The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-04-14
ROMAN MORALITY UNDER ROMAN
CATHOLIC DOMINATION.
N. o. southw estern Christian Advocate.

We have received the following and
publish it, and ask the New York Adee-
cate to give Us the source of its "reliable
facts" We have no other purpose than to
deal justly with all classes, and we are
quite sure this is the purpose of our New
York confrere.
We wish to state, however, that we have
statistics and facts in our possession which
have fully convinced US that continued
Roman Catholic domination in any conn
try is detrimental TO public and private
morals. These we may publish hereafter
4r. Eaitor-I find published in your paper
of March 2sth, 1873, an article with the above
heading, credited to the New York Aduoeate.
The article states. on the authority of "a re.
cent number of FL Sogeo, an Italian journal of
total population of 2o5 600, aud that the
| number of births reached, in the same year, to
4376, of which 1915 were legitimate and 3l63
illegitimate; the illegitimate, therefore, being
| in the proportion of 75 % per 100 OF the total
of births
In reply to these "curious, reliable statistical
Adrooate and Ell Sofeo. as the true statistical
tables of Rome for 1870, will state that the
| same tables, the same Ggures, the same results,
were given and Published in 1854, IN q work
by Rev. NJ. Hobert Seymour, and have been
published and re-published in this country by
nearly all the evangelical journals and anti
Catholic reviews. magazines and pamphlets,
previous to the date assigned by the New York
AdrocGte as that to which they refer, namely,
1e70. have now before me q list of the names
of seven publications in 1868 and 1869 with
the same Identical statements. 80 that the "re-
liable italian journal" is somewhat behind its
enterprising brethren in giving the moral sta
tistics Of Rome for 1870, as others have been
Publishing the same statements, the same
figures, periodically for the last twenty -four
yesIs-tbat is, sixteen years before the events
are supposed TO have happened.
The official census of Rome, Published De-
cember 81, 1s67-that is, before Rome was the
capital of the Kingdom Of Italy-in the Ciriltd
CGtholica gives the total population at 2l5,5
and the number of legitimate births for the
| year, from Easter 1866 TO Easter 1867, at 5739.
The average number OF legitimate births for
| the previous ten years was 5657, and the aver
! age number of illeRitimate births was le6s
| than g per cent, in place of the 15 per cent
| given in the article from the New York Adeo.
cate The official statistics for the whole of
Itaty for the same period gives the iifegitimete
] births at per cent.
"The statistics corresponding to the latest
| years Of the Ponti6cal Government show that
| there was committed one murder in England
for every, 1sz 900 Inhabitants, and in the 60,
tates of the Pope one for every $50 " ~Tbese
figures are sufficiently suggestive," says the
oae would think so. Let us examine them.
This statement wonld give l30 murders in
| England and Wales for the twenty millions of
| inhabitants, and for the three millions Of in
! habitants in the Pope's Estates" it would
| give 1000 murders, or 2i9 times as many as in
the Pope's late dominions, for the same num-
Der of in hRbitantn as are committed in Eng
| land in the same time.
! This difference il this single crime between
any two countries in the world-Catholic,
Protestant, Mobam edap or Pagan, having
any kind of a goyernment-couldh hardly be
| believed by any person who investigates the
statistics of crime ; but when it is stated as
| between England and the Roman States, as
giving their moral condition some ten or
| twelve years ago, think that it is only neces-
| sRry to point it out to any sane man or woman
| to have the statement discredited.
| The Statistical Journal Of London for 1867
gives the following tables for England for
| 1G65-ooroners verdicts:
Witffut Murder 22I
MAnslauRhter- Se3
Conoeament Of observation-disclosures R5a
4i
Twill make no other observation on this
| article at present, but ask you, in justice to
fellow Christians, 10 publish, a. write it, this
answer to these terrible charges against my
| religious brethren in Italy, and against Roman
Catholic morality every where, and thus allow
my reply to go before your readers, and be
contradicted il not true.
YocE ohedient servant.
D. p. seaman.
Neto Orleans, April 5th, 1875.
The Berlin Free Press says that in the month
I