The Sun.
London, England, 1870-08-15 00:00:00

THE EVACUATION OF ROME.

The evacuation of Rome at the present moment adds a
serious complication to the existing perplexities. Our
special correspondent describes the general feeling of the
citizens as extremely uneasy, and a movement among the
revolutionists as being confidently looked for. No efforts
are being spared to prepare for an attack, and it was r -
resolued at the Ministerial Council held at the
Vatican that Rome should be defended at all hazards.
There is much uncertainty on this point since
an Italian garrison has been offered to the Pope and
refused, and subsequently a similar offer of protection was
made, it was said by Prussia. The latter Power is
suspected of secretly assisting the Garibaldians. It is
said that General Kautzler, in replying to the French
Ambassador, fixed fifteen days for the time in which the
Papal troops could garrison the towns left by the French.
The movement of the troops was unquestionably very
sudden, and it is reported that the French soldiers were
busy arranging their stores in the arsenal when
the Marquis de Banneville repaired to the
Vatican to communicate his startling intelligence.
The Pope when he heard it is said to have observed that a
few days after the Austrian troops were suddenly recalled
from the Romagna they were severely beaten at Solferino.
When General Dumont took leave of the Pope, he was
well received, but his Holiness made no allusion to the
war or the evacuation, or to Napoleon himself. It has
been decided that recruiting on behalf of the
Papal forces shall be vigorously carried on in Ire-
land and America. Two hundred Canadians are expected.
The Pontifical Government has distributed among the
garrisons of the principal cities the eight thousand men at
its disposal. The Government continues its preparations
for defence. Besides other cannon they have purchased
from the French forty-eight pieces of ordnance, which,
added to those already in their possession, will form a
very powerful battery on the Aventine Mount. Two
mitrailleuses, on the French model, are expected from
Marseilles.

Mr. W. Scott Coward has been gazetted one of
her Majesty's Inspectors of Schools.
THE DECLINING POWER OF NAVIES.—One of
the most important facts revealed by the present war,
says the Economist, is the decline in the power of navies,
especially as a means of effective attack. The immense
size of the armies now employed is the principal reason of
this, for war is carried on between armed nations who
cannot be conveyed by sea. An army of 40,000 no longer
is a considerable force, and General von Falkenstein, who
is scarcely thought of in the present war, has
one hundred and fifty thousand men under his orders.
France is a strong maritime Power, and possesses the
second war navy in Europe, but the value of the French
fleet in the contest now waging is comparatively small,
though the enemy has a long sea coast. The fact is that
even Great Britain could not convey more than 80,000
men to a given spot at one time, and this would no longer
be a formidable army. This change seriously affects
England. It is evident that we can only make a descent
upon Belgium or France, our immediate neighbours,
with any hope of success. An army such as
Wellington led into the Peninsula would be speedily
destroyed by the Crown Prince, but, on the other
hand, the change immensely increases our safety from
linvasion. We cannot be invaded by more than 80,000
men at once, and as our soldiers are the equals of any
others, we should quickly be able to dispose of the invaders.
Consequently amid the collapse of armed nations on
either side, our position is in no degree endangered.