The Sun.
London, England, 1868-02-15 00:00:00

TEE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 15, 1868.

hope that Italians may recognize sooner or
later that the real and lasting glory of Rome

and of the whole peninsula is the seat of Peter,
and that its lustre is incomparably beyond
that derived from any of the marvellous rem-

mats of Pagan Rome."
Generals Dumont and Bataille are now in
command at Civita Vecchia. A battery of

artillery and the cavalry returned to France
this week along with M. de Failly and the staff,
all, in fact, which forms the distinguishing
characteristics of an expedition. Whether this

remove is really dictated by regard for the
inadequacy of accommodation, or is a weak
concession to Italy, is warmly canvassed. The
French nation has driven the Emperor to de-
fend the Pope, but he is in a manner pledged
not utterly to abandon the kingdom of his
own creation, and thus his conduct is con-

tinually signalized by the most contradictory
actions, and it may be questioned whether
he would make any real sacrifice for the one

or the other.

May be Italy relies on the assurances she
receives, but Rome is in no wise deceived. Her

view of the matter was well rendered the other

day in an expression let fall by a prelate on the
following occasion. In the sermon at S. Pietro
in Vincoli, which I mentioned two weeks ago,
Padre Curci, a Jesuit of some renown as an

orator, expressed himself with great freedom,
extolling the Catholic spirit of the people of
France, but denouncing the policy of the Em-

peror. The sermon was talked about, of course,
and, before long, became the subject of com-
ment, more angry than wise accusations of
ingratitude, threats, and so forth, on the part
of the French embassy. Upon which the prelate
in question quietly observed—" They are right;
this is not the moment for speaking the
truth."

It is pretty much the same with Austria.
While her people are making some efforts in
favour of the Papacy—inferior to those of the
French, it is true—the Emperor is day by day
extinguishing his right to the title of Apostolic
Majesty. Yielding himseltup to the influences
of the Jews, he disputes the Concordat already
once conceded, and imprisons priests who stand
up for the rights of the Church, but who, in
so doing, are but defending the honour of his
imperial signature. It is not without signifi-
cance that the nickname of grave-digger general

to the empire has attached to his Minister,
Baron Beust. This Protestant statesman is

digging a pit which will undermine and de-
stroy the traditional policy of Austria as surely
as the Protestant General Benedek destroyed
her military prestige at Sadowa.
In Spain on the other hand, the Govern-
ment remains equally attached with the people,
to the integrity of the Papal authority. And
Spain is likely to have more influence in the
fate of Europe, than is usually ascribed to her,
if she but keep down internal revolution. For
supposing Napoleon engaged in a war with
Prussia, 50,000 Spaniards crossing the Pyre-
nees might form a very awkward diversion.
And more than this. Even now there are
symptoms that she aspires to regain a foremost
place among the nations of Europe. She has
not forgotten her lost rights, but reckons that
the day is at hand when the strength of revo-
lution must give way. Her claims on the two
Sicilies remain, and nothing perhaps would be
more popular in Spain than that the fleet should
receive the mission to assert them. A force of
10,000 men, thrown on the Neapolitan coast,
might suffice to reconstitute the Government

of Francis 11.
Meantime, the fact is not to be overlooked
that the greatest help often comes from the
quarter whence it might least be expected.
And at the present moment, no Government
is readier with testimonies of good will than
that of Prussia. The answer of the King to
the Catholic address was clear and precise, and
almost compels the action of France. Here the
Prussian representative is unbounded in his
assurances of sympathy., and most active in
his negotiations for the restoration of the
Nunciate of Berlin. A little while ago the
ally of Italy, and the conqueror of Austria,
her aim is now to resuscitate in her own per-
son the " Holy Roman Empire "—in other
words, by humbling France, and protecting
the Papacy, to re-cast the German Empire,
and possess herself of the former position of
Austria in Europe.
In the midst of all this the Holy Father
possesses his usual serenity ; and his bodily
health is maintained by the tranquillity of his
mind. He has several times been to visit the
fortifications which have been thrown up in
different parts of Rome, and each time, while
examining them with a curiosity not devoid
of interest, there has been observed on his
countenance an expression which seemed to
say—" This is very well, but my defences are
not altogether such as these."
And even weaker things than these divide
his care with the exigences of his world-wide
administration. But a few days ago he was
walking in Monte Mario when there passed
him by the wayside some children returning
home from the school established there by
Belgian nuns for the children of the surround-
ing district of the Campagna. The children
knelt down according to universal custom for
his blessing, when one little boy, taking
courage from his look of familiar, paternal
kindness, cried out—" Holy Father, give me
something, I'm so hungry !" The Pope took
a piece of bread which he observed in the bas-
ket of a little girl near him, and asked her if
she was willing to part with it in favour of
the hungry boy. After some moments' hesi-
tation the child answered—" Yes." " But
do you give it up freely, from your heart ?"
urged the Holy Father. " Yes," again replied
the child. " Then give it to this poor little
boy for the sake of our Divine Lord, and fear
not but that God always knows how to reward
every good action done purely for His sake."
With these words he passed on his way ; but
I am told that in his capacity of Vicar of
Jesus Christ he very shortly after himself ful-
filled the promise he had made in His name by
sending a present to the family of the little
Rome continues to get fuller as the season
advances, and has been of late almost as gay
as usual. The Roman princely houses of the
members and the diplomatic circle have given
quite the average round of entertainments.
The marriage of Mr. Odo Russell with Lady
Emily Villiers, daughter of Lord Clarendon,
is expected to take place shortly.
I mentioned to you some time ago that I
had been called to defend the Weekly Register
tfreostmanttheconnocteing
unnatural indignation
misstatement he
gnation of a Pro-
alleged to have found in it. I urged that 'I was
sure the error had crept in through inadver-
tence, and that, moreover, I believed the paper
was one of no great circulation, particularly
in Rome. I should have thought if the editor
took any notice of the matter it would have
been to explain away my friend's assertion.
A copy of the paper has, however, been brought
me, in which he raises another issue. I should
not have troubled your columns with the mat-
ter any further but that he attacks me on a
sensitive point—that of truthfulness. lam
called, thereby, to state my grimnds for saying
the paper is seldom seen here, which are simply
these : that I have hardly ever met it in my
own experience, which would be small, per-
haps, but also that one whose standing here
enables him to know " every one," asked me
if I could help him to a number in which he
was interested, because it contained something
by a friend, for he had not been able to come
across any one who took it. With regard to
its being received at the office of the Index,
it is obvious much printed matter must be read
there in the way of business, and not by pre-
ference ; and as to the
English College—
though, of course, individual students may
have .isolated copies sent them by ancient
maiden acquaintances, who admire the twad-
dlesorne—that it is taken in by the body cor-
porate I must be allowed to doubt.
A useful contemporary, the Correspondance
de Rome, written in a spirit of entire devotion
to the oly See, which supplies the French
with all official acts and documents in their