The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-01-27
Tho Papal TcmporalItios-A
Suggested at Last.


suggested at Last.
Amid all the excitement which has grown out
OF the war, and amid the fever OF our enter
prise to give the American public the fullest
and the latest news regarding the war, We
have not forgotten the Papal Question, which.
although less bulky at present, will remain to
be settled when France has found peace and
Germany has found unity and victory. One.
Of our three special kilograms yesterday rela-
live to Rome aud the Pope informs us that
while Italy seeks to make with the Holy
Father reasonable terms and while the great
Powers strive to be helpful in bringing about
satisfactory settlement, Cardinal Antonelli.
with his wonted shrewdness, puts tho case a.
between the government Of Italy and the Head
Of the Church in such shape that much Of the
mist which has hitherto surrounded the ques-
ton is dispelled aud final settlement Is no
longer doubtful tv-s
We have known that Premier Gladstone,
who Of all living men perhaps most thoroughly
understands and appreciates the Roman diff
Guilty, Is to large extent In sympathy with
the Pope and his Minister'S We have known
that Count Bismarck and King William are
also in sympathy with the Holy Father in his
troubles and we have more than once printed
King Williams letter to the Holy Father. It
now appears that some joint effort has been
made by the representatives Of the great
Powers to help toward a solution Of this
difficulty between the people and government
of Italy and the Holy See. Austria and Ger
many have been particularly active. The
Count De st. Simon and the Baron De Rubeck,
acting in compliance with instructions from
their respective governments, have each had
audiences with Cardinal Antonelli and have
asked what guarantees would be sufficient to
remove the difficulty which now exists between
the Holy See and the government of the King
of Italy. Antonelli's reply is not unworthy Of
a true man and great statesman. ''The
Court of Rome" he says, ''wishes no
guarantees from the great Powers other
than those which would restore to
the Chair of ST. Peter the territories Of
which that Chair had been despoiled on the
Neapoltan frontier and along the line of the
river Po." This demand on the part of Anto-
nelli means that the Pope and the men who
advise him thoroughly understand the value Of
property. The territory on the Neapoltan
frontier and the territory on the line of the Pc
represent the most recent and the most ancient
possessions of the Bishop of Rome. We are
not of opinion that the Pope is at all likely 10
regain possession of these territories but we
are not on that account the less satisfied that
the demand made by Antoneui is just and
right.
The Papal temperatures date as far back-if
we can believe tho Isidorian Decretals-as the
days of Constantine. II is true that the Deere
tails were not made known to the world until after
the days of Charlemagne but it is not less true
that belief in the bequest Of Constantine existed
long before the days of Pepin or Charlemagne
or Ohio. According to the Decretals of Isl
dore when Constantine left the old Rome Of
the West for the new Rome of the East he left
the Pope master of Italy, of Spain, of Gaul, and
even of Britain. Certain 1t is that Pepin and
his son Charles gifted to the Pope the terri
tories which hitherto had been known as the
property of the exarch of Ravenna--the repre-
sentative in Italy and the West generally Of
the Roman Emperor at Constantinople. These
gifts were large. They comprised the exarch-
ate, and they comprised also the property which
in later years has come to be Familiarity known
as the estates of the Church." One hundred
and thirty-six years later. after much confu-
sion and anarchy, consequent upon the fall Of
the Carlovingian empire, the donations OF
Pepin and Charlemagne were repeated and
confirmed by Ohio the Great, when, at the
hands of Pope John the Twelfth, he accepted
the imperial crown. Since the year 93G
when Ohio was crowned and the Holy Roman
empire was established, these territories
were never seriously disturbed, until tho
time Of the First Napoleon; for even
during the Avignon period the Italian pro.
perry Of the Church was administered mora
or less In the interest and for behoof of the
Holy See. One of the best proofs of the sacred
ness Of the right-a right sanctioned by so many
centures-and of the validity OF the claim
which is now presented is to be found in the
fact that the Allies, in 1914 and 1915, restored
to the Chair of st. Peter the greater portion Of
its ancient possessions. If possession means
anything-if possession in any case consti-
tutes right, not TO speak of the donations of
Constantine, of Pepin, Of Charlemagne, OF
Otho-surely that property which for so many
centuries has been recognized by all the
Powers of Europe and by all the conquerors
of Italy must have about it something of
sacredness, something of right. Antonelli, in
says 1.-THE Supreme Pontif will accept no
plan of arrangement which does not clearly
and unequivocally recognize his right to the
territories Of which he has been despoiled on
the Neapolitan frontier and on the liue OF