Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-04-09
GAVAZZI.
The Great Italian Preacher and Patriot
Coming to the United States Again.


From the New York Evening Postl
Citizens in middle life viii remember
| two great excitements by which our
metropolis was agitated about twenty
wears ago. One was the triumphant
entry into New York of Louis KOssuth,
/ the Hungarian patriot and refugee, and
the other was the march through our
country of that modern crusader, Father
Gavazzi The Hungarian symboliZed
the aspirations of an oppressed people
toward freedom; the Italian typi-
fed the constant struggle which,
since the days of Martin Luther, has
been carried ON, with more or less
vigOT, by the partisans of the Roman
Catholic and Protestant Churches. Ga
vazZi was in his early life a Barnabite
Friar, and at sixteen years of age went
to Rome. We subsequently find him
professor of rhetoric at Naples; and
when Plus TX, in the early part of his
pOntificate, showed a tendency toward
liberal institutions, Gavazzi entered
heart and soul into the new movement,
and addressed, with all the fervOr of his
fiery elOquence, the soldiers who were
fighting the battles of Italy. In the
Square of St. Marks, at Venice, his
burning words had such an effect on the
multitude that women, rich and poor,
flung their Jewels and personal trinkets
into the military chest before the speak
er giving their treasured ornaments to
the national cause.
But the effort Of IS48 proved failure.
Plus X, after raising the hopes of
young Italy, became reactiOnist, and
Gavazzi was arrested, but, in compli-
ance with the popular demand, was re-
leased. Then came the brief republic at
Rome, under Garribaldi, Mazzin and
Safli, and the siege of the Eternal City
by the soldiers of the ''republic" of
France; and in the struggle Gavazl
was prominent, cheering on the soldiers
and giving succOr to the wounded. After
the fall of Italian hopes and the COM
plete restoration Of Papal rule, Gavazzi
went to England, where he gave series
of lectures in the principal towns.
l A few years later the eloquent Italian,
now confirmed opponent of the Pope,
came to this country to deliver lectures.
/ He was first heard in this city in the old
I Broadway Tabernacle, on the evening
/ of March 23d, 1853. A report of the
event, which appeared in the EUeTinq
/ Post of the next day, says that the room
was crowded BY an immense throng,
! assembled for the purpose of welcom-
/ ing TO the United States Father Ga
vazzi, the Roman patriot and orator"
/ The chair was occupied by w. w.
/ Chester, who was assisted by the
/ Rev. Drs. Cox, Cheever, and Bowling,
/ the latter the author of violent work
/ opposed to the Papal rule and religion,
and the others prominent as champions
I of Professionalism. DIR. Cheever read a
| paper prepared by the Rev. DR.. Patton,
/ giving a sketch of the life of GavaZZi.
/ The Rev. DR.. Cox (the father, we be-
| lieve, of the present Bishop of Western
/ New York, then made an address on
! religious freedom. He was followed by
/ Father Gavazzi, who, speaking in intel
| ligible English, announced his deter
mined opposition to the Roman Catholic
/ faith and priesthood, and, at the same
| time, his friendly sentiments toward the
l laity of that denomination, finally ask
/ inc the moral support of public feeling
in America for the great Italian move
ment against Austrian despotism.
Gavazzi's address created a profound
sensation, and was followed by many
others delivered at the Tabernacle and
| at Tripler Hall. The Protestant part of
! the community became intensely inter
ested in regard to the denunciations of
the Papacy in which Gavazzi 50 freely
| INDUCED. In other cities a similar eX
element attended the popular orator,
and in Montreal and Quebec the Irish
element organized riots, during which
Gavazzi's life was more than once i'm
perilled. Finally the ex-Monk retired
to Europe, and for the last few years has
been Iecturing and travelling in England
and Italy.
1t is now reported that this man, who
score of years ago was the excitement
of the day in this country, is about to
return to Ourshores 1t viii be interest
ing to observe how he will under pres
ent circumstances, discuss the affairs of
Italy. Vast changes have taken place
since he was here last. The Austrian
rule i'm Italy, against which he so earn
estly protested, is thing of the past.
| The temporal power of the Pope is no
more GaTibaldi since that time has
been the hero of Italy, Victor Eman-
uel is its king, and Rome its capi-
tai. CavOur has risen into ceiebri-
ty, has achieved one of the greatest
works a statesman ever conceived and
has passed away. The second French
Empire, then in its first flush of pOpu-
larity, has fiOurished and fallen; and our
own country has passed through its great
crucial test. Gavazzi returning hither
will find many of his old friends still
here 10 welcome him back; but whether
public feeling viii again be interested
in his pet theories-theories which un-
dOubtedly be still entertains and adyo-
cates-is somewhat doubtful Religious
discussion of a bitter, recriminative
character is by no means so popular
with US now as it was twenty years ago.