The Express.
London, England, 1859-10-26 00:00:00

THE PAPAL STATES.

(11011 01. It tI'ECIAL CORRESPONDENT.)
FORLI, Ocr. 19.

This morning a rumour wu suddenly spread in the
town that the Swiss intended to attack the Leg.►tion
in the course of the day. I soon made some inquiries
in well-informed quarters, and I have been told that
some persons had really brought this news whilst
Garibaldi was here, last night, but up to this moment
nothing of the kind has occurred at La Catblica.
Garibaldi started for Rimini immediately with a part
of hie staff, in order to give the necessary orders. I
think, however, that the Swiss will not stir from
their position, for they know that they would get the
worst of it. The combined forces of Generals Mez-
recap° and Roselli already number 12,000 good
fighting men, with 20 field pieces of artillery, and
two squadrons of light cavalry. The morale
of these troops, I have been told, cannot bebetter, for
they are panting for the day of battle. I have been
myself the witness of a fact which proves beyond any
reasonable doubt the ardour of this population for
the cause they have undertaken. Yesterday a de-
mand for volunteers was posted up in the streets of
Forli. It was signed by a Major Lincisa, who has
been ordered by Garibaldi to organise a new baths,
lion of sharpshooters, to be called Bersaglieri
Romsgnoli. In lass than three hours 174 volunteers
were enlisted, and the half of them belonged to the
town.

In spite of these fach, the reactionary piety which
has been organised by some fanatic priests is busy at
work, both in the towns and in the country. The
day before yesterday four priests were arrested at
Carlene Morciano, a small mountain village of this
province. They were secretly conspiring against
the government of Bologna, being under the impres-
sion that a new and general vote would be
ordered by the European congress in the Legations.
They had already formed a skilful plan, which, if
carried out with success, would, in their opinion,
have insured here the triumph of the Papal govern-
ment. Of course the confessional and excommanica-

Lion were the means they would have resorted to,
bad not the vigilance of the authorities frustrated
their plans. Tile priests were sent to Bologna
under a safe escort of Carabinieri, a proceeding which
will, no doubt, have the effect of cooling the ardour
of their not numerous adherents. To say the truth,
it is not this powerless party which gives most
trouble to the liberal government of the Legations.
There are in the Romagna', and especially at Gegen',
the remains of those secret societies which, driven to
despair by papal legates and cardinals, sought to
revenge numberless wrongs by their merciless dag-
pre. Their members, who, happily, are not numer-
ous, think the present government too moderate, and
are a continual cause of alarm to the patriots of this
country. I have been told that some of the chiefs of
these associations were arrested on Friday night at
Cessna, so that the danger has been, at least for the
present, removed by the energetic measures adopted
by the Intendente of this province.

If diplomacy has really at heart the future happi-
ness of Central Italy, it can do nothing better than
remove all danger of Papal restoration. Even supposing
that the Court of Rome would at last accept the prin-
ciple@ which were laid down in the famous letter to
Edgar Ney, the restoration of the authority of
hie Holiness, with constitutional limitations, will
never satisfy the just wishes of these pops.
lations. Since my arrival here I have
spoken with men of all classes, and I am convinced
that, happen what may, the Legations can never be
brought back into obedience to the Holy See. The
hatred the people of this country have long cherished
against their former rulers is so great, so unanimous,
that Europe will undoubtedly witness a dreadful
scene of blood should she be unwise enough to sup-
port Pio IX. in his claims. This is not merely a
political question ; it is one fraught with dangers to
public morality and humanity, to avert which eves
imperial promises and papal pretensions should be
sacrificed.