The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1861-04-12
Letter from Italy.
RoME, March 9,

To NE EiitOr ofthe New York Sun:--
That there is Police In Rome is evident from
the fact tina: you see them everywhere p,rading
the streets in cooked hats, aud dragging swords
which must be seriously in tho way Of uaL
quitkness of movement s9lnetimss essential to a
vigilsnt NJ p. But II Is difirul' for a str,nser
TO discern for what service he /, indebted to
them, except as they give variety to tho pic,u.
rescue co tunes Of the Rom IN population.
They certainly OT.r him no protection against
robbery or assassination, and that thcJ are hap
PLY oLliyious Of AL minor of,nre., tho un,a-
worry condition Uf the streets abundan'Iy a.talt.
1t is hardly pleasant whnn you are mu1ns
among tho grand aoGumcnts " dead C,c sar,
to bc annoyed by the filth Of living LizzirJri;
and every traveller will join with mo in
wishing God speed to any movement that Is
likely to give Rome government which shall
no; lind II beneath its dignity to givo attention
to other than political of. nces. Ye. it 10 hard
ly to lie wondered that these should afford full
occupation TO tho police Of a city where tho
whole population has become revoluti,nry, and
evcrJ house breods conspirstors.
However gnorIut you may bo OF tho lam
guage wo cannot be lons in Rome without dis
covering how general Is the desire for . ch ,aas
ofrulers among All classes. except tn $50 dire. sly
interested in the p,rpetua!ioa VI tho present
order Of things Through the m dium Of your
measrs Italian, or their worse English, the
people with whom you come in contact will
contri,s TO mako you the confident Of desires
and symrathes, which, if expressed
aloud, would consisn them to a prison or to bad
ishn eEt. Your landlord, perhaps, will reveal
his connection with some secret club or associa-
Ii plotting against the government your
guide will ray his stereotyped description of
ancient palaces and prisons with hints Of his
sympathy with the movement which is to re-
Storo Italy to something Of her former great
ness, and your coachman, when at safe dis.
tance beyond the city wallis will bribo the
besgars along the roadside to shout for GAR,-
BALDI and VIcToR EAAsUEL. In these and
similar ways you will loarn what is working
beneath this calm exterior which the presence
Of foreign troops secures 70 the PLPll dom n .
ions.
In spite Of tho police, and the speedy punish
ment which follows the liShtest manifestation
Of dissatislct the peorle arc true to maintain
their revolutionary organization and mature
their plans for bringing Rome into tho line
with h'r sister cities Of nsr rthern and sou ther
Italy. They have their national committees,
who issue manifsstoes under the very ose Of
AsTossLLI, although the utmost effJrts ar,
made to discover and punish their authors
Their hand bills are found posted abou. the
city, or circulating from hand 10 hasd, not
withstandins the Punishment with which the
possession Of single copy has bean visitsi.-
How they are printed and how circulated arc
mysteries known only to tho initiated. Those
who have them, arc conveniently ignorant as to
how they were OBJ .ain.d, and compel you TO like
secrecy in regard to the ono they may, psrhaPs,
| 10 persuaded to hand you. The day after the
Demonstration on the Corso. In honor Of the
| fall Of Geta, Of which you have already had
an sccount-ons Of these circulars was Issued
by tho national committee complimsntins the
French for their politensss in suffering tho de-
nonstration, and requesting the people to rs
frsin from any outbreak, IS every thing VA
progressing fsysrssly fsr their 09Vrss and W