The New York herald., 1871-03-26


approved weapons as were available in his
time. Unfortunately it so happened that In
the first general engagement the Papal armies
were completely defeated. His Holiness had
taken the precaution of avoiding the battle
field, awaiting the issue at a small neighbor-
ing village. But the Normans did not hesitate
to besiege the village, nor did they fail to cap
ture the Pope. Having thus routed his armies
and made prisoner of himself their first care
was to throw themselves on their knees and
implore pardon for their sins in warning against
him. 1t was in no mockery they did this, but
as good Catholics, who had ample faith in the
spiritual power of the Pope, but very little
faith in his temporal power. All historians
agree in giving Leo TX. credit for excellent
qualities, and he has been canoaized as saint
by the Church, yet he spent nearly four years
in close captivity, and was released finally and
renstated in his temporal power only on his
agreeing to treaty by which he bestowed the
sovereignty of Naples and its territories on
the Normans.
Had there been fanatical Protestants at this
time they would have had time enough to exult
in the downfall of Popery and predict that no.
body would ever again see a Papal army
yet before the close of one decade the SOW
ereignty of the Pope was stronger than it had
ever been before, although the power and
glory of the Popcdom did not attain their
climax until the time Of Leo X, worthily called
Leo the Great The Constable of Bourbon
Ghor 10 fho
Pope than the Normans for in 1923 he sacked
Rome and captured his Holiness. Taking
advantage of the feeling excited by the preach
ing of Luther he procure large reinforcement
of Germans who clamored to be led against the
Pope. He was in such hurry to seize on
the States of the Church that he crossed into
Italy in the depth of winter, and arrived
before Rome early in May. 1t was in vain
the Pope implorcd him to desist. Bourbon
did not hesitate for moment not content
with giving orders to assault the walls at day
break, he insisted on planting the first ladder
himself He had scarcely mounted three feet
when he received a musket ball and fell back
into the fosse mortally wounded. This, how
ever, did not save Rome. The .fanatical army
assaulted the ramparts, slaughtered the garri-
son without mercy, and imprisoned the Pope
in the Castle of st. Angelo, treating him as a
common malefactor, for whom no insult or in
dignity was too gross. Those who wished the
downfall of the Papal sovereignty did not
hesitate to conclude that now at least there
was an end of it.
Rut xUhn OF fho hnff IF oil hic
Will the masses of our Catholic friends believe
that no Protestant or heretical prince had any
thing to do with it, but one who claimed to be
the most pious, as well as the most orthodox,
of all the Catholic sovereigns the
Emperor Charles w.? Although the Reforma-
tion had made considerable progress in England,
the English people, with characteristic gene
rosity, were Mortified at the barbarities perpe-
trated on the helpless pontif and his capital.
Whatever were the faults Of Henry VIII, the
conduct of the Emperor excited bis indigna-
tion, and he entered into an engagement with
the King of France to send joint expedition
as quickly as possible for the liberation of the
Pope Under one pretext or another Charles
persisted in retaining his Holiness in captivity
until the allied armies appeared before Naples.
Even then he did not liberate them untN paid
a ransom of two hundred and fifty thousand
ducats, although on their way to the rescue of
the Pope the allies had captured Alessandria,
Pavia and Genoa, each of which was garri-
soned by imperial troops.
AS for the treatment Of Plus VI and Plus
VII by Napoleon, it is familiar to all. First
he overran the States of the Church, plum
dered Rome and garrisoned it with French
troops, who occupied the city for ten months,
until forced to capitulate by the combined
armies of England, Russia and Austria. Still
| determined that the Popes temporal power
should end Napoleon formally deposed Plus
| W., in 1898, and had him literally dragged
out of Rome and the unfortunate pontiff died
the next year in exile and captivity. On his
successor being elected, he too was de-
| throned, and he remained prisoner at Fon-
tainebleau until the overthrow of his oppressor
Then, too, Protestant England-represente
bv Lord Castlereagh-was foremost in secur-
ing to the Pope the fall. restoration of his
temporal power.
Although within the limits Of an article we
could only glance at the subject, we think
we have shown that those who are satisfied
that the temporal power Of the Pope has been
finally disposed of by Victor Emmanuel may
live to see that they are unduly credulous if
| not thoughtless. But those in favor of his
Holiness temporal power might learn from
the same facts that if it be restored and per-
petuated it is not by miracles or dogmas of
infallibility, but by human ideas. Napoleon
learned one useful lesson from his experience
with the Popes; and he has placed it on
record for the benefit of others. Addressing
himself one day to NJ. de Fontanes he says =
'Sayez vous ce que j'admire le plus dams lie
- ID L. s,