at was undoubtedly
a usurpation so far as they were concerned, although others may look
upon it as a mere incident in the unification of a free people.
Moreover, since the unification was accomplished, the vanquished Popes
have acted with a fairness and openness which might well be imitated in
other countries. The Italians, as a nation, possess remarkable talent
and skill in conspiracy, and there is no organization in the world
better fitted than that of the Roman Catholic Church for secretly
organizing and carrying out a great political conspiracy, if any such
thing were ever attempted. The action of the Popes, on the contrary, has
been fair and above board.

Both Pius the Ninth and Leo the Thirteenth have stated their grievances
in the most public manner, and so far have they been from attempting to
exercise their vast influence in directing the politics of Italy that
they have enjoined upon Italian Catholics to abstain from political
contests altogether. Whether in so doing they have pursued a wise course
or not, history will decide, probably according to the taste of the
historian; but the fact itself sufficiently proves that they have given
their enemies more than a fair chance. This seems to have been the form
taken by their protests; and this is a fair answer to the principal
accusation brought by non-Catholics against the Pope, namely, that he is
ready to sacrifice everything in an unscrupulous attempt to regain
possession of temporal power. In other matters Leo the Thirteenth has
always shown himself to be a statesman, while Pius the Ninth was the
victim of his own meek and long-suffering character. To enter into the
consideration of the political action of the Pope during the last
fifteen years, would be to review the history of the world during that
time. To give an idea of the man's character, it would be sufficient to
recall three or four of the principal situations in which he has been
placed. A volume might be written, for instance, on his action in regard
to the German Army Bill, his position towards Ireland, his arbitration
in the question of the Caroline Islands, and his instructions to French
Catholics.

It is extremely hard to form a fair judgment from documents alone, and
especially from those documents which most generally come before the
public, namely, articles in such reviews as the _Contemporary Review_,
on the one hand, and the _Civilta Cattolica_ on the other. Indeed, the
statements on eith