The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1874-07-29
The Pope.
THE ATTACKS OF THE ENGLISH PRESS.

with our Catholic friends. Wenever
meddled in religious matters; but
when we see that the character OF the !
Pope is assailed by the English press, |
charging him with being a weak, vain |
and foolish man, (when all Intelligent
people, Of all sects, have hitherto
spoken Of him with reverence for his
integrity and amiable qualities,) we
cannot but enter a solemn protest
against those infamous libels.
The London Englishman, conduc-
ted by one DR.. Kenealy, in an excess
Of shameful blasphemy, presents to
its readers the venerable Pentiff rs
decrepid debanchee and a slave of
passion. The worthy and good Pope
has too many friends in Europe and
America to permit these horrible
statements to go without contradic
ton.
We should never notice such false
hoods were it not for the fact that
DR.. Kcnealy himself, the son Of a
Cork publican and reared a Roman
Catholic, has yainly attempted to rep
resent as hypocrisy the creed Of
nineteen centuries.
The testimony Of the world as to
Plus TX, who has been known BY all
from his childhood, cannot be i'm
pugned.
He is the recognized head Of the
oldest church in Europe and America,
aid is looked upon by millions as
Christ's Vicar upon earth. He is
worthy Of his place. Plus TX entered
upon his eighty-third year in May
last. The average duration of Papal
reigns has been less than seven years: :
but nearly twenty-eisht years have
now elapsed since it was announced
that Cardinal Mastai Ferreti, then
fifty four years of age, had been cho-
sen by the Sacred College to fill the
chair vacated by Gregory XVI.
The Pope, born of noble family
and originally destined for the army,
deliberately resolved to enter the ser
vice Of the church. He had spent in
it above thirty years of activity be,
fore he attained its highest dignity
He commenced his pontifical life IN
June, 1916, and since then he has Ell
Ijoyed high reputation for admins
trative capacity. He once showed hi
was actually capable Of heading the
democratic movement Of Italy, an(
indicating for the church the posi-
ton which she had frequently as
sumed in the middle ages.
This noble old man IN 1916 and 1874,
was model reformer, and the mos
popular of Italian patriots. lie tirml,
resisted the unscrulous statecraf
whereby Austria had disintegratet
the nationality of his country, ane
identified himself with the consti
E tutional aspirations Of the Roman
| people.
The most celebrated English wri
tiers have admitted that the procla
nation of an amnesty for political of
/, lenses, the admission Of laymen to OF
= fees before lnonopolized by ecclesias
tics, the partial liberation Of the pres
! from censorship, the extension of to]
, Grafton, the revision Of taxation an
, the encouragement Of commerce, wer
q among the first measures which h
t carried against the strenuous oppos
n ton of the clerical party and the prt
$ tests Of Austria.
= In June, 1S47, he warned his sui
f jects against being excited by CHI
% merie al hopes. The revolution (
n lS4S followed, and the Pope, as we
4 as the King of Sardinia and the Graz
n Duke of Tuscany, found it necessa'
10 to decree a constitution on the repr
,s sentative system.
" Since then s'radicalism," under Il
Y pretense Of allying itself closely wi
the spirit of national independent
has endeavored to bring about t
III ruin of the Italian nation.
The military enterprises of Ga
ne baldi, the war of 1859, involving t
is loss OF Romagna, the conquest
in Naples in 1860, the annexation
- Eastern Lombardy and Venetia
A. the Kingdom of Italy in 1865, led
sft a rising in the Papal States.
e. Without busying ourselves abe
Dis the dogma Of the Immaculate CO
II ception, the infallibility of the Po1
the publication of the Encyclical
iie ter in 1864, we cannot but maint,
that the Holy Father always sto
re- faithful and true to his convictions
ed honor, religion and integrity.
H., Like the sandal tree which p
~ fumes the axe that cuts it down,
10 has kindly answered the attaf