The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-06-18

WINE the CatnOHC CuuTCH, HUN AeOno w
the u.termost parts of the earth, is celebrating
the twenty -ffth year of the Pontificatc of Pope
Plus * as jubilee, these devout rejoicings
are sadly blended with the shadows of coming
events which may again drive the Holy Father
into exile, and with but little hope this time of
his recall-at least, during the living genera
ton. The LIST day of July next has been APP
pointed for the transfer of the King and the
government of Italy from Florence to Rome as
the Italian capital. Shortly after the with
drawal of the French imperial troops from
Rome last summer the Italian troops, under
the pressure of the popular sentiment of the
peninsula, were marched into the Holy City,
and the Pope's temporalities were declared
annexed to the kingdom of Italy. From that
day to this the Pope has, from time to time,
protested against this usurpation of the patri-
mony of st. Peter, and has been generally
considered by the Catholics as a prisoner in
his own capital. Bat still, with the Italian
government at Florence, he has had at least
the shadow remaining with him of sovereignty
in Rome. Even this shadow, however, will
disappear with the formal establishment in the
city of King Victor Emmanuel, his Court,
Cabinet and Parliament. Then, indeed, and
to all intents and purposes, the sovereign of
and in Rome will be the italian King, and the
last shadow of the Pope's temporal power will
disappear.
What, then, will the Pope do? 1t is re-
ported that he has made his preparations for
retiring to the island of Corsica. If so, he has
no doubt made his arrangements with the con-
sent and cooperation of NJ Theirs, the execu-
! tive head Of the French government, in view
of this retirement, as the best thing for the
Pope and as the best thing that can be done
for him by France under existing circum-
stances But why should the Pope retire from
Rome, when, by act of Parliament Italy
| guarantees that he shall be independent as
head Of his Church in Rome, and shall have
liberal quarterly allowance in cash from the
Italian treasury for the maintenance Of his
dignity and independence as the living sue
cessor of St. Peterp The answer to this
question is that the Pope, by Divine authority,
charged with the patrimony of st. Peter, can
not consent to surrender ii.
! The Pope's latest encyclcal-published in
| full In the HERALD of the 18th inst.-defnes
| his position on the question to be absolutely
beyond any compromise whatever. He says
in this .encyclical, s'But the sub-Alpine
government meanwhile, while on one hand
1t hurries to make the city of Rome
the scorn Of the world, on the other
labors TO besuile Catholics BY putting
Il NJ
safeguards which, in its language, it calls
| guarantees, to the end that these be substi-
tuted to us for the civil sovereignty which, by
a long series Of intrigues and by parricidal
arms, it has robbed US Of Already, vener-
able brethren, we have pronounced our SEN
tence on these immunitles and safeguards.
We have branded their folly, their guilt and
their mockery in our letter, dated the I'd of
March last, to our venerable brother, Constan-
tine Patrizi, Cardinal" &c. Furthermore,
after denouncing at some length ''the base
and unceasing pretence" of the sub-Alpine
| government and ''its shameless contempt Of
| our Poatifcal authority" the Holy Father
| says $50 now, as of our bounden duty, we
declare that we will never agree to nor ac-
cept, nor can we 80 agree to or accept, those
cunningly wrought-out safeguards or guaran-
tees proposed by the sub-Alpine government,
whatever their device, or any Others of what
soever kind or however ratified, which, under
| the form of securing our sacred power and
liberty, shall have been offered to us in lieu of
and in exchange for that civil principally with
which Divine Providence willed the Holy
l
strengthened, and which is ratified to us by
legitimate and irre!ragible titles, as well as
| by possession for more than eleven centu-
ries."
This is clear enough and emphatic enough
| for the dulest comprehension. 1t simply
means that in this business the Pope holds the
"sub- Alpine" government Che does not admit
its right to be called the government of italy,
as guilty Of usurpation, treachery and sacri-
legious robbery, and that he cannot consent to
o condonement of these objectionable crimes,
or TO compromise with the robber on any
terms. In word, the Holy Father adheres
infexibly to his ultimatum, the restoration his
temperatures; and these have been indicated
by Cardinal Antoaelii as rightfully comprising
the territories between the river Pc and the
Neapoltan frontier. Assuming that the
Italian King and government will formally
enter into the occupation Of Rome as the
Italian capital on or about the LIST of July,
the question rseurs, what will the Pope DO?
Will he remain in the city with protest
against its occupation by the ''sub.Alpine"
usurpation, or viii he leave it and seek an
asylum in Corsica, rather than submit to the
humiliations Of an unhappy subject in his own
capital and Of dependent upon the govern
ment be SO emphaticaly condemns?
In view Of the uncompromising attitude of