motion was
perfected; the steam-engine hissed past him, and he felt that now he was
completely unchained. I do not give this as a theory of the rise and
progress of modern liberty; but unquestionably there is a close and
intimate connection between motion and liberty.

The Popes are shrewd enough to see this connection; and herein lies
their opposition to railroads. They have attempted, and still do
attempt, to perpetuate papal serfdom, by tying their subjects to their
paternal acres and their native town. Were my reader living in London or
in Edinburgh, and wished to visit Chelsea or Portobello, how would he
proceed? Go to the railway station and buy a ticket, and his journey is
made. But were the country under the Pontifical Government, he would
find it impossible to manage the matter quite so expeditiously. He must
first present himself at the office of the prefect of police. He must
state where he wishes to go to; what business he has there; how long he
intends remaining. He must give his name, his age, his residence, and a
certificate, if required, from his parish priest; and then, should the
object of his journey be approved of, a description of his person will
be taken down, a passport will be made out, for which he must pay some
six or eight pauls; and after this process has been gone through, but
not sooner, he may set out on his little journey. Very few of those who
live in Rome were ever more than outside its walls. Even the nobles have
the utmost difficulty in getting so far as Civita Vecchia; very few of
them ever saw the sea. The Popes know that ideas as well as merchandise
travel by rail; and that if the Romans are allowed to go from home, and
to see new objects, new faces, and to hear new ideas, a process will be
commenced which will ultimately, and at no distant day, undermine the
papacy. But among men of ordinary intelligence there will be but one
opinion regarding a system that sees an enemy not only in the Bible, but
in the most necessary and useful arts,--in the steam-ship, in the
railroad, in the electric telegraph; in short, in all the improvements
and usages of civilized life. Such a system assuredly has perdition
written upon its forehead.

The late Pope Gregory XVI. would not allow even an iron bridge to be
thrown across the Tiber. The Romans solicited this, to get rid of a
ferry-boat by which the Tiber is crossed at the point in question; but
no; an iron bridge there could not be. And why? Ah