The Sun.
London, England, 1867-12-09 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 9, 1867.

7HE

!STIO.N.

Nletter from Rome, dated Nov. 30, says :
The Pope continues his visits to the wounded
soldiers, not only in the • hospitals, but:also in the
private places and convents where accommodation
has been improvised for them. There is one at St.
Nicola di Tolentino on a very small scale, where
there are about nine soldiers, among them the fer-
vent Peruvian Sevilla I mentioned to you before.
In spite of the confined space, he went even there
on Monday, to the great consolation of the men.
There are two very bad cases among them, which
are likely to be a long time in getting well ; the
others are going on very favourably. After the
Holy Father had visited and consoled the sick he
suffered the little children to be brought to him,
the care of whom is the ordinary occupation of the
Sisters of Charity in this house. He listened while
one little thing spoke an address with great arch-
ness, as well as great clearness of enunciation. The
King and Queen of Naples, Marchese Patrizzi, who
founded the institution, and several who have
tended the wounded there, had the honour of being
present.
The Florence journals are propagating reports of
his Holiness being in ill-health. 1 have seen him
frequently of late, and I never saw him looking
better.
Deputations from the liberated provinces, with
addresses expressive of devotion to the Holy See,
continue still to come up. The Pope received one
from Viterbo on Monday ; the wording of their
address is even more energetic than that of Albano,
which I sent you.
Of the prospects of a Conference you probably
hear more particular accounts than we do. It would
seem* that we are a long way as yet, however, from
arriving at any common basis for discussion.
There was a military reunion on the 24th ; more
important in its bearings than either of those re-
ported in my last. All the French officers present
at Mentana and all the Pontificals were invited by
the Roman nobility as a demonstration from the
whole body. Prince Barberini again threw open
his palace, and the guests filled eight or nine of
its large apartments. The assemblage was most
brilliant. The Roman ladies wore their celebrated
diamond parures, and the varied uniforms of the
officers almost vied with their costumes in display
of colour. The greatest cordiality reigned through-
out the evening. Everything was conducted on a
scale of great liberality. The wine was reported
to be particularly recherche, and the fete could not
have cost less than from two to three thousand
scu di.

It would be curious to know from what occult
source the writer of the Queen's Speech obtained the
information, so unhesitatingly—l had almost said
flippantly—volunteered, that the Papal territory is
now relieved from all danger of external invasion.
Was it a leap in the dark, or was it a weak reliance
on false news, or a wilful perversion of obvious
facts ? That a great victory has been obtained
by the cause of order over disorder there is no
doubt, though the Queen's Speech forgets to con-
gratulate us on that fact. But for any one who
ought to have a statesman's knowledge of the
mind and passions and propensities of the revolu-
tionary party in Italy to state, in the face of Eu-
rope, that the Papal territory is relieved from all
danger of external invasion (" invasion " might
have sufficed, by the
.way, without " external "), is
worse than puerile ; it is very much like an insult
to common sense. Before the journals of Europe,
with all their rapidity of printing, have been able
to reproduce the words, they are already falsified
The Gazzetta d'ltalia, of the 26th, writes openly :
—" . . . The Garibaldian party is preparing
for another coup de main on some quarter of the
globe or other. We are informed that some thou-
sands of red-shirts are in active:preparation. Feelers
have been thrown out to try what is the disposi-
tion of the usual leaders of these affairs towards a
new expedition ; others have declared their readi-
ness to embark in it without, however, guaranteeing
the concurrence of their former companions in

arms."

Meantime the news has been coming in every
day for a week past that red shirts are gathering
all along both norther❑ and southern frontiers.
In spite of their being called " volunteers," it seems
so difficult to find men to fight in such a cause
that the most enormous bribes, besides the promise
of booty, have to be held out to lure them into
it as on the former occasion. At Grvieto, for in-
stance, there are public recruiting depots, where
a bounty of forty-five lire is offered, and two
francs a day pay. Then, as all hordes of ma-
rauders want a captain, the moment the telegraph
announces that the French fleet has left Toulon
to fetch back the superfluous troops from Rome,
Garibaldi, who all the time he has been in prison
has been treated en prince, gets a convenient m di-
cal certificate that Varignano does not agree with
his health (how many poor fellows at Portland
Island might do the same !), and so he is forthwith
sent to Caprera, that island so eminently easy to
escape from, and consequently eminently wel
adapted to restore the drooping spirits of a pri-
soner.

It is not impossible that the gathering bands may
be reinforced by some, at least, of the 600 prisoners
whom the Pope's clemency liberated last week. It
is to be hoped the present news will keep him from
letting loose any more, though, to be sure, their
maintenance is a serious charge on the Pontifical
exchequer, as they receive the same rations as the
Papal troops, who are better fed than the French.

They were costing over 2,000 francs a day.
About 3,000 are said to be collected at Sora,
500 of whom have received full arms and equip-
ments, and were to start for Rieti, which seems
to be the present head-quarters of the movement.

Another remarkable sign of awakening hopes in
the Garibaldian mind is the affectation of triumph
and mystery assumed by the members of the sect

here, who, for some days after Mentana, were quite
cast down. They say the days of the Menabrea

Ministryare numbered, and that the next will give
carte blanche to the advanced party.

I am much inclined to think that nothing very
serious will be attempted during the winter
months, and that these gatherings are simply part
of the Mazzinian policy of keeping up agitation,
and disturbing. the order and quiet that prevails.
But, at the same time, this effervescence requires
to be kept in check, and it is quite evident the

attitude of the Revolutionists is sufficiently
threatening to render it unwise, to say the least,
for the French troops to leave. General de Failly
certainly told the Holy Father he had nothing to
fear, for though the whole French army had left,
it would undoubtedly return if need were. The
Pope himself seems to expect a second invasion as
much as any one ; at least, several allusions to it

are reported from his lips. He said on Wednesday
to the young Comte Maine, on his expressing regret

at having arrived too late to take part in the

battle of Mentana,

" Never mind, my child, don't

distress yourself, there will be more fighting before

.ono. v