ishment of his foresight, implied in his letter to the
Pope, which angered Italy by what was thought its tone of irreverence
and doubt, some six months since.

To-day is the 7th of May, for I had thrown aside this letter, begun
the 19th of April, from a sense that there was something coming that
would supersede what was then to say. This something has appeared in a
form that will cause deep sadness to good hearts everywhere. Good and
loving hearts, that long for a human form which they can revere,
will be unprepared and for a time must suffer much from the final
dereliction of Pius IX. to the cause of freedom, progress, and of the
war. He was a fair image, and men went nigh to idolize it; this
they can do no more, though they may be able to find excuse for
his feebleness, love his good heart no less than before, and draw
instruction from the causes that have produced his failure, more
valuable than his success would have been.

Pius IX., no one can doubt who has looked on him, has a good and pure
heart; but it needed also, not only a strong, but a great mind,

"To _comprehend his trust_, and to the same
Keep faithful, with a singleness of aim."

A highly esteemed friend in the United States wrote to express
distaste to some observations in a letter of mine to the Tribune on
first seeing the Pontiff a year ago, observing, "To say that he had
not the expression of great intellect was _uncalled for_" Alas!
far from it; it was an observation that rose inevitably on knowing
something of the task before Pius IX., and the hopes he had excited.
The problem he had to solve was one of such difficulty, that only
one of those minds, the rare product of ages for the redemption of
mankind, could be equal to its solution. The question that inevitably
rose on seeing him was, "Is he such a one?" The answer was immediately
negative. But at the same time, he had such an aspect of true
benevolence and piety, that a hope arose that Heaven would act through
him, and impel him to measures wise beyond his knowledge.

This hope was confirmed by the calmness he showed at the time of the
conspiracy of July, and the occupation of Ferrara by the Austrians.
Tales were told of simple wisdom, of instinct, which he obeyed in
opposition to the counsels of all his Cardinals. Everything went on
well for a time.

But tokens of indubitable weakness were shown by the Pope in early
acts of the winter, in the removal of a censor at the suggestion of