The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-12-27
DAILY PRESS.
ND.
Friay Morning, Dec mb,r 81, 1857.
The Italian 0ue.,,au.

Since the debate in the French Legislative
Body on the I'd of the present month, in the
course of which M. Rouher, Napoleon's prime
minister, by his emphatic declaaation that his
master would maintain the temporal power
OF the Pope at all hazards, precluded the pos
sibility OF. a European conference to settle the
Roman question, events have occurred which
are not unlikely to end in war between Italy
and France. The failure of the conference was
due to the fact that England and the other
powers would not participate in Congress
the action of which had been determined in
advance by Napoleon, especially since that
action was heartily reprobated by nearly ev.
cry one of them. So it happens that the Ro-
man question is remitted for settlement to the
three real parties to the quarrel, France, Italy
and the Pope. The first and the last have
come to conclusion as to what line of policy
they will pursue, both being resolutely bent
on maintaining the present situation; but
Italy is undecided and embarrassed, one day
inclining to revolt from the French domina-
ton, and the next as servil. as ever. This
vacilation is Observable in the course of
events at Florence since Garibaldi commenc-
Ell his last movement on Rome. Ratazzi
gave place to Menabrea, because he was too
ready to carry out the September Conven-
tion. Upon the assembling of the Italian
Parliament Ratazzi was defeated for Presi-
dent of the Chamber of Deputies by an ad-
herent of the present Cabinet, but last Fri
day al, the close Of a long and angry debate
on the Roman policy of the government, the
ministry was defeated by two majority; and
on Monday Menabrea and his associates ten
dered their resignation.
From this mornings dispatches it will be
seen that Victor Emanuel has not accepted
the portfolios of his ministers, but thar Me-
nabrea will retain his post and organize the
Cabinet anew. This was to be expected. The
Italian King is so hampered by the favors he
received from Napoleon in 1859 and 1855, by
the Convention Of September 1854, and by an
unwholesome awe for the Chassepot rifles and
throushly disciplined troops of France, that
he will never voluntarily depart from the
cautious and compromising policy which has
marked his course for the last few months.
Unless opposition in the Chamber of Depu-
ties should increase its strength so as to
command majority OF more than two, he
probably will not form a Cabinet commi tied
to the policy of annulling the September Con-
vention. ..t
~ At the present moment, then, the Italian
government assumes the position indicated
by Menabrea in his speech during the late de-
bates, viz: Rome is the capitol of Italy and
must ultimately be Incorporated with the rest
OF the Kingdom, but its liberation from the
Pope is to be effected solely through m oral
agencies and in no event by physical violence.
In pursuance of this pacific policy there are
rumors Of negotiations with France for the
abrogation of the Convention which binds It.
ally 10 guarantee the integrity of the Papal do
minion. A novice in politics may quite con-
fidently predict the failure of all such negotia-
tions. The Italian Parliament is of that opin-
ion, and by its vote of last Friday boldly de-
clared against the conquest by diplomacy and
in favor of taking Rome by force. The move
ment thus commenced may prove too formi-
dable to be resisted and finally include the
King himself At le,st, something of the
sort is apprehended at Paris, where the news
OF the Italian ministerial crisis caused great
anxiety on Monday and Tuesday. 1t was
feared that Italy would assume hostile atti-
tude toward France. The bill for the organ
ization of the army now pending before the
French Corps Legistatf is urged on the ex-
press ground that the revolutio nary aspect OF
affairs in Italy renders such measure neces-
sary. In the event of war between Italy
| and France, the result would depend alto
ge4her upon the course pursued toward tn e
combatants by foreign powers. Left to them
selves, Italy would surely fail in the unequal
contest. But she would have the moral sup
port of England and the United States If
the active Intervention of Prussia were also
secured in her behalf, as may reasonably be
expected, it is quite certain that the same
year would see at the same time the disap-
pearance of the last of the Popes and the last
of the Napoleons.