The Sun.
London, England, 1868-02-04 00:00:00

ing-place, as' once before when carried off,
though then with more pretence to artistic
sanction by barbarous revolutionists who
polute the word " liberal " by attempting to
make it cover their mad excesses.
If an empty Rome such as they would have
made of it would have suited their purpose,
they might have made one for themselves and
left ours undisturbed. But their game is pretty
well played out now ; they have lost their
credit before the face of Europe. Every day
brings more clearly to light the vanity of their
schemes, and the emptiness of their promises,
though they contrived so well to take in
once a large portion of cultivated Europe, and,
perhaps, a small part of the more ignorant
Italian populations, too. They lost their pres-
tige at Mentana, and in the revelations that
have succeeded it in the Florence Chamber ;
and the latest rhapsodies of their former ory-
pheus awake no notice from the journals which
once affected his cause, but the exclamation
re-echoed in varying tones from one to another
—" Poor old dotard, he little knows how he is
exposing us."
During the suspense of more regular tactics,
that no time may be lost the enemy is hard at
work at their under-hand proceedings. With-
out living in the neighbourhood of it you can
hardly believe the arts which are pat in prac-
tice for tempting to desertion. That it does
not succeed is evident from the rapid increase
of, the army ; but it is sad to think of the vast
amount of public money, so hardly and nefari-
ously scraped together in Italy, which is being
squandered in this nefarious work; sadder still
to reflect on the injury she is doing herself in
regard to public morals by engendering a dis-
graceful traffic. The pay must be high to
induce the assumption of the office of tempter;
for as often as not the soldier he tampers with
denounces instead of listening to him, as soon
as he makes out the point he is making for.
Of course I do not mean that every soldier
here is a model of chivalry—far from it. In a
large, mixed body of men there must be as
great variety of character as of height, or tone
of voice ; but the concrete spirit of the whole
army is excellent, no less in regard to fidelity
than courage.
Nor am I speaking of the Zouaves now; they
form a noble regiment, and will always be reck-
oned among th Pope's best troops.. But just
because they have done so much we are apt to
reckon all the merit as theirs. I fell into
this error when I said the other day there was
only one Englishman killed at Mentana ; I
ought to have specified I meant only one
Zouave. There was another, of a lower class,
indeed, but second to none, from what I hear,
in bravery and devotion to the cause. He was
of Liverpool, William Rowley by name; he had
served in the first campaign, and came back
at the opening of the late one.— On the day
of Mentana, as his . company was marching
along the road, he was suddenly seen to fall,
pierced by two balls, serving as a first and a
salutary warning to hiq comrades that the
Garibaldians lay in ambush behind the trees
on the bank they were passing.
He was in the Carbinieriesteri, which used
to be commonly called the regiment of Swiss,
because there was at one time a preponderance
of Swiss in it ; now it is entered by men of
all nations -as much as that of Zouaves, and
contains numbers of men who would do them
no discredit. I saw a letter from a Swiss in
it lately to a relation, and I could not forbear
taking note of some lines, which I think will
interest your readers as a random specimen.
After giving a succinct account of the cam-
paign, he goes on :—"You will readily believe
all these engagements have committed some
havoc on the Pope's little army ; but, by the
grace of God, all have shown
a spirit of de-
a
voted courage. Every one thinks new cam-
paign will open in the spring. I don't know in
what words to express the impatience with
which we are all on the look out to see Italy
get a good licking from France in alliance with
the small but noble army of the Pope. • •
He then goes on to correct some native pre-
judices against the military career, which he
ascribes to Switzerland having no permanent
army. His experience of life, which has now
brought him in contact with men from all parts
of Europe, has taught him that this feeling
is shared by no other people, and, to clench
the matter, observes—" Have we not serving
in the ranks of the Roman army princes,
and gentlemen of all nations ?"
examples he has heard of, of parents
bHaerocintse,acouts,
of wealth and position esteeming it a happiness
that their sons should serve the cause of the
Vicar of Jesus Christ, and adds—" This hap-
peslasCel think,of sp must be no less for us who,
in ring from ingopulent homes,
never earn more than a bare maintenance (ne
sommes maitres de la misere) by all our labour
and frugality. • • F— has just signed
for two years more, and I have decided to do
My
two years are just out ; and
wht same.
ae two years to offer to the noblest,
thear
holiest, most just cause ?"
The works at the fortifications continue, and
new works on the Janiculum are being planned.
Those at Castel St.A_ngelo, it is said, put it in
a position to hold out a considerable time, if
even the defences of the walls were to fail.
Measures of security against dearth of provi-
sions are likewise not forgotten.
As the spring approaches, the time long
spoken of as likely to witness the breaking
out of fresh hostilities, recruits, far from
all the faster.
from all parts of the world.
beiEnvgeryfrighhetae'tnhedrinogffa, al :se
convoyaarrving
gathered in
This abundance
of zealous men enables Government to be
ande xactteinerai
glinas to the
those who are unable
quality of those it
to face the hard realities of the soldier's life,
or who are undesirable on any account. This
happily
selects,
is of great advantage to the peace and secu-
rity of the others, particularly of the many
men of superior position who form part of
each battalion, apart from all other considera-
tions. It is to be regretted, however, that
the various committees do not exercise greater
discrimination as to those they send out ; and,
if they cannot judge of the disposition and
strength of will of each individual, they can at
least be on the watch against the efforts the
revolutionists are sure to make to sow tares
among the wheat, and much money is spent in
a way which only does harm at last. Thus a
considerable number will have, from one cause
or another, to return this week, some to Spain,
who were said to be • P rogresistas, but the
greater number bound for our own shores. On
the other hand the British empire again fur-
nishes a good batch, With the right leaven in
it. There is again talk •nof a band of High-
landers to co
me out this time under Captain
Chisholm. I do
not know if the report is better
founded than before. •
A similar offer, and of a
whole battalion from Canada, is also men-
tioned in reliable quarters. The Bishop of
Groswardeen, in Hungary,.sends an undertak-
ing to provide for the maintenance of twenty
Zouaves, and Canon Mislin, of the same
diocese, sixteen. The
Spanish Government is
not backward in giving every testimony of
willingness to be useful to the Holy See. It
was, indeed, by means of information con-
veyed by Seiler de Castro that the character of
the Spaniards, whose return I have mentioned,
was discovered. As a minor instance of the
devotion to the Pope of her Catholic Majesty's
representative, it may be mentioned that he
has given his little son, born on the very night
of his reception at the Vatican, the name of
Pius.

• I must not, however, quit the subject of the
army without recording two sad accidents by
which we have lost an officer and a subaltern,
both useful public servants, sacrificed to mere
carelessness. The first was a major (Italian)
of Geudarmi, who, coming home hurriedly for
his cup of coffee, called to his servant to add
the usual petit verre of rum. A bottle of poison
had been left on the same shelf which held the
liqueur bottles, and the orderly taking a bottle,
without particular scrutiny, from the accus-
tomed spot, happened unfortunately. to fall
upon the wrong one. The major survived the
taking the poison but a very short time. The
funeral dace took place On Thursday at St.

Lorenzo, in Damaso, a great many officers of
the other regiments attending it. The splendid
band of the Gendarmi of course performed as
the mournful procession passed along.
The other was a Belgian sergeant of Zouaves.
He had already passed through the hospital
once, and been cured of a wound received at
Mentana. A few days since he was brought
back again, suffering from the effects of a
fall through a long window opening to the
ground, and left without any proper defence of
a balcony or otherwise, which, in the dark, he
had mistaken for a door. He was precipi-
tated from a height of about twenty feet, and
broke his arm so close to the shoulder that no
amputation could save him. He was a.very
zealous young man, and had travelled all across
Europe on foot to joiii the Zouaves. By his
way he made the pilgrimage of La Salette,
where he spent three days. Subsequently he
crossed Mount Cenis, still on foot, though the
road was deep in snow at the time. So he
went on as far as La Spezzia, where, having
let out the object of his journey, he was arrested
and imprisoned, and only obtained his release
through the intervention of the Belgian con-
sul, who gave him the means to continue his I
journey. The Queen of Naples had taken par- I
ticular notice of his case, and watched him
with solicitude. When he at last succumbed,
in spite of every effort, it was observed that
she could not restrain her tears, as she watched
his parting hour. Her gentle assiduity in at-
tending the hospitals endears her more than
ever to the people here, but this little trait of
genuine interest in the fate of a poor young
fellow, placed so far from a mother or a sister's
care through his religious zeal, has been im-
mensely appreciated, and more than one of the
inmates of the ward have cited it to me. Her
visits, I do not know if I have made it plain
before, are no mere ceremonial walking through
with a great train of attendants, once in a way.
It is a daily work of many hours, coming in
very often quite alone, and not only the per-
formance of such acts of attention as are called
for at the time, but a patient inquiry into
the status, wants, and wishes of each ; and
though the means at her disposal are not very
extensive, the needy are never passed by, and
no one on earth can know how many gnawing
cares have been solaced, how many petty
wrongs redressed, how many cherished wishes
fulfilled by her thoughtfulness. It is not sur-
prising that she is popular, nor, just now, when
brighter days seem opening for her house, that
the Palazzo Farnese should be filled with visi-
tors full of good wishes ; members of the corps
diplomatique, from Senor de Castro to Mr.
Odo Russell, cardinals and nobility. Neapo-
litans, of course, first, but other nations also ;
travellers from all countries passing through
Rome ; and, perhaps, most significant symptom
of all, Baron Rothschild, spending two days
in Rome, had three long conferences with
Francis 11., who seems surrounded by more
of a Court than many reigning sovereigns.
In all times and countries it is too much the
custom to take for granted that whatever is
done is well done. The French fait accompli,
and the Italian cosa fatta capo ha, testify to
how readily mankind in its indolence ac-
quiesces in any result once attained. But
where a wrong has been committed there can
be no real peace till it is set right. That the
restoration of the territory of the Pope and
the King of Naples is not impossible is clear,
since Italy lives in daily and hourly fear of It ;
and since there are millions in the usurped
territory who live in daily and hourly hOpes df
it. The hand of the stranger has seized, so
to speak, the bodies of the people, but heart
and soul they are with their rightful rulers,
otherwise the overwhelming force which now
garrisons the length and breadth of the coun-
try would not be wanted. Let but this pres-
sure be removed, and a very short space of
time would show what are the wishes of the
population. If Italy understood her own in-
terests she would make with a good grace the
sacrifice which must sooner or later be forced
from her. Her present hold on the conquered
territory is but a source of discord and weak-
ness. If she had the courage to renounce it,
she might then, however late in the day, set
about reducing her people to some sort of
order, and developing her abundant resources.
The visit of the Duke and Duchess d'Aosta
to Naples does not seem to have effected its
object in attaching the people to the new
dynasty, in spite of the accounts the Florence
papers print of the welcome they received. The
following is the account of an eye-witness,
communicated to a Roman paper, under date
of the 20th :
His Royal Highness and his bride " were
received here with a death-like apathy. Not
a hat was raised. The Royal pair were
looked at askance, for the carriage was sur-
rounded with guards, in number alone 200, and
preceded by numbers of gendarmi on horse-
back. The son of the elect of the people dis-
played his suspicions of the sovereign people,
and received only imprecations and contumely
in return. Those who remember the days when
the Bourbon Sovereign used to take his drive
through the city unattended by any guard,
and amid unbought acclamations, could not
but be struck by the dense escort of hireling
police (poliziotti) which accompanied the Prince
of the House of Savoy. On the night of his
arrival every house was dark ; not one of the
most violent partizans of the present Govern-
ment even ventured to set up a single light, and
the very , purveyors of such so-called " demon-
strations • on other occasions, refused to
attempt it this time, and the few who went to
see the fireworks only did so to have the op-
portunity of hissing them.
" The change of ideas which has come
about is most observable. It is a complete
disenchantment. Things are openly spoken
of, and written about, and published, which
men dared not allow themselves to think of in
their dreams a little while ago, for the distress
of the country has made them courageous
through very necessity, and wherever you
go you hear nothing discussed but the Con-
federation and the return of Francis 11. The
pamphlet of Marchese Ulloa, promoting the
federation in place of the unification of Italy,
is having a great success here, reflecting, as
it does, the opinions of the great majority of
the people."
The removal of a large part of the French
troops from Civita Vecchia to Viterbo, has
given the division there a considerable amount
of relief. Viterbo is a fine old mine of minor
art-treasures, of picturesque bits of street-
sketching, and still more, of historic associa-
tions, but it is not a lively place for the soldier;
and though Popes and Cardinals and foreign
monarchs have lived there in the times gone by,
it is not replete with modern appliances and
luxuries. Both Viterbo and Civita Vecchia
must be as anti-Parisian in tone as any place
that could well be conceived, and their num-
bers overtax all the attractions and amenities
either can produce. Moreover, a large propor-
tion of these men have been used to living in
large cities, and it is not astonishing if they
pine for an order to return to the capital. As
long, however, as they can be kept out of it
without absolute danger to security, it is well
that the Pope should be surrounded only by
his own little army. Not but that there are
very many of the French troops who burn to
serve him quite as faithfully, but all oppor-
tunity for misrepresentations as to pretended
clashings of interests and autlidrities, such as
have floated about before, may as well be
avoided.
Our new issue of notes came out on the first
of the year, and is now in full run. Unlike
the English business-like black and white
" flimsies," they partake of the elaborate cha-
racter affected by most continental bank issues.
The paper is of a very good and durable qua-
lity, without being inconveniently thick, and
has a diapered linen-like surface. The water-
mark is very beautifully executed, and is
similar in all. It represents a head of Roma,
shaded as in an engraved crystal, and the
amount of the note in corresponding figures.
The lowest in amount is for five lire, and has
no ornament, and that for ten lire is bordered
by a trellis of vine leaves. Those for higher

'values are all adorned with mythological re-
presentations connected with the history of
Rome—allegorical figures and emblematical
designs of considerable artistic merit. The
500 lire and 200 lire are, perhaps, the most
successful. They are all printed in pale blue,
on a white ground, which is not so convenient
as when each denomination had its own color,
which designated its value at first sight.
The extent to which prisoners are suffered
to escape from the Italian prisons is rousing
the indignation of the local prints. From
lately published statistics, it would seem that
in the course of the five last years, upwards
of 1,100 prisoners and nearly 300 galeotti have
been released. From a careful observation of
the numbers detailed for each month, it has
been observed that by far the largest proportion
occurs in March, in the month in which Italy
requires all those who have reason to be satis-
fied with the present regime, to give vent to
their satisfaction on the anniversary celebrating
Italian independence and liberation.
It is not a case, however, which can be
judged entirely by numbers. There are some
prisoners whose enlargement is more prejudi-
cial to society than a hundred others. That
of Garibaldihas been canvassed enough already,
and public opinion now acknowledges how it
was managed ; the opening of the year 1868,
however, has been signalized by another in-
stance f great notoriety. On the Ist May,
1862, at two o'clock in the day, six mis-
creants, armed to the teeth, entered the bank
of Signor Parodi, situated in the most fre-
quented street of the city. Having over-
powered and bound all whom they found there,
they made off with all the money on which
they could lay their hands, amounting to about
800,000 lire.

Signor Parodi, conscious of the means
necessary to. stimulate the tardy exertions of
the police, offered a reward of 60,000 lire on
the conviction of the malefactors. The police
knew where to find the men they " wanted "
the moment it was made worth their while.
On the Bth May they were all taken, on board
a paranzella (the name given to the Mediter-
ranean boats used in the fishing and coasting
trade which use' the picturesque Latin sails),
starting to bring wheat from the Black Sea.
The head of this gang of robbers was one
Pietro Ceneri. At the trial it came out as his
defence that he had committed no felony ; the
act complained of was to be reckoned a raid,
a seizure of the necessary means for carrying
out the independence of Italy. There were
many further disclosures into which it would
be too' long to enter here ; the upshot was,
however, that Ceneri was sentenced to the
galleys for life, and his companions to various
sentences of imprisonment.
The Corriere Mercantile of Genoa affords us
a minute account of what followed. It seems'
that in the early days of this year Ceneri was
to have been removed to the penal station
to whichle was condemned. He was embarked
at Cagliari in the steamship suggestivelynamed
the Caprera, under charge of two instead of
the usual four Carbineers. His handcuffs were
removed, and he enjoyed the most complete
liberty, which he took advantage of to walk
about all over the vessel, and to treat his com-
panions and guards to wine and rum. Arrived
in the port of Leghorn he remained as free as
during the transit. Shortly afterwards a man
dressed as a civilian came on board to speak
to a friend, who turned out to be no other
than Ceneri. One of the Carbineers was mean-
while gone below to take a nap; the other was
too discreet to Otter the conversation of the
twofriends. Suddenly, a propitious moment
having arrived, the friend took his leave.
Ceneri walked rapidly after him, and nothing
more has been heard of him since except that
it is believed he is gone to America.
The Gazetta del Popolo of Turin, commenting
on this, isnot afraid to say openly that he owes
his flight to his relations with a certain politi-
cal party.
And, after all, perhaps, it is but just it
should be so, so long as such men as Acerbi
and Nicotera are at large, it would be hardly
fair that Ceneri should be locked up, especi-
ally as he has clearly the merit of being the
most successful schemer. He took 800,000 lire
with a force of only five men under his com-
mand, and in doing so only injured one family.
Acerbi required a force of four hundred times
as many men to rob Montefiascone, Viterbo,
Ind the neighbouring towns of 100,000, and
n doing so has, on his own showing, made
he name of the Italian Government to stink
n the nostrils of the people he was sent to sub-
ect to her.