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

ROMAN AFFAIRS,

:From the Roman Correspondent of the Westminster Gazette.)

ROME, February 8.
On Saturday, being St. Ignatius's day, the
Pope went to San Clemente to visit the new
shrine I spoke of last week. On Sunday, the
Purification, he assisted Pontifically at the
Grand High Mass at St. Peter's. It was as
crowded as usual. Nothing gives one a better

idea of the vast numbers attending the func-
tion than seeing, as a bell for a Low Mass
rings in one of the side chapels, a congregation
of some half a thousand tell itself off once

and again, without effecting any sensible change
in the appearance of the main throng as ob-
served from one of the lofty galleries oi
loggie. At the end of the Mass on this day, the
Pope recites the Te Delon. After the Mass a
solemn Te Delon is sung in memory of the pre-
servation of the city from destruction in an
earthquake which occurred in 1703. For the
same reason Saturday was observed here by
annual custom as a " black fast." The first

rumblings were felt on the 14th of January,
and during several shocks which succeeded,
the churches were filled with the townspeople,

uniting their earnest supplications for deli-
verance from the danger which threatened
them. On the 2nd of February, the worst
shock was sustained, almost destroying the little
towns of Norcia and Cascia; but Rome escaped
unscathed. In the alarm of the time there

were not wanting fanatics, who declared it a
sign of the approaching fall of Rome. Among
others, a certain Fra Giorgio, a Flemish hermit,
who had long resided in Rome, had to be
banished on account of the excitement he kept

alive by his wild rhapsodies on the subject.
But the danger passed away, and with it the
memory of Fra Giorgio and his fellows, while
the Eternal City remains to sing her Te Deunts

with head erect.

Monday was the feast of St. Blaise, the
patron against sore throats, and is a very
popular commemoration here. All day long at
the churches which possess his relics, people
may be seen kneeling to be touched by them,
and many were the Zouaves so applying the
sailor-like uncollared throats, doubtless ren-
dering them particularly needy of such patron-
age when first adopting their uniform.
To-day is the anniversary of St. John of
Malta, founder of an order dedicated to one of
the noblest purposes ever conceived—the re-
demption of captives. The cell in which he died
in his ruined convent on the Ccelian, built into
the arches of the Claudian Aqueduct, is decked
for its festa. When reached by its narrow stair,
it affords one of the finest of the splendid pano-
ramas which all the hills of Rome command ;
so homogeneous in character, so various in in-
cident. Little now remains besides the saint's
cell and a very curious mediaeval mosaic of a
subject symbolizing the object of the order,
in good preservation.
I hear the English papers have been dili-
gently giving circulation to the account of a
lad, calling himself Dunn, who alleges that his
reason for refusing to join the Papal army,
after putting the committee to the expense of
wading him out, was that he found the hard-
ships of the service too great. I have not been
able to find that there was very certainly any
one of the name of Dunn among the English
recruits ; but let that pass. The articula-
tions of our Northern speech are not quickly
caught by those used to
" That siren tongue, whose sounds are song ;"
and I may have failed to recognize the patro-
nymic as travestied by a foreign orthogra-
phy. I wish, however, to assume that the
statement was framed by some _person who has
had actual experience of the life of a recruit
here, because it proves two facts—first, the de-
votion to the Church, which is yet to be found
in our day, since there are so many thousands
ready to embrace in its service the accommo-
dation it is able to offer them, even though it
involve hardships, which seem so deterrent to
one used to no more luxurious fare than the
cold charity of an English workhouse ; and,
secondly, the fairness and solicitude of the Pon-
tifical Government in dealing even with those
whose hearts fail them, and who wish to turn
back. Dunn is not even made to pretend that
any pressure
falfilhiswasengagement p ut upon him to make
toenterthe him
army,
and
he acknowledges that he has had the enjoyment
of one of the most favourite tours in Europe,
free of all expense. Moreover, that far from
any deception being exercised to allure the life
as the men see it in the first month after arri-
val, in depot
discountingin b
is faarr rougherraok:.
than for the rest
of
Aftertheir time
the natural exaggera-
tions of a self-exculpatory statement, the truth
that remains from his experience is—and it is
trite enough—that the soldier's life is rough.
May it suffice to keep away all who have not
oEma
eptheyer come
accept
tis
saoump supplying
tl oy defendanegrifio e
week sufficientlybf oyrw ie te kln at
m Thet_
tßh lereai
tr
its causeht
bfeearrs wbuhto atrheatoftthheererigahret smtu.affilyannad
oNrvee do
etntoot
come.so
armyiti Ts hweerlel a
tpop e
ka re se
pn ou Ipi kt ehl he
collo
idv
aolfr
ya n yo
of
a tehke,
by endeavouring to admit only those who
are actuatteidmbeyl spiritmust
aus of
withpu e
rdeegvaortdiotno.
our
the same say,
own fellowsubjects, that in some instances
complaints were understood au grand serieux,
which were never so intended. I know of
some at least who did not conceal from their
comrades their bitter regret at going back.
There was a moment when the principle of the
grand national safety-valve was not correctly
appreciated; that is all.
The spectacle of a vast body cohering by one
single bond, and sinking all the rivalries of
race in the common love of a holy cause, is
worthy of all admiration ; but, as long as
men are defectible, and their idioms various,
the manipulation of the machinery by which
they are governed will always be a most de-
licate and arduous task.
Father Delany, whose return to England
this week is much regretted, was most useful
during his short stay in making the new
soldiers and their superiors better acquainted
with each other.
Nor can anything exceed the patience in the
same work of Mgr. Stonor. Since he accepted
the office of army chaplain he can have known
but little rest, between paying visits of en-
couragement to recruits in depot, and of spiri-
tual aid to the sick in hospital, hearing the
confessions of the pious and the complaints of
the restless, and all the multifarious good offi-
ces which result from having earned the con-
fidence of both commanders and commanded.
Indeed, his zeal has subjected him to serious
medical reproof this week, and obliged him at
last to give in for two or three days. He
has now in hand a work which is calculated
to be of immense service to the men ; and I
hope he may be sufficiently restored to preside
to-morrow at his first committee meeting of
an English library and reading-room which
he intends to open next week, having secured
a suitable apartment in a central situation
for it.
The hours absorbed by the military service
are not few, and Rome affords an exhaustless
store of objects for " a walk " calculated to
elevate and improve ; but there is still much
unoccupied time for those who have not their
homes to resort to, which they will gladly
spend, when the opportunity is given them,
in learning home news from the English papers,
and instructing themselves by acquaintance
with entertaining literature, and, perhaps, as
time goes on and funds increase, in suitable
amusements also.
I understand a sufficient number of chasse-
pots have been received, or are on their way,
to arm the Roman Legion ; when the rifles
England was to send the Zouaves are to
come, you will probably know better than I.
I only know many of the men are impatient
enough to see them, and thought it a long
time to look forward to, when the middle of
March was mentioned for their coming. One
of the English who have sent in their subscrip-
tions here appends the following address in
Italian to his offering :—" . . in the lively

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-
nants 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 himself up 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 therpeople,
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-
ingknelt down according to universal custom for
district of the Campagna. The children
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 1" 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
girl.
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
from the not unnatural indignation of a Pro-
testant concerning a glaring misstatement he
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
b
took any notice of the matter it would have
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 grounds 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 lisolated copies sent them by ancient
maiden acquaintances, who admire the twad-
dlesome—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 Holy See,
which supplies the French
with all official acts and documents in their

own language, besides giving the news of the
day, is, I am glad to inform you, so far flourish-
ing that it has just doubled its number of
pages. It is now giving its readers a French
translation of Padre Franco's " Croises de St.
Pierre."

General Kanzler's full Report to the Pon-
tifical Government of the Campaign of 1867,
was published on Wednesday. It begins with
describing the condition and distribution of
the army at the time of the departure of the ,
French troops in December, 1866. He speaks
of the commotions which, it was predicted,
would succeed their removal, but far from
seeking to ascribe his strategy or foresight the
complete tranquillity which continued to reign,
he owns, in a manly way, that it was entirely
duo to the attachment of the people to their
Government, " which they continue to show
by a tranquillity more perfect than is to be
found at this moment in other countries." He
makes allusion also to the special demonstra-
tion which was made by the people on the
12th of April (the anniversary of Pius IX.'s
return from Gaeta. He then traces the mea-
sures taken for the repression of brigandage in
the province of Frosinone—" a scourge which
visited us in consequence of the political
changes in the neighbouring kingdom of
Naples "—and makes special mention of the
services rendered by the squadr•iglier•i (the
peasant volunteers) armed to supplement the
gendarini. " This expedition imposed great
sacrifices on our troops, and cost us many lives;
but it also afforded an excellent school of war-
fare inuring them to hardships and night
marches, and teaching them to be on their
guard against surprises, and to practise sharp-
shooting. We may also advert to the fact
that, in the early lustres of this century, it
took many years to reduce one band of brigands
in the same province of Frosinone, and that
now a few months sufficed to rout out many
bands was a good augury of what our men
would be capable of doing when brought in
face of other enemies.

"To brigandage succeeded the cholera which,
though hardly recognized on its first approach,
assumed alarming proportions in the later sum-
mer months. Of the Pontifical troops (then
12,981 in number) 238 were attacked, and 112
carried off by it.
" It was at Albano that it attained its greatest
height, where it was least expected, and, conse-
quently, where nothing was in readiness to
meet it. In its midst Cardinal Altieri attracted
universal attention by the zeal with which,
disregarding all danger, he went in and out
among his flock, fulfilling the duties of his sac-
red ministry. The gendarmi and Zouaves in
garrison emulated. his noble example ; without
distinction of grade they might all be seen
carrying the infected to the hospitals—all
associated in the work of burying the dead ;
and it fell to the lot of many of them to share
in a to-be-envied death the end of the illus-
trious prelate."
Then follows the account of the first warn-
ings of the approach of the Garibaldians, and
the order of distribution of the troops who

were to await their onset.
The first attack was made on the 28th of
September on a little place called Grotto S.
Stefano, in the province of Viterbo, succeeded
by others at neighbouring small places of un-
familiar names along the frontier. They were
engaged entirely by the Gendarmi, who routed
their predatory columns at Ronciglione on the
Ist October, taking ten prisoners. Concerted
attacks by small bands of Garibaldians ap-
peared simultaneously at various other points,
the invaders probably not expecting to find
troops distributed to meet them pretty nearly
wherever they appeared: - The most serious
affair at this time was at Bagnofeh, where 500
Garibaldians had succeeded in taking up their
quarters. Their outposts were carried by troops
of the line and Zouaves, aided by detachments
of other corps commanded by Colonel Azzanesi.
The enemy then took refuge within the town,
but the gates were soon stormed by the troops,
who entered amid the glad applause of the
people. M. de Mirabal, sub-lieutenant in the
Zouaves, fell here, and five others were wounded,
against forty of the enemykilled, fifty wounded,
and 178 made prisoners. " This exploit had
an excellent moral effect on the army, and
dealt a severe blow on the audacity of the in-
vaders, another band of whom passing through
Ischia, Farnese and Valentano, were likewise
beaten by a handful of Gendarmi and Zouaves
commanded by sublieutenant Burdo."
The hour of post warns me that I must defer
my precis of the rest of this interesting docu-
ment until next week.