The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-08-12
The Coming Italian Parade-s'iive aud
Let Iive.o

The proposed public procession in honor of
the unifcation of Italy and the occupation Of
Rome is 10 take place on the 25ih of August.
Representatives of the grand Italian Union
from all parts of the United States aud Canada
will be present, and invitations have been issued
to our military and civic societies to take
part In the demonstration. Several Of the Ger
man gymnastic associations-the fighting Teu-
tons of the city-have already accepted these
friendly overtures. There can be no doubt
that the parade will be one Of the most
significant that has ever taken place in Ame-
RIGA, and we should not be surprised If it
were also the most imposing we have seen
since the close of the war, if We except the
German peace celebration last spring.
We are sorry to hear that evil-minded per-
Sous are spreading abroad reports that this
demonstration is to be interfered with. We
are sure that these rumOrs have not the
slightest foundation in truth, but they are
none the less mischievous The 10Th Of July
settled once and forever the right of all
American citizens to express in any manner,
not specially insulting and offensive, their
political or religious opinions. The people
have already spoken upon this matter, and, in
the face Of the unanimous verdict thus rem
dered, we are convinced that no opposition
will be offered to any parade of any kind.
No considerable element of our population
can possibly be 30 ignorant and so stupid as
to dream of contrasting right established by
an outbreak of public feeling SO full Of mean
ing and so completely conclusive.
The grand lesson of the last riot has been
the vindication Of the American principle Of
live and let live." We have existed now as
people in the colonial and independent
e2ochs of our annals for two or three hundred
years, and during that time streams of emf
grants of all nationalites and of every shade
Of religious faith have poured into this broad
and beautiful and fertile land of ours, and
have peacefully, side by side, built up the
greatest and most powerful government on
the face of the earth. The Know Nothing
excitement was a sad, but fortunately only a
transient episode, in this eventful and impos-
| ing triumph of just and truthful political
principles. God forbid that any cloud of
prejudice or distrust springing from creed or
birth should spread ba.eful gloom over our
ripening future!
| AS to this demonstration in particular we
have this much to say Italy is the mother
land of the Catholic faith, and Italians-what-
ever else they may be-are more thoroughly
imbued by the traditions Of art and the in
ssincis Of race with loyalty to he system 81
the Catholic Church than any other civilized
people. Respect for the venerable forms Of
the most ancient Christian communion on
earth is inwoven with every fibre of their
being, and their national pride is flattered by
the fact that men of their own blood have for
many generations filled the Chair of the
Papacy. If, then, they have deemed
it wise to Overturn what some few
may think an essential adjunct to
the dignity and independence of the
Holy See, their opinions are entitled to uni
versal respect. Most of the most violent adj
vocates of the occupa ton of Rome will live
and die true to the forms of piety that prevail
in the Latin Church. They have been ami
mated in this last revolution not by religious
prejudice, but by noble, If mistaken, devo-
ton to political principle. And they are ap-
plauded in Europe by a clear majority of the
Catholic masses. Spain and Austria, the
strongholds of Catholic doctrine, have &C.
cepted cheerfully this new departure. We
trust it Is not reserved for America to be the
scene of a bloody and foolish revolt against
the utterance, In word or deed, Of this same
| sentiment
That all men should think alike in religion
or in politics cannot be hoped for. But that
Jones differs from Robinson about prayer to
the saints or the prerogatives of the Pope
need not make them bitter enemies. Educa-
ton and freedom should surely bear less bit
ter fruit than that. Again we say, 'Live and
let live" Let us all be true to that standard
of nobleness and virtue that Protestant and
Catholic alike hold to be the guide of all true
and earnest living. Let us, above all, be true
to our American citizenship, with its glorious
traditions of tolerance and forbearance, and
we shall still be free, great and homogeneous
people In all that concerns us as nation
Let us agree to disagree.