The Sun.
London, England, 1864-10-25 00:00:00

The Franco-Italian Convention.

The Memorial Diplomatique has the subjuined—
" Diplomatic communications of recent date have
definitively enlightened the French Government
as the attitude taken by the Austrian Cabinet in
presence of the Franco-Italian Convention of the
15th September. The Cabinet of Vienna is desirous
of an alliance with France, as it has been in the
past and will be in the future. Such is the gene-
, ral situation, and no circumstance has hitherto
transpired to produce any change. As to the
treaty of the 15th September, the Austrian Govern.
ment declares that it accepts with confidalco the
guarantee with which the French Government had
surrounded it, Iu its eyes the value of the treaty
consists solely in the signature of France; but that
suffices for the Cabinet of Vienna, and it desires
nothing more. As a proof of the sincerity of its
intentions towards France, the Austrian Govern.
went engages not to exert any influence on the
ulterior determinations of the Holy Father. If the
Pope consults the Cabinet of Vienna as to the course
he shall take with regard to the Roman Conven-
tion, the Cabinet of Vienna will advise his Holiness
to accept purely and simply the situation induced
by the new arrangements, Only, according as that
situation shall be developed in one sense or another,
Austria reserves for that moment its rights as a
Catholic Po giver.
The same journal likewise says :

"We are informed that Spain has addressed to
the French Goverutneut its answer to the comma,-
nication of the Franco-Italian Treaty of the 15th
Sept. The Cabinet declares that it hlo no wish to
oppose any obstacle to the development of the
situation produced by the Convention signed by
France. It adds that it relies on the eng.,gerneuts
taken by the Cabinet of the Tuileries to keep Italy
and the Italians within the letter of the treaty, and
that Spain has not at present, in its quality as a
Catholic Power, any objection to make against the
arrangements concluded."

PARIS, OCT. 22.

The new pamphlet, of which a sura rnary has
been telegraphed, is entitled "LA Convcntion du

5 Septembre, 1661," and is suppo]od to proceed

from a semi.official source. Its mein argument
seems directed to prove that France and Italy can
have no other object in view than to execute faith-
fully and loyally all the points of the convention,
securing the possession of Rome to the Pope, and
granting Florence as the definitive capital of Italy.
The pamphlet concludes as follows :
" France is alone at Rome, because ehe is there
carrying out the common task of CAtholieity ; but
if, after long and! persevering efforts, she should, not
attain her object by reason of the duplicity of Italy,
as the question of the Papacy is not of a kind
which can always remain without solution,
it is probable that the Catho'io Powers
would ultimately put in their claim to take part
in the matter. In place, then, of sympathis-
ing with France, the Italians might well end
e; that is to say,
by having the Austrians, the Spaniards, the Por-
ntuegiguhesbeouarnsdwßhoavaur.oiaunlds
ppa at r Rom
not so much assist
as we should in the removal of the difficulties in-
herent to the position of the Italian Kingdom.
" These eventualities, which the most ordinary
common-sense indicates, have been seen by Italian
statesmen as well as by us, and it is to remove them
that they have desired, in getting the Convention
of the 15th of September last to obtain the assist.
ance of France.

"The time at which France should draw her
troops from Rome, was pointed out in advance by
the very object of her policy—it was the time when
in quitting the States of the Church she could leave
behind her the Papacy respected and guarded by
Italy herself. The evacuation was opportune, it
was even necessary, as soon as it became possible
without danger—but if the value which the French
Government attaches to the independence of the
Holy See has been hitherto placed beyond doubt by
15 years of respectful and efficacious protection, it is
rendered still less dubious by the precautions with
which the execution of the Convention of Sept. 15
has been surrounded.

"France assuredly believes in the loyalty of the
Italian Government, since she has accepted its en.
gagements ; but, without attaching any doubt to its
desire to remain faithful to them, she has been able
to foresee the difficulties which, in a country still
agitated and occupied with its definitive organisation
hostile parties might entail upon their punctual exe-
cution. It is to give Italy time to strengthen herself
in her new resolutions, and to draw nearer to the
Holy See that France has stipulated the delay of two
years for the entire evacuation of Rome; it is fur-
ther, and, above all, to give the Papacy time to seek,
to ripen, and to organise, without surprise and pre•
cipitation, the means which France has reserved by
the convention, with a view of providing for its in-
ternal security. Under the shadow of the French fi‘g
the new army will be organised, small but sufficlent
to maintain order, and composed of elements which
the Holy Father will have judged the most appro-
priate to his position. Those who, having lived in
Italy, know that the population of the villages, and
the immense majority of the population of Rome,
are at bottom devoted to the Papacy and its paternal
rule, are also aware that the problem of the security
of Rome is reduced to watching and keeping down
a certain number of blunder ers such as all great
cities contain. A small army, supported by the
goodwill of the Roman population, will be sufficient
for this task, as soon as the Italian Government shall

have rendered it more facile by its loyal co•opera.
tion.

" Thus there will be solved, to the honour of
France and of her Government, this delicate and
difficult Roman question, which has caused such
well-grounded uneasiness in the Catholic mind. We
are sufficiently acquainted with the wisdom of the
Holy Father to feel persuaded that his Government
will not give to overexcited minds any of the pre-
texts they will not fail to seek to lay obstacles in the
way of the happy and proximate reconciliation of
the Papacy and Italy."