The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-01-16
From the New York Herald
The italian Unity MeatfnG-The En-.
ture of Italy. Rome. and the Pope.

| ture of Italy, Rome, and the Pope.
The meeting ut the Academy of Music
last evening in favor Of Italian unity was
one o; the greatest outpOuringS Of our cltl-
ZenS that New York has seen for many a
day. Inside the immense building was
packed so closely that no more could hnd
even standing room, and the overflow OF
these formed the nucleus OF another i'm
mense as.emhlage outside. Gen. Dix, Rev.
Henry Ward Beecher, Rev. Henry ". Bel
lows, William Cullen Bryant, and others
oil equally high standing, addressed the
meeting inside, and Horace Greeley,
Rev. Howard Crosby, and Rev. VIM. Ak
man spoke 10 the assembled multitudes out
side. While the Revs. Beecher and Bel
! lows made use Of the occasion to illuminate
somewhat strongly against the Pope-these
two gentlemen, strangely enough, being
quite liberal towards any religion that
SmackS Of Professionalism and exceedingly
tlliDeral towards Catholicism-the general
tenor of the addresses by the other gentle
men, both inside and out, and of the reso-
buttons. were turned in spirit OF personal
kindness towards the Temporarily unfortu-
nate head Of the Church, and dealt mainly
with the political question itself.
The speeches and resolutions Of this meet
lug are but the expression on Italian unity
of the overwhelming. if not the all-em-
|
States. We do not forget that in all the
principal cities Of the Union there have been
meetings Of the Catholic clergy and congre-
cations of the Catholic Church in support
of the rights and claims of the Pope to his
lemporalItics. and in earnest remuneration
Of the seizure and appropriation thereof by
the italian Government is 4 sacrllegi0lls
robbery and usurpation; but these Catho-
lie meetings have been rather manifesto
tions Of pious devotion to the Holy Father
than expressions OF judgment on the polltl-
cal question involved. We are called upon
to consider the political and the religious
question, the rights of the State and the
rights Of the Church. the liberties OF the
people and the liberty Of the Pope, ana we
think they all may be, and will be, happily
rccunciled with the political unity of Italy.
Through all the centuries since the dlsSo-
luton of the Roman Empire, Italy has been
the prey ef the inceSsant and inevitable
rivalries, jealousies, and discords, ofthe pet
ty kingdoms, principalities, and indepen-
dent cities, into which that beautiful coun-
try has been divided; and the victim, too,
from these divisions and discordS of the
powerful nations on every side. And IN
the long catalogue Of internal wars and for
cign iuvasions which have thus dcSoIated
Italy for a thousand years, the Pope and
his temperatures have played Il very con-
spicuous part, and from time to time, too
vanquished on the field of arms, driven
into exile, or held as priSoner-tne Pope
has had his share of the disastrous
consequences. Through all this long
period, from the misty twilight of the Dark
Ages to the MONDAY blaze of modern civil
lization, the petty political divisions and
subdivisions of Italy have been only de-
moralizing and ruinous to the Italian
people politically, morally, and religious
Is. So it has been with the petty divisions
OF the great German family ; 50 it was with
the petty divisions Of ancient Greece, and
OF the still more ancient kingdom of Saul,
f David, and Solomon. So it was with the
ancient petty divisions Of Ireland and OF
Scotland, and so with the Saxon heptarchy
of England. the inceSSant wars OF which
among her seven kings are apply described
by joan Milton as utterly useless to the
historian, being rs senScleSS and unmcan.
ing us the battles OF SO many kites and
crows in the air.
The unity of Italy is her resurrection
from the dead. Though the idea has been
his ruin, it was a happy thought of Louis
Napoleon-that Napoleonic idea of 8 the
unity of nationalities." He saw that in as
sistng the great Cavour to carry out thi!
sublime idea in Italy he would create ano
secure Il powerful ally; bat he failed tt
see that Bismarck and Germany would
profit bv the example so far rs to dcthront
\ him and devastatc fair France by fire anC
sword. He expected to keep Germany di
yided as she was kept divided by Napoleon
the First but the idea Of" national unity
from our example III our late clvll war,
had out crown his calculations in Italy anG
in Germany when he entered upon this con
flict with Prussia. With his declaration OF
tile war he found that the South German
States were Il unit with the oIthern Con
federation and in the withdrawal Of hi,
troops from Rome he found that Italy Wa.
marching to occupy the city, and that King
Victor Emanuel was utterly powerless tc
resist or delay the execution Of the will OF
the Italian people.
We believe, too, that from this consum
nation Of italian unity-call it usurpatlon
spol!ation, robbery, or what you Wlll-tht
most benciicent results will follow to Italy
TO Rome, and TO the Pope and the Church
We believe that the Italian people, after al
their expressions of Il thousand years anC
more. still possess the best attributes oil
the old Homuns, and are capable OF making
Rome under their new dispensation greater
In all things great than was the Rome Of
the Caesars, and Italy, in all its revivlnl
beauties, the wonder and admiration
of the earth. We expect that the
living generation OF men will, from all lands
be witnesses to much Of the development
of this glorious resurrection OF Italy and
Rome. From the dust in which they have
been sitting in sackcloth and ashes through
all these long centuries of debasement they
will rise and shine in the glory Of then
unity and strength. Indeed, the moral and
material progress OF the Italian people since
the practical beginning Of this great work
OF unity i'll $50 Ito say nothing OF 1881 Is
exceedingly encouraging us to the future Of
Italy and Rome under this union OF the
Italian States and people.
Nor are our hopes less sanguine IN re-
gard 10 the resulting benefits to the Pope
and the Church from this separation OF
Church and State. In no land upon the
face of the globe is the Catholic Church SO
prosperous as in these United states, with
their free speech, free press, and absolute
freedom in religion. We expect that un'
der the same benetcent infuences-the lib.
Grafton of the Pope from the manacles OF
his temperatures, from the cares Of State,
and the dangers of the sword-will mark g
new epoch in the happiness of his admin
istration of the divine offices of st. Peter,
and in the prosperity OF his Church in
Rome, Italy, and all over Europe, and al
over the world.
The Mayor of Cory, Pa, is sportsman