Vatican, who
belonged to this part of the country, and
was going home for a change of air, wac
charged to take and distribu it. The
worthy priest fulfilled his charitable mis-
sion, but the vigilant eye of the Italian
Government was on him, and after few
sin spite of his bad health and advanced
age-on foot twelve miles in the sand, to
Terracina, where he was cast into a dark,
damp dungeon. AS soon as this reached
the cara Of Monaignor de Merode he at
once applied to the Questore BERT, "who
|
tence of superior authority" so Monsignor
de Merode went to Gadda and offered to go
| himself into prison in place of the priest
IL any crime could be found in having
given these men who were dying of hunger
some money. He and the Pope only were
guilty. This Gadda declined, as he did
not want to mix himself up with Belgium,
of which Mousignor de Merode is a native.
and, to relieve himself from the importuni-
ties of the latter, charged himself with
Fastening on the trial, which has not yet
commenced, though the poor priest still
lies in his damp, cold dungeon.
What will Mr.. Gladstone say to this ~
usurped Roman territory, what food would
have been made out of it! Had a. it d been ter
and not Victor Emmanuel and Catholic
priest, what q shameless piece of tyranny
it would have been Had it been Plus TX
and Garibaldi, or Gavazzi, how Exeter Hail
would have shaken to it's foundations with
the speeches of the indignant charitable
English.
The Infata of Portugal, Donna Isabella,
has arrived. She brings the addresses and