The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-09-09
CAPTURE OF RoME-PAPAL ZoU.
AYES DEFEND THE PATREMoNY
OF THE CHURCH-MONTE
LIBRETTl AND MENTANA
HOLLAND HONORS
HER ZOUAVES.

The Italian semi-centenary and what
it stands for, perforce call to mind the
seemingly futile but brave and heroic
stand in the late sixties of the Pope's
little army against the overwhelming
odds of invaders of the Papal States.
In this connection few historical data
may not be uninteresting. In 1S4S Pope
Plus TX quelled the revolution in Rome
by granting number of administra-
tive concessions which, however, did
not satisfy the revolutionists. AS early
as 1852, says a writer in America, y
the arch-plotters, Cavour and MazZini,
were found working at realization of
their various schemes of political plum
der. AS a first result of their efforts,
Naples and Sicily and the larger por-
ton of the Papal States were annexed
to the Piedmontese Kingdom by force
of arms in 1850 Thereupon, in 1861,
the Parliament at Turin proclaimed
Rome the capital of United Italy. A
further step was taken in 1864, when
the capital was removed from Turin
seat of the Dukes of Tuscany. In spite
of the royal disclaimer that Piedmont
would not further interfere with the
government of what was left of the
Church's territory, the evacuation of
the Papal States by the French troops
in 1866 aroused Catholic sentiment all
over Europe and carried it to fever
heat.
The Taking of Rome.
France then declared the Italians
should never be allowed to take Rome,
and despatched five thousand of her
soldiers to protect the city. Never
theless, in 1867, Garibaldi was permit
ted to start on his freebooting expedi-
ton in what remained of the Papal
possessions, in which, however, he was
effectively checked at several points,
and completely defeated at the Battle
of Montana, November 8, 1867. Final
ly, in 1870, when the opening of the
Franco-Prussian war afforded Ma
poleon III pretext for withdrawing
the French garrison from Rome, a
fresh attack was begun this time by
a Piedmontese army of over twenty
thousand men which, under General
Cadorna, entered the City of the Popes
through the breach of the Porta Pia
on September 20 of the same year. In
order to avoid the useless shedding OF
blood Pope Plus TX forbade all active
resistance, and, ceding to superior
force, he retired within the precincts
of the Vatican.
The Papal Zouaves.
When Garibaldi in 1867 was about
to start on his filibustering invasion
of Papal territory hundreds of Catholic
young men from all parts began to
wend their way via Marseilles to Civits
Vecchia and Rome for the purpose oil
enlisting in the Pope's army and te
take up arms in defence of the Holy
Father and the Church's territorial
rights. This led to the formation of 6
foreign legion, known as the Papa
Zouaves, commanded by the French
general, Baron de Charette. This corps
young Hollanders joined in large mum
bers; indeed, to little Holland, two
thirds of whose population is outside
the true fold, belongs the enviable dis
tinction of having furnished the great
est number of the men that made III
this historic body of troops. During
the years '67--70 nearly four thousant
of them joined the ranks.
They came mostly from the humble,
S,, 81 ho5 :,
them those characteristics which ire
spective of geographical lines ant
national divisions, are among thu
noblest traits of our race. They wer,
noted among their comrades for un
daunted courage, and for such piet.
and singleness of purpose as to excit,
the admiration of their fellows
When in action their companies ant
battalions were ever well to the fore
as may be gathered from the lists o
casualties in the various battles an,
skirmishes in which they took part
and which show in every instance, bot
among the killed and wounded, pei
centage of Dutch patronymics. Caste
f1dardo. Baugnoret, Monte Rotonde
MOul0 l11UIOGll duu MOuIdud LII Gu1
witnessed their feats of valor.
Monte Libretti.
The assault of Monte Libretti, Octt
Der Is, 1867, has been forever mad
memorable by the heroic death of
young Hollander, Peter de Jong, ma
of gigantic stature and herculea
strength. The town had been occl
pied by twelve hundred of the enem,
who we're safely intrenched behind il
walls. A detachment of eighty -fou
Zouaves was sent up against them, an
in the fierce fight that followed d