The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-09-20

nents, IN leon merely intended, by
that Convention, To temp osariiy post
p5ne Tho communication of italian
wishes respecting the aheI:tioa 81 81 -sl;;s .i@;s
temporal power of the Paphi; SEQ
until o more favorable uomeut5 zttihat
is, until the revolution; could be
effected without undue violence, and
the starting into motion Of antagon-
isms that would not only threaten
defeat of Roman annexation itself,
but which would also be Injurious to
French Interests attaching to other
and perhaps more important schemes
elsewhere. It must be doubted that
anything else than q pressure of an
other kind ever induced the Empe-
,ror TO enter into the negotiations of
September, a pressure that he was
unable to withstand. But even ad-
mitting the correctness of LAMAR
mora's views, is this the opportune
moment for settlement of the ques-
tion? Yet the condition of public
opinion, on the continent, is indicat-
ed by the fact that when report was
sent through Europe the other day
that the Emperor had uttered war
Like sentiments in his address to the
troops at Chalons, on the occasion, Of
his visitto the camp there. rentes at
once fell on the Paris Bourse, and
people said it meant settlement Of
the deferred Roman status. If there
is anything to favor this idea, it must
be found alone in the fact that italian
neutrality, in case of French war
with Prussia, is not sufficient for Ma
poleon; and that to secure more it
would be ehis policy to carry the nation
through the Roman trouble and free
her from the perplexity that looms
above ell other difficulties, casting
about the national limbs the ifetters
of political nightmare. Perhaps
the full realization of the national
dreams would give him the desired
alliance; but here the theory meets
grave obstacles, for such an alliance
pre-supposes, of course, q breaking
off with Prussia, and how could Italy
break with the power which has eff
fected so strong title to italian gra-
titude? No man can serve two mas
ters, we are. told, and it is equally
true that no nation can. be the active
ally of each of two other nations in
open war with each other. Yet
LaMarmora would seemingly have us
believe so. He afirms it to be mis-
take to suppose that the Prussian
alliance implies coldness towards
France. If this be true, what expla-
nation is to be given of the debates
of last winter in the italian Cham
bers? There is another reason why
the Emperor might be tempted to
take o step in this direction now, but
it is too unimportant, apparently, to
entitle it to much weight. It is
found in the fact that in the volun-
teer army which is gathering around
the Pope, a strong legitimist and
royalist nucleus is formed, favorable
to the intriguing designs of the
Bourbons refuged in Rome. Unim-
portant as this latter reason now is,
though it is easy to perceive that it
could be invested with controlling
importance by the Pope boldly and
openly attaching himself to the plots
of Napoleon's enemies at the Vatican
and the Farnese Palace, o move
might even unwarily be made by his
Holiness that would force the Empe-
ror to promptly counter-move to
escape q -checkmate. It is unneces.
sary to say that that counter-move
would not provide for the continu-
ance of the temporal power. The
whole political world, the Inquirer
concludes, will view with deep inter-
est the next agitation of the Roman
question, whatever quarter it may