The Sun.
London, England, 1869-04-01 00:00:00

TRZ OCCUPATION OP ROME.

The Italian Green•book has just appeared. It
contains some important despatches relative to the
occupation of Rome. These documents throw much
light upon the situation between France and Italy.
They state clearly that no immediate evacuation of
Rome by the French troops is probable, and proving, as
they do, the inability of the Italian Government to satisfy
its people on this most important point, they go far to
explain the serious conspiracy just discovered. Frcm the
6th of January to the 22nd of August, 1868, General
Menabrea sent several despatches to the Italian Embassy
at Paris recording the efforts of the Florence Government
to arrive at a friendly understanding with the Papal
Court. Bases for a modus vivendi had been suggested.
Italy had done all that could he expected of her in respect
to the Pontifical debt. Brigandage across the Papal
frontier had been vigorously repressed by the Italian
troops. But these measures had not succeeded in
conciliating the Roman Government ; and the Florence
Cabinet had finally arrived at the conclusion
that such a result was impossible whilst the oc-
ccupation of Rome continued. Feeling convinced
that the presence of the French troops on the Papal terri-
tory was one of the principal inducements to the Papal
Government to maintain an attitude of hostility against
Italy, General Menabrea formally requested that the army
of occupation be withdrawn. On the 2nd of September,
last year, the Italian Ambassador at Paris replied to this
despatch. Ile had seen the French Foreign Minister,
but could obtain no satisfactory reply. Indeed, he
was plainly told that though the French Govern-
ment was of opinion that the occupation should not be
continued long, yet it did not think that the time for
terminating it bad yet arrived. General Menabrea
answered that the Italian Government was painfully
affected by this declaration. In a last despatch on the
23rd of November, General Menabrea said that the
French Government wholly mistook the state of affairs in
Italy in deciding upon the maintenance of the occupation.
Abroad it was always represented that Italy was on the
eve of a revolution, whereas, nothing could be further
from the truth. He would not, however, continue the dis.
cussion. It will thus be seen that the Italian Cabinet has
done everything short of war in order to secure the evacua-
tion of Rome. It seems that the Italians, or at least a
formidable party of them, are bent upon the last appeal.

" THE TRIPLE ALLIANCE."

It seems odd, after this clear statement of the rela-
tions between Italy and France, that the rumours of an
alliance between these two States and Austria should keep
in circulation, But such is the case. As the discussion
relative to the occupation of [tome ended in November last,
it is just possible that fresh negotiations of some kind may
have been opened between the Cabinets ofFlorence andraris.
The revival of these triple-alliance rumours is due to an article
in the Peziple, an Imperialist organ which is supposed by
some to have a very exalted personage as a contributor.
This article exhorts the public not to credit the reports in
c,irculaddon, but it does not deny the existence of the
triple alliance. On the contrary, it hints that if such an
alliance has not been made, there are circumstances which
might bring it about. The article is evidently a warning
to Pru,sia. And if certain letters from Perlin are to he
believed, Count llismarcl: is far from feeling secure just
and is hard at xvoik devising counter schemes
against this great plan.

110V.',