The Express.
London, England, 1867-10-29 00:00:00

MI ITALIAN ClllBlB.

The Daily News points out that the King of
Italy's proclamation, which it terms a most pitiful oompo-
*Hien, makes no allusion to the foreign intervention,
which, as its author well knew, was at the very time in
ovine of execution. Three weeks ago the declarations it
contains would have done him honour, but his government
has permitted the moment for asserting the national inde-
pendence to pass away. There is not an idea in the
proclamation that can be called national, and it is not by
such a document that the public spirit of Italy im to be
rallied to the throne. A melancholy interest now
attaches to the reports of those military achieve-
ments of patriotic Italians which, according to all
appearance, are predoorned to end in vain sacrifices.
If Garibaldi's movements were governed exclusively by
the ordinary maxims of war, we should not be in much
doubt as to the oonrse which he would, under these cir-
cumstances, adopt. If the Papal garrison could hold
Rome for four-and-twenty hours, the General might find
himself between two fires. But the language he held at
Florence this time last week shows that be wu prepared
for a situation as extreme as this. He has meditated on
the characters of Louis Napoleon and Victor Emmanuel
until he has acquired the conviction that he can best save
Italy by dying for her at Rome, and before many days are
over we may hear that the dark policy of the French
Emperor has tound one more illustrious victim.
The Tines thinks the proclamation, which is based on
principles which are sound and statesmanlike, may yet
save Italy from present humiliation and the Emperor
Napoleon from a future Nemesis. It will have rendered
the enterprise of Garibaldi hopeless, if indeed he is still on
the field. That Victor Emmanuel, in the presence of a
French intervention, will rally the nation round him
admits of no reasonable doubt at all. The next step the
Times supposes will be the invitation to the Italian
government, if not the peat powers of Europe, to a con-
ference on the affairs of Rome. A joint occupation of the
city, in the meantime, by the French and Italian troops
would save the honour of both governments, and deprive
his intervention of a hostile character. If the bands of
volunteer should now retire from the papal territory, it
will be in deference to the positive commands of their own
Ring, and not to foreign dictation.
The Post thinks the question must certainly arise
within • very few days whether Pio Nono will not consent
I to accept a magnificent endowment, with his independence
in the Vatican guaranteed by the catholic states of Europe,
and a constitutional establishment of • " Free church in
a free stater

The Standard trusts the Emperor will show that msg.
nanimity on which the Italian King evidently relies, and
that he will be too generous to resent the advance of the
Italian troops into the Papal states. The only question is
whether the Italian troops Cr, under sufficiently good dia.
aipline to see the Carib&Wiens beaten by French soldiers,
or to compel them to lay down their arms if they should
resist the summons.

To the Star the proclamation seems so feeble and pia,
poseless as to look very mum as if the King and his ad-
visers bad really allowed the thing to go on in the hope
of extracting some advantage from it, and in the belief
that Franco would not actually intervene by arms. It
would be impossible to blame Victor Emmanuel because
he shrinks from war with so unequal an antagonist as
France. But it is equally impossible to doubt that there
was a period in the history of the present crisis when it
was open to the King to avert at once the danger of war
and the certainty of disgrace; that be allowed that period
to peas away, and that now it is irrevocable.