, 1881-11-16
cases, they can hardly work, and nothing
is more than begun.

cases, they can hardly work, and nothing
is more than begun.
The French have taken another great
step towards the annexation of Tunis.
The Generals represented that it was
impossible to leave that city ungarrisoned
while they marched into the interior, as
it was full of disafected Arabs, who
might, if they sustained a reverse, revolt
behind them. The French Government
accordingly requested the Bey's permission
to enter, and the unhappy old man, who
expected to live quietly under a French
ProtectOrate, after a burst of pathetic
rage. i'll which he appealed to God as his
last refuge, signed the necessary consent.
On October 10th, therefore, the entry was
accomplished, the French occupying the
citadel, the forts, the central parade, and
the largest barrack, and Tunis is a French
town. The inhabitants looked OH " tran
guilty." as the Cabulees watched Louis
Cavagnari, and will give no sign, unless
defeat should come; but the Italian
Consul-General handed in an energetic
protest against the entry, as contrary to
treaties. 1t would be difficult to prove
that the Rey, as Sovereign, could not
invite foreign regiments into his service,
ard station them where he pleased, But
that argument and the treaty argument
are both mere intellectual eXercita tons.
The plain truth is, that the French
have captured Tunis, and will keep it
until otherwise inclined.
We have repeatedly stated our belief
that the French army in TuniS is suffering
extremely from sickness, and the Me8icGt
Weckly of MarScilleS now confirms that
statement. The doctors write from the
spot to that journal affirming that typhoid
of a disabling, though not mortal. character
is very prevalent that there IS an extreme
insufiiciency Of medicine in the hospitals.
more especially Of febrifuges and that in
the absence of ambulance services, sick
soldiers are killed by transport on mules.
The Medical DirectOr-Genera in Paris has
issued a reply, which. Justly or unjuStly is
totally diScredited, the steady practice
in the French Army-aS witness the
Crimea-being to suppress all medical F.
truths, until at least the campaign is over.
This is not done wholly from bad motives.
The officials contend that the soldiers,
hearing of heavy sickness, become dispirit-
ed and specially liable both TO fever and
dySentery. an observation which, as regards
French recruits, is certainly true. Tho
result of the practice, however; is that
certain essential precautions as regards
-water-cOurSeS are, for fca" of revealing too
much, carefully neglected, and that when
the truth does Ooze out, there is an ou'-
burst of panic. We shall hear II great
deal more of this subject, which may have
important political effects.
The Paris correspondent OF the Times
affirmS positively that Leo XIII has
sounded the Governments of Europe upon
the subject Of quitting Rome, and has
ordered arrangements to be made in the
Vatican by which he could depart within
twelve hours. 1t is probable that the first
object of these p0urpdylerS is to alarm the
Governments, but there is seriousness in
them, too. Ever since the attack upon the
procession conveying the body of Pho Nino,
the Pope has believed that the Papacy
was not safe within Rome, that the Italian
guarantee was not perfectly honest, and
that on some unhappy day the dignity of
the Holy Seat might suffer violence at the
hands of d mob. 1t would then be needful
for his Holiness to guard the dignity of his
Office, as well as its freedom. The contin-
gency is not very likely to occur, bnt the
incidents referred to certainly revealed a
new spirit in Rome, and the Vatican bas
considered many possible retreats. The fa-
vourite one used to be Malta, but old Car
dinalS dislike sea sickness; and now Mona
co, a place in the TesSin, and another in