, 1874-11-26

N9 print el6eWHeEt cOI11nuuluAt1ou Hll-
swering the questions proposed in q recent |
article in The Tribune, touching the question |
Of the relntions Of tho Vatican to civil allegi- |
ance. To tho first question, whether the |
Catholics propose to accept the protection Of !
tho Government and render their loyalty to |
Rome the writor says, ave propose to &C.
ccpt tho protection OF our Government and
render to it our unqualified civil allegiance"
This is satisfactory, 80 far rs the writer is at
liberty to speak for lis denomination. seo-
ond1y, ho says, "We are not in favor Of dis
Wondering any froo country nor Of erecting
q pnpal political power in the Eternal City,"
Thisanswer, however, he Immediately qualities
by denying that Italy is free, and asserting
that Catholics protest against the spoliation
Of Catholic property by the order Of Victor
Emanuel. Tho first part Of his answer
is satisfactory, and il this is the universal or
general sentiment Of American Catholics, We
congratulate them upon being moro liberal
than their French brethren, who are ready to
go to war for the purpose Of dismembering
Italy md erecting papal political throne in
Rome. Lot us now look at his qualification.
Tho apoliation Of church property was not
tho work Of Victor Emanuel, but of the Ital-
ian Parliament which was elected by the
Catholic voters Of italy. Our correspondent
must remember that the people of Italy are
Roman Catholics. Tie Parliament is Ro-
n,an Catholic, Victor Emanuel himso1f, nl-
though he, laH boen accommodated, still
claims to bo good Catholio, and his daugh-
ter-in.law is ut tho head Of many Of the Ro-
man Catholic charities in 1taly. Tho Prot
catanta Of Italy aro an insignificant and
feeble handful, unable to do anything. Tho
property which was soqueshated was the i'm
menss wealth, amounting to millions Of acres.
of land md hundreds Of millions Of dollars
! in money, accumulated year after year by the
| nunnerics and converts, aud obtained without
| purchase or perulnary consideration
Victor Emanuel, Catholia KIM, carried
out the dec-oes Of Catholic Par;;amens, as
| Napoleon did tho decreoB Of the Frenc:, par-
| lament after the Revolution. Tho lands
| which wcro takon from these institutions
were divided into lomesteads aud sold to
Catholic cultivatora Of the soil, enriohing
poor Catholic people who wero willing to
work, instead Of enriching Catholic people
who preferred to live In q condition Of pious
idlencss. Tho proceeds: Of these sales wero
devoted partly to tho support Of the Catholic
clergy; of Catholio schools, academies and
universities; aud partly as pensions to old
monks aud nuns who woro unable to tako
care Of themselves, aud who were allowed to
romain In tho converts and monasterios set
apart for their use. II, therefore, there waa
amy spoliation OF property, it was O spolia.
ton made by Roman Catholics, and in
dorsod, supported, aud defended by the
Roman Catholic people Of italy. The Prot
estanta havo had nothing to do with 1t. i
Italy is not free, thon tho Roman Catholics
have ena1avcd hen; but the truth is, aho Il
: froer than Franco, aud equally as free rs
| Great Britain or Germany. ;.
Our correspondent, in answering another
question, asks; "Does Tho Tribune belioy,
: TINT the Catholics Of Germany today owl
| strictallogiance to King Williams Government
3 which i,npr1sona their Bishops, confscate
/ their property, and deniea thom the right Il
8 worship God, unless dono In the 1nannor pro
+ acsibod by lawa" To answaf thia quaation