The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1903-07-24

tic prelates and soon afterward the refer
endary to the court of Segnatura. He nov
had his foot on the first round.of that lad
der he afterward climbed so steadily.
Cardinal Sala saw to it that Joachim
Pecci was attached to the Congregation OF
the Propaganda, and Cardinal Lambruschi
nj, who was the pope's secretary of state
had him appointed official to many impor
tant bodies. He also placed him under the
immediate charge of the learned prelates
(soon to be cardinals Trezza and Brunelli
The superiors of this young mar realized
the character of the material before them,
and they shaped the weapon with exceed
ing care.
Career as Governor.
Joachim Pecci's first position of impor,
lance was that of governor of Benevento, q
small territory situated in the midst of
what was the kingdom of Naples. When
the French withdrew from Italy and Naples
was restored to the B%ourbons, Benevento
reverted to the pope. 1t was then an indie
pendent principality in the midst of a king
dom. The men who had been foremost in
their opposition to Napoleon had gradually
become guerrillas and bandits, ~levying
blackmail and smuggling. They found Their
refuge in the high and broken lands of
Benevento until that state had become a
menace to all about it.
This was the condition of things with
which this young man of 2S was expected
to grapple. He went to Benevento and on
the third day was taken down with an at
tack Of typhoid fever, during which he
nearly died. The result was that the oppo-
sition, which had been excited by the news
of his coming, was killed by the sympathy
which his illness called forth, and when he
rose from his bed he found all the people fa-
vorably disposed toward him.
Mgr. Pecci was a man who might be de.
pended on to make the most of such a state
OF affairs. AT the ceremony of laying the
cornerstone of a new church in honor of
Our Lady of Graces he had an opportunity
of meeting all classes in the little state.
The gratitude he felt forsympathy extended
to him in his illness lent an additional
charm to a name and utterance always
full of courtesy and high breeding. 1t was
natural perhaps that the lawless element
should suppose itself more than a match
for the gentle ecclesiastic who in years was
not much more than a boy, and whose phys
ical weakness showed itself in the pallor of
his face. The surprise felt at measures
adopted by the new governor was no small
part of the force which gave him the vic.
tory. 81.
One of the most dreaded chiefs of the
lawless bands who were smugglers, ban
dts or guerrillas by turns was Pasquale
Colletta He had his center of operations
in the Villa Mascambroni, where, with a
band of IA men, each as desperate as him
self, he levied blackmail on all about him.
One morning bright and early the people
of Benevento saw this man, together with
his whole band, led through the streets in
chains by the pontifical soldiers. The gov
ernor was infexible; no intercession was
sufficient to save those who were convicted
of murder, robbery and rapine.
The execution of Pasquale Colletta struck
terror into the minds of those who had so
long fattened on crime. But some offend
ers against the law were those who should
upheld it. A nobleman of Benevento
was one of the greatest smugglers in the
land, and when the gendarmes threatened
to search his castle he went in great wrath
to complain to the governor. Vainly did
Mgr. Pecci endeavor to convince his visitor
law must be obeyed by all. The mar
quis told the governor be would go to Rome
and return with an order of recall for the
young ecclesiastic who was upsetting all
the established customs of Benevento. The
smiled and asked, "Have YOU
given this matter thought. my lord mar.
quis?"
Certainly" was the reply.
Il fail to agree with you" replied the
governor. 'One cannot reflect too much
in these matters. I shall therefore request
you to remain here as my prisoner for a
That night while the marquis was re-
HlatInT n,, t1a ,,of%a~ li- ,,s%l, $500.
rounded. and 2S offenders were captured.
The reform of political and social evils
did not take up all the time of the young
He devoted himself to a study
OF the economic conditions of his territory
and decided hat roads must be built con
Meeting Benevento with the adjoining prov
inces of Molise, Terra di Lavoro and Ayel-
limo. He made a journey to Rome to con-
fer with Gregory XVI and his ministers
and eturned with full powers. The roads
were built. More than that, the taxes We're
reduced, and, brigandage suppressed, agri-
revived until m sprang
into new life with the opening of new mar
kets. Benevento was transformed-and in
less than three years.
In May, 1911, Mgr. Pecci was recalled
from Benevento and appointed papal dele
gate TO Spoleto. This sent him to Perugia,
one of the hotbeds of the revolutionary So
and here began a contest between
Joachim Pecci and the organized opposi-
ton to the church, which was to be the
mans work for many years. The various
secret societies which were born in Italy as
result of the disturbance following the
invasion had all a common OBJ
lect-the attainment of social and political
liberty. The efforts for greater liberty
made by such societies as the Carbonari
the charcoal burners) took the form of an
on the church. They believed that
under no circumstance would the church
lend itself to change, and they therefore de
termined to destroy it if possible.
Such a man as Mgr. Pecci would natural
iy come to the front in such a fight. In Pc
where he now ruled, he found the So
cieties very strong. Welded together and
given form, as these had been, by the genius
of Mazzini, they We're powerful and able
70 demand the greatest ability OF
the young ecclesiastic. He began in a thor
~, OH y rhn,, n n,.;r%Ia T1,n la ,,1,.l