The Irish standard., 1891-05-02
THAT ITALIAN VENGEANCE,
An Almost Forgotten Page in the
Catholic History Of New
York.
THE ARCHBISHOP OF THEBES

The Penalty paid bv an Italian VIII
Warned the Prelate of a Plot
Against Elm.
The present 'unpleasantness' be-
tween Italy and the United States. Of
which an assassination by the Malta il
the primary indirect cause, reminds
me, says a correspondent IN the Boston
Republic. of q murder of an Italian, ap'
parently by order Of a secret Italian so
cisty in this city. which took place sc
years AGO, and brought discredit On the
city Of New York and loss to the
Catholics of the United States. The
facts are nearly all Of my personal rec
election, and other information in con.
nection with them has been derived
from work entitled "1he Catholic
Church in the United States," bV Henry
de COurcy and John Culinary Shea, and
the appendix to it.
Shortly before 1858. or by President
Franklin Pierce, whose term began in
that year, minister MIR. Louis Cass.
was sent, for the Grst time. by the gov
ernment of the United States to Rome.
Plus TX, feeling tiuaself bound by in
ternational courtesy to reclprocate this
friendly compliment on the part of our
republic, determined to send to Wash"
ingtOn papaI nu4ciO Or ambassador,
who, according to European diplomat:
ic usage, ranks higher than minister.
because he represents the sovereign
that sends him. Cardinal Antonelli,
then Secretary of the Pontitical govern
ment thought proper. as q precaution'
ary measure. to address letter to Min
lister Cass, in which he made inquiry
whether, in his opinion, the proposed
sending Of nnncio would be agreeable
to the government Of the United States
and he received very encouraging re-
ply in the affirmative. Plus TX. then
appointed as his nuncio Most Rev.
Gaetano Bepina. archbishop Of rhebes,
whose mission had q two~fold cbarac-
ter; 1t was ostensibly to the court of
Brazil and complimentary one to the
United States government at Washing
ton, but the nuncio had positive in
structiOns if he were welcomed In
Washington, to take up his residence
there, and not 90 to Brazil. A beauti-
full mosaic eapp of Grercino's st. John
the Baptist. of enormous money value,
which 1t had taken six years to make in
the mosaic mandatory OF the Vatican
and which had been sent by the Pope
for exhibition in the crystal palace,
then in this city, was left for ultimate
disposal to the nuncio with lnstruc
tiops to present it to the United States
government if his mission was properly
welcomed and satisfactorily accepted.
Monsignor Bedini was native OF
Rome, Of fine presence, polished. gen.
tlemanly bearing, courteous, atfable
manners, spoke French very duentlY.
German also, but not English, and had
diplomatic training and experience
He was tor many years secretary to the
nuncio at the court at Vienna, was at
terWar1s sent as internunciO to the
court at Rio Janerio, where he took a
noble stand in behalf of some wronged
German immigrants, and, on his return
to Italy, was intrusted, in lS49. with
the government of Bologna, and in the
four legations Of Bologna. Ferrara,
Forli and Ravenna, during very troub-
led times. A revolutionary uprising
headed bv GaraDald; had taken place,
and, in order to put it down, the Aus
trian imperial governor. General Cow
koWski. had entered the legations with
troops. superseded the Papal authority,
and exercising the functions of civil
and military governor. declared Bo-
logna in stage Of seige and the rest OF
the territory under severe martial law,
Under which offenders found guilty by
a court martial (giudizio statario) were
condemned to be shot within twenty
four hours. The insurrection was
soon put down and number of the in
surgents, either because captured with
arms in their hands or convicted Of
robbery, burglary and violence of
which last there were not few, were
accordingly promptly shot. Prominent
among them was a former Barnabite
priest, Father Ugo Bassl, who had gone
into the rebellion, taken rank as an
officer under Garibaldl. and having
been captured fighting and in arms,
was tried. condemned and shot in Bo-
logna on the 8.h OF August. l849, along
with fellow prisoner. The execution
took place as usual. very promptly,
without the knowledge of Monsignor
Bedini. and there was neither time nor
opportunity for the ceremony prescrib-
ed by the Roman ritual Of DEGRADATION
from the priesthood, Of which slight