ual life of the Italians, and so devoutly worshipped for its expression of the beautiful, that the enthusiasm it enkindles becomes akin to religion - this art no longer flourished, as in the days of Italy's glory; the brush was laid upon the easel, and the marble stood half woke to being. Such was the condition of Italy when Gregory descended to the tomb of his fathers. The conclave for the election of a new Pope, commenced its sittings upon the 11th of June, 1846. On the evening of the 16th, Cardinal Giambatista de Mastai Ferretti, was elected to the ancient head of the Romish Church, under the title of Pius IX.; and on the 21st of the same month, the imposing pageantry of his coronation was witnessed at the Vatican. What must have been the emotions of the Italian liberals, as they saw ascend to the Pontifical Throne a successor to Gregory, the minion of Austria. They heard the rejoicings of the absolutists, as the guns of St. Angelo announced the election of Pius. They knew not who was the sovereign of Rome, and the head of her church. They had heard of him only as the learned Bishop of Imola. And must they even listen to those rejoicings, and be crushed to the earth by their oppressors? Must Rome ever be a desert? Must the free thoughts and animating hopes of her citi zens be felt in their hearts no more, or struggle into expression upon the pages of her literature? Must the descendants of that once proud race, whose boast it was to say, "I am a Roman citizen," now grovel in the dust, and ask for alms of the stranger, who comes to look upon her buried grandeur? Must they always see in the monuments of the Past, a sad contrast to the ignominy of the Present? Thank God, it was not so. The time of their deliverance was at hand, when the power of Austria was to be rebuked, and the rights of Italy asserted and maintained. Pius IX. was the political reformer who was to regenerate his country. He was demanded by and adapted to the necessities of the times. Here, then, there were popular grievances to be redressed, and a leader who was capable to control and direct the complicated movements which grew out of them. This was the essential element of revolution. The people were rife for it; its seeds were in their hearts, and it needed only the occasion to develop them. That occasion was the ascension of Pius to the Papal chair, and nobly have the people availed themselves of it. Pius IX., we are told, was born in the time of the great revolution, and descended from a noble ancestry. In his early life, he was an officer in the army of Napoleon. From some cause, not mentioned, he was induced to throw up his commission and assume the orders of the priesthood. He was afterwards sent as a missionary to Chili, and while on his way, visited the city of New York. His stay in Chili was not a very long one; but it is said, that while upon this field of his labors he was diligently employed in resisting the St. Simonism of France, which had exhi bited itself with its Atheistic results. He subsequently visited various parts of South America, in his capacity of a priest. Thence being recalled, he was appointed Papal Nuncio to Naples: afterwards Bishop of Imola, and Cardinal; and finally he was raised to the present exalted station of which he is so conspicuous an ornament. Pius had been Pope but a few days before he revealed his true character. His first act was to suppress military warrants, and to establish justice. He abolished the old code of laws, and invited a committee of eminence to form a new one. He gave the most liberal encouragement to various academies of learning, and adopted extensive plans of internal improvements. He took measures to place himself in communication with the people and to become informed of the wants of the provinces. He disbanded the infamous army of Gregory, and formed a national guard, with officers of his own appointment. He abolished capital punishment, granted the right of trial by jury, and the liberty of the press, and wisely determined that no man should be proscribed for his political opinions. But this was not all he did. His political wisdom was equalled only by his benevolence. "From the windows of his palace," says a late writer, "the good Pius overlooked the desolate city. The sad silence of the people reminded him of its present wretchedness and of its ancient grandeur. Instead of songs of jubilee, he heard only the sorrowful plaint: "Roma! Roma! Roma! Roma non è piu come era prima!" The ruined capitol, the grass grown streets, trodden no longer by the feet of industry, but by idle monks and beggars. Letters containing supplications from all the cities poured in upon him. "Pius! Pius! have mercy upon us! pity our families, our brothers in exile and misery." Pius heard their supplications and, on the 16th of July, granted a general amnesty to all political offenders. upon this announcement, Rome was filled with joy. “A vast crowd assembled at the Colosseum and at the Capitol, and marched in procession with wax candles and singing joyful songs, to the Monte Cavallo, to return thanks to their chief and beg his benediction. Since the fall of the last of the tribunes, there has been no such day in Rome. The houses throughout the city and every palace, except those of Cardinal Lambruschini and the Austrian Ambassador, were illuminated. The vast crowd moved to the ground under the balcony of the Pope's palace, and here (the third hour after midnight.) he extended his hands and blessed them." But not only in Rome is Pius thus remembered. Emissaries have been sent from almost every nation-even from the Sultan of Constantinople from South America, from England, France, Prussia and the United States-who have presented to the Pope the gratulations of their respective countries. In this country, public meetings have been held, and the warmest sentiments of approval have been adopted towards the reforming Pope and his liberal principles. And it is stated, in a recent arrival, that the news of the late meeting in the city of New York, was received at Rome with public demonstrations of joy. Processions were formed the utmost enthusiasm prevailed, and honors were rendered, in the Eternal City, to the republican representative of the United States. The following interesting story, illustrative of the benevolence of Pius, is told upon the authority of a late Italian writer. When Ferretti was a boy, he was rescued from drowning by one of his countrymen, a peasant: now that peasant had come from Fano to Rome to behold the child whom he had rescued from death, seated on the throne of St. Peter. "The peasant, Domeni co Guidi, was already some seventy years old - poor, and destitute of the means of subsistence for himself and his daughter. Incited by the fame of Pius IX., after many days of suffering and hardship, the father and daughter arrived at Rome, quite destitute, and not knowing how to make themselves known to the pontiff. Since his election, Pius had strictly forbidden public begging, and, at his own cost, had founded splendid alms-houses for the destitute. The officers arrested Domenico Guidi and his daughter as vagrants, and took them to the police office. After discovering who he was and the intent of his journey, the commissioner informed the Pope of this story of Guidi and his daughter. Both were thereupon well-dressed upon the order of his holiness and taken in a carriage to the Vatican. On the 28th of March, accompanied by the physician of the government and by his daughter, Guidi entered the pontifical hall of the Vatican, to be admit ted to audience, but fainted at the entrance and fell upon the floor. The officers and prelates of the court, with the physician, relieved the unfortunate Guidi, and the Pope gave order that he should be removed to a comfortable room of the palace, and receive every attention. The next day, when Guidi had sufficiently recovered himself, he was admitted to audience. Nothing could be more interesting and admirable than the interview between the pontiff and the saver of his life. Pius received him as an old friend and with the kindest expressions. Guidi could neither speak nor show any demonstrations, so great was his astonishment and admiration. The Pope would not permit him to kneel before him, but embracing him, he said, "Guidi, you were the friend of my childhood and the saver of my life. You shall suffer no more from want. You and your daughter shall go to Sinigaglia to my palace, and live with my friends." The next day Guidi left Rome in a postcarriage, after receiving the blessing of his holiness. His daughter was placed in a house of education, and Guidi still lives comfortably in the Mastai palace." The liberal policy of Pius has met with the most violent oppo sition of Austria. Various conspiracies have been formed, all probably set on foot by Austria, to take the life of the Pope. Hitherto he has providentially escaped, and the conspirators have their reward. The most wicked of these plans was devised, to be consummated upon the anniversary of the amnesty. Many citizens were secretly marked for slaughter, while they were engaged in celebrating the return of the exiles and the triumph of the Pope. But the plot was discovered by the energy of a citizen. The conspirators were to attack the troops with daggers, on which was marked "Long life to Pius;" thus attempting to fix the crime of murder upon the friends of the Pope. But the device failed: the national guards were organized, citizens of all classes enlisted, the most effective measures were adopted, which succeeded in preventing the massacre. Austrian gold was found upon the persons of the desperadoes, and thus the crime was fastened where it belonged. Then followed the occupation of Ferrara-the indignant protests of the Pope, of Tuscany, and of Sardinia - the blood-shed of Lucca, and Parma, and Modena. The Pope has eloquently said, "Austria must evacuate my territory, and grant new institutions to the people of Lombardy, or she must meet us in the field. If the barbarians advance a step or remain in Ferrara, I will raise the nation. I have already 60,000 men to oppose them. I shall not be alone in the field. If things come to the trial, and we are forced to fight, let Austria beware! She will then bid a long farewell to Italy, and cross forever the eternal Alps." We are assured of the justice of his cause, and we believe in its eventual success. Austria indeed still threatens- she is a powerful foe and Metternich is a crafty prince. But if she do not yield her unreasonable demands, we may expect to see the armies of Italy in the field, with triumphs they have not known since the days of the Caesars, when their haughty legions thundered along the temple-covered plains. The nations of the earth sympathize with Italy. England, we are told by a late arrival, has formally notified the Austrian government that she will not look calmly on her usurpations in Italy. At the same time, we hear of the triumphs of the people in the island of Sicily. The king has been compelled to grant a national constitution for the kingdom of the Two Sicilies, providing for the liberty of the press and the establishment of a national guard. These are among the indications that point to a glorious future for Italy. Besides, there is another element of success in the union of the states. The states which have embraced the liberal cause, contain a population of over eighteen millions, while the absolutists do not contain one-third of that number. These eighteen millions, woke to new life as they are by the liberty of the press, and animated by the flaming appeals of the Italian mind, what can they not do! And with such a man as Pius IX. at their head, what will they not do! Italy is destined to be no longer as she has been. She shall live not alone in the memories of the past, but in the realities of the present and the glorious anticipations of the future. She shall write her name among the free nations of the world, and the young America shall rise up to salute her. D. S. They have come! they have come! the warblers bright, In the forest dell-in the orchard's shade The echo wakes which their mirth hath made; And the quivering spray directs our sight To the shady nook where they dance so light, And panting throat Making music still like a fairy sprite! They are fair-how fair! that tiny race, As the warbler's breast, As the warbler's crest, When he floats in the sun on his wing of pride! They are happy too—oh happier far Than our manly race with its toil and care; While circling wide on his rapid wing, O'er the meadow bright, Where the sun is flashed from the butterfly's wing! |