The Sun.
London, England, 1862-10-08 00:00:00

Towards this latter object negotiations were carried
on between all the parties concerned, until, towards
the end of April. 1800, it had been definitively set-
tled that the French troops should leave Rome, and,
by his note of the 1 lth of May ensuing, Cardinal
Antonelli seemed to agree to that departure. La-
moriciere was then at the head of a mighty Papal
host, with which the Court of Rome not only felt
sure of its ability to keep its present subjects to
their allegiance, but even to aspire to the re-con-
quest of its lost provinces. `i he expedition of Mar-
sala, the fall of the Neapolitan Bourbon, and the
inroad of the Italians into the Marshes and Um-
bria changed the whole position of affairs. After
Castelfidaro the Pope would never have had
power to hold his own even at Rome ; hence the
French Emperor, who deemed himself bound, at
least, to the personal protection of the Pontiff,
far from recalling his troops from the Eternal
City, only thought of adding to their num-
ber. Nothing, indeed, is easier for Napoleon than
to solve the question to his own satisfaction so far
as Italy and the Italians are concerned. He has
only to say "Do not stir !" and either gratitude or
fear, or any other feeling, is sufficient to paralyse
all movement on their part. But the Pope's own
position is greatly altered for the worse ; he no
longer has, in the early part of 1860, such a mili-
tary force as he then thought adequate to the sub-
jugation of his subjects. Pimodan lies buried ; La-
moriciere is un homme manque, and in De Merode
a good priest has simply been spoilt to make a very
indifferent soldier. The Pope cannot be delivered
up to his people without great immediate risk of an
immediate breakdown. It is necessary, therefore,
either to perpetuate the French occupation, or to
trust some other nation or Power with the defence
of the Vatican, or, finally, to build up again such
a Papal army as may screen the Holy See from
harm, with some hope of better success than has
hitherto crowned the efforts of Lamoriciere and
De Merode. Now it does not seem rational
for the Earope of our great generation to
put faith in any soldato del Papa, be he
even a Swiss, a Belgian, or an Irishman. It is not
easy for France, for Italy, or for England to tole-
rate an Austrian, a Spanish, or any other foreign
garrison at Rome. The Pope would not willingly
place himself at the discretion of the King and
people of Italy; consequently, unless it is meant
either that the Pope should quit Rome er that the
Papacy as a temporal Sovereignty should perish, it
is necessary that the old edifice should continue to
be, as it now is, propped up by French bayonets.
That being the case, I conceive it would be a great
gain for the Pope, for Italy, and for the whole
world, if the Emperor Napoleon, instead of setting
his semi-official organs by the ears, instead of quib-
bling and shuffling with Roman, Italian, English,
and other diplomatists, would freely speak out.
England, I should think, has nothing to tender
in this matter except her friendly offices. She ac-
cepted the French occupation of Rome in 1849 as
the choice among many evils. There are no greater
reasons militating against the temporal power of the
Pope now than there were 14 years age, than there
were three, or eight, or ten centuries ago. The
Romans have a very good right to object to it cer-
tainly, and the Italians the best titles to sympa-
thise with the Romans; but till they are strong
enough to make good by might of arms the justice
of their cause it is by no means likely that French
or English diplomacy will avait them much. The
Emperor Napoleon himself, to say nothing of his
real secret intentions, has put himself in an impasse I
where no outlet is.
lbEr,surbopeetsatngwlanishes.to
Butkee itt the
It would seem difficult for the Italians to find
fault with, at least, the good intentions of England;
but there are perverse reasoners enough in this
country—nearly all the political light that ever
dawns south of the Alps comes from Paris, so that
we have newspapers here fain to ascribe Villafranca,
Aspromonte, all the calamities of Italy, not ex-
cepting even the occupation of Rome, to the evil
influence of Great Britain. " Were it not for the
intolerable fuss that heretic England, out of reli-
gious bigotry and political jealousy, makes about
the Pope, the Emperor Napoleon would be but too
ready to let us go to Rome ; but, as it is, out of sheer
spirit of contradiction, he must needs abide where
he is. England knows it, but it suits her to goad
her neighbour out of all patience that some fine day
he may not be tempted to give in to the entreaties
of the Italians, when these latter will be too strong,
especially if allied to France, to allow the English
to lord it, as they now do, all over the Mediter-
ranean." Such stolid nonsense one may read any
day in the Turin Gazetta del Popolo ; and," more-
over," says that extremely wise journal, "If Eng-
land has such deep sympathies with our cause, why,
instead of asking France to evacuate Rome, does
she not bid Austria take herself out of Venice ?"
This taunt will seem less gratuitous now when the
Italians learn by Cavour's letter that in February,
1860, England stipulated that " the internal Go-
vernment of Venetia should not be meddled with,"
while, on the contrary, " the French Emperor made
a reserve on the article respecting Venetia." Yet
the conduct of England, I need hardly say, was
very fair and consistent throughout. On the French
first crossing the Alps for the war of Lombardy in
1859, England thought, with the very best
reasons, that the proclaimed liberation of Italy
should, as it did in 1796, end in a substitution of
French instead of Austrian ascendancy over the pe-
ninsula. AfterVillafranca the first twinkling of hope
that Italy, or at least a large part of it, could actu-
ally belong to itself was hailed with the greatest
enthusiasm both by the English people and the Go-
vernment who then set up the cry of " Italy for
the Italians," and took the French Emperor to his
wGoaredtaaabnodu tatthßeomneenb- non-intervention ventio
throughn
the principle.tramra It is
certainly not England's fault if Napolean III• at
that self-imposed compact. As for Venice,
did England not mean in 1860 that Austria should
could
retain possession of that province if the thing.
be helped, but both then, and at all times, she
left not a atone unturned to convince Austria of
invgenaivceerted at
the expediency, nay, necessity, of loosening that
Prussia,
not listen to the voice of the charmer
certainly thought
never so wisely, and England
last hold she yet had of Italian soil• Acuisitr
arima
hei
it would be rash for Italy
n hgael
at
-.a
attack on the Mincio, whetherrt
ofdFdrraenadcee.deltshlonef
handed, or relied on the suppe
been the inevitable result•
B
either case a general la war would have
d Franee,
she justly to
ventureapp r e hinn dae
ad
the welfalaree aocfteldtallsyasi
not only
which
issues of
wsui
geren
such contingencies. The ques-
tions Russia, and all Eurol
, self. The danger
e 11indeedeir far froamb about fair play and open lists be obtained
peace—could .
parties, and
for the contending
.disputeltaly and Austria be
®bind Sh
themselvesoul
allowed to seal
chivalrous tournament—the Italians might certainly
go to
of Rome and Venice are wound • • •
up with vital
European interests. All the I •
Wiens can do
towards the attainment of their object •
object is to give
new proofs of that firmness, moderation, and pa-
tience which have far
so enlisted European sym-
pathies in their behalf.
S
idle thetw
t yo
present
earsre c k oa gnct :bun li
spa niv
ina r
England

JERIOUS ROBBERIES AT ASIITON-UNDER-LYNE.
—A very daring robbery was committed at the Painters'
Arms, Old-street, Ashton-under-Lyne, on Saturday even-
ing. It seems that the funds of a club held at the house,
are kept in a tin box, in one of the rooms on the third
storey. About a quarter-past five on Saturday afternoon
the money was seen all safe, but about half-past twelve,
it was found that the box had been robbed. £6O
in gold and silver was carried off, but a £2.0 Bank of Eng-
land note was left behind by the thieves. Sometime dur-
ing Sunday night, an entrance was made at the shop and
house of Mr. Wm. Gibson, china and earthenware dealer.
Market Avenue, Ashton-under-Lyne, and between PA and
£7O in gold and silver stolen. A large tiMunt of copper
was made up
in five shilling papers, Was left behind. As
far as we can ascertain there is not the least clue to the
perpetrators of either of thee() serious robberies.