The Washington herald., 1914-08-16

But even the bayonets Of a million SOL
dlers could not close the immemorial ave-
nues of trade, nor could Napoleon's big
broom sweep back the natural currents
of ebmmerse. The war between England
and France prostrated the honest busi-
ness Of the continent and of the British
Isles and brought on an epidemic of
bankruptcy, but the ruined merchants
were replaced by 10000 smugglers who
matched their wits against an army of
customs officials.
When at last the Emperor found he
could not stop smuggling. he adopted a
system of licensing it and sharing in its
profits by taking 80 per cent Of the value
of certain kinds Of imports offered for
sales All other smuggled goods were con-
fiscated by him and sold at great auc-
the British woolen and cottons that his
agents had seized. These were piled in
heaps and destroyed in huge bonfres that
lit up the empire All letters written in
the continent and the British Isles were
also burned as many as 10000 being
given to the flames on an appointed day.
At War With Rome.
Every nation. and indeed every house
hold, felt the burden of the continental
system. 1t set the empire at war with
the church itself. although the St Peters
burg official well might have blamed a
woman for that quarrel and an Ameri-
can woman, too. For Betsy Pateryon
really was at the bottom of the UNHAPPY
conflict between Rome and its eldest
daughter. 1t was not until the Emperor
asked that Jerome Bonaparte's American
marriage be annuled that the first open
breach occurred. The ecclesiastical au-
thorities found, on investigation. that the
ceremony had not been performed in
strict conformity with a decree of the
council Of Trent. but il was also found
that this latter decree never had been
published at Baltimore and consequently
had no force in that diocese. Pope Plus
VII replied to the Emperor, therefore.
that the marriage was valid and that he
was powerless TO crafty his wish.
II may easily be imagined with how
little patience Napoleon saw his purpose
baked by a technicality like that. and
thenceforth the relations Of the Emperor
and the Pope rapidly went from bad to
worse In a year the French troops
seized Rome. In two years, the Eternal
City was annexed to France, becoming
only the capital Of the Department of the
Tiber, and Plus was a prisoner in close
confinement behind the high garden walls
Of the archoishop's palace at Sayona on
The Papal States formed at the time
considerable territory lying betweenI
Napoleon's kingdom Of Italy and his sub
ject kingdom Of Naples. and he treated
the sovereign Of that territory with no
more consideration than any other SOW
ereign who happened in his way.
1t was to compel the papacy to re-
nounce its temporal sovereignty that he
locked up Plus VII, mild. unaggressive
man, who was sixty-seven when his cap
tivity began, cut him of from his card
inals and counselors. from theological
books and papers. and from all communi-
cation with the church. The captive's
was completed by the silence Of
the press, which was forbidden to aIlude
to his arrest OF his whereabouts
The pontih bore his immurement with
becoming resignation, but when required
TO surrender even the ring Of the fisher
man. he had the spirit to break Il In two
before handing It to the imperial oficial. |
Moreover. he established a continental
blockade OF his own against Napoleon.
By his refusal to confirm bishops for the |
empire, many sees became vacant and |
the machinery Of the church throughout |
the imperial dominions was thrown into
: Fexatious confusion. For even though