The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-10-21

HIDING THE DOCUMENTS TO PREVENT THEIR
crfzfRE.

HIDING TIE DOCUhhNiS y"
SEIZURE.
ALondou cable dispatch saws There are
reports At Rome that many private docu-
ments referring TO the Papacy have disap.
peaied from the Vatican. II II feared thai
the Italian Government may take under its
protection those treasures OF the Holy see
which have been collected with the peoples
money. To these treasures belong libraries
containing more than 100000 codices ana
lOO, 900 manuscripts, among them 90 Cos
pes In the Oriental tongues, written on
scrolls.
HIDING THE ARCHIVES.
To meet the emergency the clergy are
said TO have been hiding-firsi, the archives
OF extraordinary ecclesiastical affairs; sec
| ond, the archives OF the propaganda
third, the archives OF the inquisition; ana
fourth, the archives OF the Congregation oil
the Index Expurgatorius. These docu-
ments were once kept In the palace OF the
Quirinal, but were transferred to the Nati.
can by q papal emissary, who persuaded
the commander OF the Italian troops that
the said documents were simply baptismal
registers without historical value.
DOCUMENTS WELL GUARDED.
Some OF them are now well guarded in
the old tower, near Anagi. The letters oil
Pope Alexander vi. are still in the Vati-
can, together with other papers which the
Pope would never voluntarily place at the
disposal OF the public. Many Of these
documents are hidden on secret shelves, in
walls, and behind other papers.
THE VATICAN TREASURES.
Attention has recently been drawn Ia
the literary treasures OF the Vatican library
by the Pope's letter to Cardinals de Luca
| Pitra. and Hergenr0ther, advising them OF
| his intention to open the Papal archives to
students OF history. He was already pre-
pared to place before historians the first
fruits OF the harvest they are about to en-
Joy i'm publications timed to accord Will
the events OF to-day. Thus on the occasion
Of the Sobieski Centennial book appeared
on the important part which the Holy See
played during the crisis in European his
tory which terminated in the defeat oil
| the Turks at Vienna. A book about
Luther is announced TO appear i'm cOnnec
ton with the coming celebrations Of the
400th anniversary OF his birth. These ar,
but an earnest OF what are TO follow. IL Is
noteworthy that il is not periods OF mere
archaeological interest which Leo KILL has
chosen for immediate illustration, but those
which, through centuries and commence
rations. are now enlistng the attention OF
more extended circle than that OF hiSto-
rians and scholars. Padre Calerzio, OF the
Oratory, has ready for the press eight folio
volumes OF documents connected with
| Church history and intended TO serve rs a
continuation OF the "Annas" OF Bare
Mus; but il Is not known whether these
will be published or not. 1t is much
TO be regretted that the profound
erudlion and brilliant attainmentS OF
Cardinals de Luca and IIergenr0ther
are not available for the work which
Leo NH. has initiated. The POpe'S let
ter was necessarily addressed TO them in
their capacities as librarian and archyist
of the Holy See. but both are past work.
Cardinal de Luca is Seyenty-eight years OF
age, and was lately at the point OF death ;
and Cardinal llergenr0ther, though his
junior by nineteen years, has been pro-
hibited from undertaking further mental
labor. Two other cardinals have. how
ever, been named TO act for them. II is
also said that the Pope contemplates sum-
moning a conference OF historians and
scholars. laymen a. we'll as ecclesiastics.
foreigners IL well aS Italians, to discusS
the means best calculated FOR carrying his
intentions into full effect.