"
Under these circumstances, Count Aldini goes on to recommend that hopes
should be held out of an early resumption of payments on the national
debt, and that a provisional air should be given to the proposed
arrangement, so as to keep alive the prospect of a great kingdom, of
which Rome should be the centre. He deprecates enforcing an oath of
allegiance on the clergy, on the ground that "all priests will consent to
obey the civil government; but all will not consent to swear allegiance
to it, because they consider obedience an involuntary act, and an oath a
voluntary act which might compromise their conscience." He finally
recommends delay, under present circumstances, till some decisive victory
has crushed the hopes of the priest party. This delay was fatal to the
scheme. After the battle of Wagram, Napoleon resumed the project, and
resolved to encrease the Pope's income to two millions of francs. Then,
however, there came unfortunately the protests of Pius VII. the bull of
excommunication hurled against the Emperor, and a whole series of petty
insults and annoyances on the part of the Pope; such, for instance, as
walling up the doors of his palace, and declaring, like his successor and
namesake, his anxiety to be made a martyr. Passion seems to have
prevailed over Napoleon's cooler and better judgment.
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