The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-03-03
PECCI AND THE BRIGANDs.
How tho Present Pope when a Delegate
Drove the Brigands from Benevento.
New York Heral


Pope Gregory had certain difficult task
for just such stirring young priest as Pecci.
1t may not be inopportune to recall that the
civil government Of the Papal States was d-
rected, outside Of the Eternal City, by Iegates
Of all the districts ruled by a delegate in
point OF area and population, the former being
only hfty-seven square miles and the latter
about twenty -four Thousand. But such q pop
tary OF the Papal Treasury. Surrounded by
Neapolitan territory, they were all smugglers
by nature, and great many Of them brig
ands by profession. The customs service was
paralyzed, and travel except by the contra
bandists, was q thing of the greatest danger
Pope Gregory, after due reflection, com
manded the young monsignor to 20 there and
try ms hand at government, for which he had
studied SO much Roman law, ancient and mo-
dern
There was not much stir made upon the ar
rival OF Delegate Pecci, but the mobiles of
Benevento, who kept up federal manners and
customs in the nineteenth century, called
upon him and begged him to make himself at
home. The smugglers went their way, and
the brlgands made up their little surprise
parties as if nothing unusual had happened.
This went on for few weeks. Delegate
Pecc had not been making any noise, but he
had begun his preparations for all that He
was in country badly situated, far from
Rome, and on the road to be neglected and
forgotten If he failed At the same time he
imagined. The mobiles, powerful by fortune
and rank, despised and laughed at his author
ity. but they bowed in all tmidity before the
Neapolltan brigands, and even projected them
when necessary. 1T was, says Louis Teste
from whose admirable little work, preface
au Concave," much of this matter is taken,
Just such a state of affairs as prevails in
Sicily to-day"
united-the brigands and the mobiles. When
the former committed some fearful art of
atrocity, the lords in their castles protected
them; and when Mgr. Pecci demonstrated,
ali powerful at Rome. The Cardinals Pacca,
Pedicini and De Simone We're from Benevento,
and took the part of the mobiles against the
Delegate.
Seeing that between these foes Of order the
province was in most miserable condition,
Pecci resolved to better it, even if it destroyed
all hopes he may have had of brilliant
career He commenced by obtaining from
the Pontlfical government a capable en-
ployee. named Sterbn, who reorganized
the line Of the customs He went.
shortly after, to the King at
Naples and disclosedoto him his design. so
that the king decided to take severe measlr,.s,
This done, he assured himself of the good
will OF the officers of the troops and of the
gendarmerie. 1t was necessary to fight the
brigands, to pursue them to the castles of the
mobiles where they had taken refuge, and then
to enter those stronghods by force. This
throat by their brigand guests, the mobiles
pretended thatthe delegate was trespassing
on their lands and their dwellings, and so re-
sisted him.
In this juncture 1t was that the most pow
erfii OF these mobiles came to Benevento and
called upon Mgr. Pecci. The latter received
him with quiet dignity. The noble fumed
and mustered. but made no particular pro-
gress in his endeavors to force the delegate
from his course. Finding expostuationOf
no avail he turned to Pecci and said:
am about to start for Rome whence
shall return with the order for the expulsion
of Monsgnor''
Very well, Signor Marches," coldly an
sWered Mgr, Peeci; "but before going to
home you will pass three months in prison,
ana shall give you nothing to eat but black
pread and nothing to drink but water.
MeanWhle the castle of the Marquis was
taken by assault, the brgands killed or made
prisoners, and the people united ilOaudations
@! the delegate. In few months the pro-
vince was purged of brigands, the mobiles sub
mlIeea, the Pope praised Mgr. Pecci highly,
ana ferdlnand Ill prayed him to come to
Naples 20 receive the testimony of his royal
Bordeaux journal states that a wine
grower In the Glronde has discovered a means |
OF getting rid of the phylloxera. He has re-
marked that a parasite of the strawberry |
plant carried on a war Of determination |
against that insect, and that where the stra W. |
berry is grown among the vines they have |
not been attacked.