Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1876-12-01
ITALY.
1OO-ton Guns-CardInaI AntOneIII-
His Loves and GaIIantrfes.

AOO-toh Uuns-CaF0lnal ADIOnellt-
Ris Loves and GaIIantries.
Cor. N. Y. Times.
, The trial of the 100-gun at. La Spezia has
gone on for a week, and at least some new
knowledge has been obtained of the power
of such weapons. This fact certainly has
been demonstrated, that iron plates, of
whatever thickness yet constructed, or
used on the sides of vessels, can be pierced
through and through, or shattered to frag-
ments by conclusion. People are beginning
to inquire, what can be the value of those
gigantic pots, purchased by nations at enor-
nous cost, loaded with iron slabs of a
thickness increased to a degree which
threatens to crush them. An iron-clad
vessel OF 5000 tons which costs not less
than $4,000, 900, seems like type of the
false economy OF putting too many eggs in
to one baske.. People of sharp wits see
these staggering giants coming on to the
enemy's coast to go reeling down like Coli
ah, struck by a tOrpedO-sting as fatal as
the stone slung by the ancient STRIPPING
champion.
The experiments with this first great gun
have worked so well that the Government
has just ordered three others OF the same
weight of the English founders, Armstrong
& Co. The large expenditure in the past
dozen years upon the naval arsenal at Spe-
zia has made it one of the best supplied
with means for construction and repair in
the world. and several Russian vessels have
just entered the port to take advantage Of
its means, as American vessels have done
several times before. Its instruments and
appliances are every year becoming more
and more complete.
The death of Cardinal Antonelli has been
far some time expected, 5ut the stroke
came so suddenly at last as to take Rome
by surprise. The Pope's Secretary of State
was able to attend to business-which has
been the passion of his life-up to the day
of his death. He was seized with the par
oxysms of the malady which produced his
demise, and from which he had long suf
fered, at the moment of a conference with
the Pope upon the monetary affairs of the
Vatican. The gout has been, and eontin-
ues to be, the severest physical atiiction to
the circle of Cardinals or ''princes Of the
| Church, many Of whom are advanced in
years, and now suffer from this distemper.
Cardinal AntOlelli was well advanced in
| his seVenJy-1rst year, born as ne was on Uhe
i cd OF April, 1906. The long period of
neSsSly thirty years of his connection with
the PGs1e's political establishment as Seere-
tary of State, has brought his name con-
spicuously before the world, and made the
facts Of his history AZ familiar to all who
keep the run of public affairs as those OF
almost any contemporary political actors.
With limited advantages OF early educa-
ton, the subtlety Of his intellect, the actlV.
| ity of his temperament, and his love OF
work, served him instead to make 9 career
and to gain his post of eminent distinction;
But the success Of Antonelll was personal
rather than public or political. Lahoring
/ always for the advRncemet Of the Papacy,
he has seen only disaster come to its cause.
1t is the opipion of Italians that his coun-
sells, more than any others, influencing the
conduct Of the Pope, have caused the fatal
issues which fill the long record of the
I Pontiff's reign. In the Beginning, the Jar
9inal and the Pope gave their appreciation
to ths EaQFement for national independence
and unity; but tbEy soon changed their
ground, and since have labored with all
their night to destroy the work accom-
plished without their aid. ! attribute tne
fears OF the Papaey, and the h9suiity 10
modern p..egress TO lack of faith Vi N
vine Providence acting in human society