, 1880-06-12

tie Is not prepared 10 und6Tgo aDy Ut a'I,
and if his vote were final the Govern.
ment would be compelled to trust to 'di+
p%lomacy alone, and to abstain fIom In.
trigues.
The, alternatives in such q situation,
which has long peen perceived. and is, in
fact, permanent, are an increase OF the
Royal authority or an enlargement OF the
franchise till d vote in the Chamber 10 mo-
rally equivalent to a declaration Of the
national will. With France, however. al
ways in full view, prosperous and orderly
under q Republic, an increase of the Royal
authority is not possible, even If the House
of Savoy were willing to set aside the
Constitution, which is not the case. Any
overt attempt in that direction would
greatly increase the strength Of the Re-
publican party would be differently re-
ceived in different provinces, thereby in-
c~reasing the assures between them, deep
enough already /; and would lead to o con-
tinued and dangerous agitation. 1t is
nonsense to talk of a Cavour when there
is no Cavour to produce, and no object
adequate to his energies if be Were pro-
uuClUIG. 4tlO 4UIOuO % RiOO0Oty
firmly rooted in Italy than many Italians
believe, having behind it oil Piedmont, all
the Respectables, and all the Army /; but
still, King Hnmbert has not yet the per.
sonal hold of Victor Emanuel, and 40 ap.
peal to the people, supported by Garibal-
di, might lead to q movement hardly dis
tinguishable from civil war. 1t remains
to enlarge the suffrage till it at least covers
all householders and towards this the
Government, though with many tremors,
is willing; if the electors consent, to take
a long step. Unfortunately. there is the
greatest dread among the electors, as we'll
as a large minority of politicians, of any
enlargement of the suffrage. It is contend
ed by most sincere patriots that an extern
sive suffrage in Italy would mean o suffrage
at the disposal of the clergy, that the pea
santry and poorer citizens would be guided
by the priests, and that legislative achieve
ments of the last Importance, such as the
anti Monastic Laws, or even the very unity
of Italy itself, might be endangered by o.
clerical Administrati on. The doctrine Of
local self-government would be pushed to
such extremes that Italy as q whole might
disappear from view, while the Vatican
would become the greatest political force
in the peninsula.
The answer to all that is simple. II the
priests possess any such influence as 10
alleged, nothing is gained by not recogni-
sing it. Let them send up their candidates,
and let the people see what they desire to
do. They certainly will not say that they
desire the downfall of Italy, or the renun.
citation of Rome, or the r~eappropriation OF
ecclesi astical estates, and it their action
tends in any of those directions, the people
will be rapidly dis%enchanted. AS q matter
of fact, however, we believe there 10 no
danger whatever of the kind The revo-
lutionary party and the sceptical party in
every Catholic country have always an
idea that the body Of the people will vote
as their priests bid them, quite forgetting
that their priests have never yet succeeded
after centuries of effort, 10 making them
go any way but their owu. "A people 10
lust like an individual in this,-that it
thinks it can trnst itself, and, once pos
sessed of power, it will not let it 60 again.
1t will follow its priests Just as long %
their counsel is acceptable, OF is backed
by it's own conscience, and not one step
further. We all see that every day ID
Ireland, and even in Belgium, where on,
secular matters the priesthood are con:
stabtlv beaten. and the Italians are i'm.