The Sun.
London, England, 1861-08-12 00:00:00

THEITALIANPTROTES T.

The Nationalites publishes the text of the Italian
protest against the occupation of Rome, as fol-
lows :

" The undersigned Italian citizens, in the name of
that duty which imposes upon them the obligation
of endeavouring, by pacific means and the manifes-
tation of public opinion, to obtain that indepen-
dence which they would be justified in asserting by
arms in the case of any other foreign power, and in
the name of that right which all have, to win—the
unity of their country and capital, solemnly protest
against the occupation of Rome by the French
troops : Because by the traditions of the nation and
the opinion of all Europe, Rome is designed to be,
the capital of Italy ; because, as long as the Frencti
troops shall be in the occupation of Rome, the
national right of Italy is not recognised, the Italian
question remains based on a fact half accomplished,
and no one can oppose, by external force, the efforts
of Italy and other foreign powers against the libe-
rated provinces of Italy ; because Rome now is, and.
will continue to be, while the occupation lasts, the
centre of every reactionary conspiracy which gives
life to the civil war in the south of Italy, and tends
to give birth to anarchy where the enthusiasm of
liberty and of unity had given birth to concord ;
because at Rome alone, from the memory of its
magical associations and the respect of all for them,
we can only finally appease those petty disputes
which are kept up to the detriment of unity, and
put an end to the pretensions of every other city ;
because 22,000,000 of Italians ought not and cannot
allow Rome to remain severed and in servitude
whilst they are free and independent, the prolonged
delay of the French in Rome can only give occa-
sion to quarrels and struggles between two nations,
which, for the good of all and by their
fraternity on the field of battle, ought to
exist in a relationship of mutual love and
reciprocal support ; because the continu-
ance of the occupation of Rome is a
formal denial of promises made and recent
declarations on the part of France ; because there
exists no motive for this occupation—no motive
of the defence of religion which nobody dreams of
attacking, and which the support of foreign bayonets
tarnishes and dishonours—none for the protection
of the Pope's person, which nobody threatens, and
which Italy is ready to protect ; because a prolonged
occupation for twelve years without any reasonable
motives is equivalent to a conquest of territory
which neither Italy nor Europe can allow ; because
the continuance of the French troops in Rome is a
formal violation of the principle of non-intervention
proclaimed by England and France herself, because
Italy belonged to the Italians, and not to strangers,
whoever they may be. The undersigned address
this protest to France, which fought a short time
since for the independence of Italy from the Alps
to the sea ; to England, which first proclaimed the
principle of non-intervention ; to all Europe, which
has hailed with marked interest the return of Italy
to a collective national life—a life to which the in-
definite and arbitrary occupation of Rome would be
a formidable menace and danger."