The Sun.
London, England, 1864-09-22 00:00:00

Frerlcia volunteers, <lnd of course eltholic nations

will bp anzioug to fuilow the e*Lample of France.
The King of Italy, on his part, ergages not to attack
the Papal States, and to prevent any armed bands
from entering the Pontifical territory; but there is

no new proposition of any reconciliation with the

Pope. The. King would not expose himself to a
relay.' that is foreseen after so many solemn and

repeated declarations. The King has, moreover,
determined on adopting a measure which may bo
regarded as a great concession to the Papacy. lie
has consented to fix the capital of the kingdom

definitively at Florence. This transfer of the seat
of government will probably be very vigorously

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assailed by the party of opposition, but wise people
will allow for the situation of the King, and will

comprehend the reasons which have made him act

as he has done. Parliament will meet on the Ist
of October, in order that the Government may

obtain from it a ratification of the arrangements
between the two Cabinets. The Ministry have faith

in the patriotism of Italians, and they reckon on. 1 he

support of a very large majority. Count Vimercati

has been sent to M. Ratezzi, who is at present at

Baden-Baden, to ask for the patriotic adhesion of

that statesman."

The Indepenciance says, in reference to the above :
" The Turin correspondent who transmitted to us
the first information upon the nature and the scope

of the negotiations in question, and who has just

communicated to us, in terms as precise and as

positive, the result those negotiations have led to,

deserves the utmost confidence, and we are per-

suaded that when the veil falls which still sur.

rounds this diplomatic mystery, facts will prove, to

a certain extent at least, the importance and the
accuracy of the communications we have repro-

duced."

The Opinione of Turin is very precise. It says
,n its edition of the 16th—" We are informed that

yesterday evening, the 15th September, the conven-

tion between the French and Italian Governments-
concerning the cessation of the French occupation.
of Rome in two years was signed in Faris. M.
Drouyn de Lhuys signed for France ; Chevelier
Constantine Nigra, chief plenipotentiary, and the
Marquis Pepoli, minister plenipotentiary in extra-

ordinary mission, signed for Italy. We are also in-
formed that the King's Government, with the view
of communicating these stipulations to the national
Parliament at the earliest period, has determined to
summon the Chambers for the 4th of October."
The• Nord says—"lt is incontestible that the
mission of MM. Menabrea and Pepoli to the Empe■

ror of the French has had some result, and that the

Roman question has just made a great step towards
its solution, despite the contradictory assertions of
the semi-official papers. Oar own information con-

firms the fact of the convention concluded between

the Governments of France and Italy, the delay of
two years as the extreme term of the occupation of
Rome by the French troops, and, finally, the en:-
gageracnt entered into by the Turin Cabinet •to
make the Pontifical frontiers respected."

The I emps refers to the treaty in the same c on-
ClLnt teams. It says—" It. is impossible any lor.ger
to doubt that the Romln question is at last ap-
proaching the solution which it has so ioig
claimed, and which principles claimed for it.
It was essential that the occupation of 'Lome,
"ou nous 80712112 CS sans drolt," should cease some
day or other, and it appears that the time is hence-

forth fixed, and that a delay of two years has been
or is to be signified to the Pontifical government.
The semi-official press at P,;ris maintains at present
great reserve. But the affirmations of the Turin
journals have become too emphatic to leave room for
the slightest doubt. It is probable that other clauses
accompany and complete the stipulation of the delay
of two years; but it would be idle to comment upon
the indiscretions of the Italian press, as we shall
very soon know—at the latest in the early part of
the next month—the tenor of the conventions de•
cided between the governments of France and Italy.
Few people, even among the most impatient, will
be surprised by the concessions which may have
been introduced into the convention for the purpose
of preparing and mitig sting an inevitable denou-
ment. On the other hand, the friends of the Holy
See ought, if wise, to rejoice the first at the end of
a state of things which was in no way profitable to
their cause. It ought to be obvious to ea erybody
that, though the French occupation of Rome has
suspended the natural course of things, it has con-
solidated nothing, and to say the truth, has even
restored nothing. The Holy See, including its tem.
poral rule, is a moral power which can only be sus•
tained by a purely moral prestige, The material
assistance so long afforded to it, far from having
been favourable, has injured it, for it has sown the
seeds of schism in Italy, and withdrawn from its
moral power all the transitory security it gave to
its political authority. The hour has come for the
Holy See to transform itself if it can, but it is clear
that circumstances are much less propitious than at
the accession of Pius IX."
The Presse says—" If it is tree that France un•
dertakes to recal its troops from Rome in a fixed
tima, the Italian question advances towards a solu.
tion, while taking new ground. In our opinion
this engagement amounts to the abdication of the
Italian pretensions to Rome ; Italy henceforth cons
centrates her efforts upon Venice, and, above all,
she endeavours to find a provisional capital. She
may transfer the seat of her government to
Florence, but the provisional so soon becomes the
definitive:,
The Debats is of opinion that the Italian Govern-
ment will do well to transfer the capital to Florence,
if only for military reasons. It says :—By estab-
lishing himself in Florence the King of Italy allows
nothing to peep out as to what he hopes or does not
hope with regard to Rome; but he clearly shows
his thoughts with regard to Venice and Austria.
Against an army issuing from the famous quadri-
lateral, nothing defends, nothing can defend, the
plain of Lombardy and the access to Turin—no-
thing, unless it be a victory obtained in the open
field. Turin is so situated that, in case of war, a
battle mast always be fought to save it, even if
fought on disadvantageous conditions. The noun•
nations,
s exposed capital. w
cillors of the King of Italy no doubt thought that,
in the ambiguous state in which Europe is placed,
when every spring for the last four years has been
like a sword of Damocles susipendaesdnootvwe
eristhteobreeasdt
oc
of
nttheen most owstith paciftc
suchan x
Florence
protected against an army invading Lombardy, not
only by distance but by the line of the Po, by the
citadels of Alessandria, Piacenza, Ferrara, the
Appennines ; Florence besides possessing every.
thing which constitutes the charm of life in a,
capital, and everything
which
can symbolise the
majesty of a great kingdom; Florence would offer
striking advantages of situation to such Italians as
the future disturbs, and who, right or wrong, fore-
see coming days when they may ho compelled to
struggle anew for their independence. This is
enough to explain the loeg conceived project of
placing, at all events provisionally, the seat ol the
Italian Governmentin Florence. If this project ba
executed, it will be a sufficient precaution on the
part of the Italians, which doubtless ought not to
excite any particular alarm among us for the main•
tenance of peace, but which nevertheless will re-
mind us of the precarious state of Europe, and of
the many corebiaetions which may result, arid
which are certainly less piohable than the Frat.co,
Italian treaty that Italy is at this moment ardently
diEcus 3i ng."