New-York tribune., 1901-03-03
ITALY'S NEW PREMIER.
ADVENT TO POWER
MEANS WAR BETWEEN THE CROWN
AND THE VATICAN
ZANARDELLTS
TO POWER
AND THE VATTCAN

conduct of the government. For the new Prime
Minister of Italy who as D statesman towers
head and shoulders above every other Italian
politician with the exception OF Crispi. has for
the last quarter of a century distinguished him
self by his republic an affiliations, as well as by his
animosity to the Vatican. against which, as the
leader of the anti-clercal forces, he conducts
relentless warfare. At the time of the ac-
cession of Victor Emmanuel the opinion was
ventured in these letters that the relations be-
tween the Papacy and the Italian Government
would in his reign undergo a change for the
worse since he had never as heir apparent given
any indication of sharing the religious senti-
ments which. in spite of all that SAID to
the contrary. characterized both his father and
grandfather. and which caused them to tempo
rize with the Church as far as possible without
exposing themselves 10 revolutionary outbreak.
True they compelled to give their
tion many measures distasteful the Vat
lean imposed upon them by the parliamentary
majority of the day. But they always did
with manifest reluctance and with effort TO
convey to the Pontf the impression that, true
Catholics at heart. they not free agents.
but obliged to yield to the exigencies Of the
situation The old Re GalantuOmo' enter
tanned warm sentiments of personal affection for
Plus IN which the latter returned Private
letters OF particularly friendly character oc-
casionaIIy passed between them. and the burly
monarch died good Catholic. after having
received the last sacramerts OF the Church.
Humbert married a devout Catholic, who
undoubtedly exercised much influence over him.
while the fervent pety of his sister, The nUnlike
Princess CIothilde and of his brother the late
Duke OF AOsta, eX-KinS of Spain, was proof OF
the surroundings in which be had been reared,
and which left their impress upon his char
acter
King Victor Emmanuel however. has never
shown any sympathy for the Church or any
religious tendencies IL is known that he har-
bors against the Vatican deep seated resentment
for the afronts to which he and the reign:ns
house were subjected both at the time of his
marriage and on the occasion of his fathers
Obseques Nor is Queen Helen likely To make
any attempt to modify his views in this
spect. For there is reason 70 believe that at
heart she remains To the orthodeN Greek
Church. in which she brought up and TO
which all the members of her family belonged.
and that she became convert t. Catholicism
only because il was indispensable TO her mar
riaSe
A STRONG PARTY LEADER.
Thoroughly Indifferent to the feelings and
rrejudices OF the Vatican, and hanipeTed by
none OF the sympathies for the Church that
were entertained by his two predecessors on the
throne King Victor Emmanuel has
hded the premiership to a statesman who. while
the object of adherence on the part of the Vati-
can, = perhaps the only party leader wholSan
command a permanent majority in the lexis-
Iature. who has a settled programme. and who
has the strength and energy To carry il through
This is not the first time Zanardelli has held
office. II was while Minister of Justice in the
Crispi administration that he gave to Italy her
present remarkable criminal code and secured
the enactment of law whereby the State OBJ
tanned control of an immense amount of eccIesi-
astical property. known as the "Opere Pie in
trusted and bequeathed to the Church for char
liable purposes but which. owing maIad-
mnStration. had failed to accomplish the pur-
pose for which il was intended. But he was
included in former cabinets solely for the pur-
pose of winning the support Of The Radicals
Parliament. and inasmuch the majority OF
his colleagues We're Invariably imbued WITH
dictionary sentiments and far from being
III true sy mpathy with him. looking upon his
preS5 sop to the Extreme It f. he was
greatly hampered by the obstacles which they
Placed in his way and which invariably resulted
in the ultimate downfall of the government
Hitherto when in office he has always been
obliged To temporize with his coIIetyu n arSser
{" achieve his aim. Now ne is r.aste: o na IN
control
The mistake which has baap mad. ,,utiI nox,