Washington sentinel., 1898-01-15
Vatican and ouIrlual.

EHgtf5H IkfNSkF0fe0 A1NgUNbWeB AWO
seats Of sovereign authority--she
Vatican, or the palace Of the Pope;
the Quirinal, or the palace Of the
King. Twenty-seven years ago
both palaces were Papai, andtoday
the Papal inscriptions remain over
the doors of the Quirinal. You
see them on the clock tower in the
courtyard; you see the Papal in
sigma in the State apartments; the
reminders OF the Popedom confront
at every turn the representatives
of the monarchy. The Quirinal
was until 1870 the summer palace
Of the Popes, although for several
years before that time it had not
been much used by Plus TX. Be
tore the Government seized the
property and established there the
residence OF the King, the Pope
had caused the Quirinal to be
stripped of its treasures, so that
there remain from the Popedom's
occupancy only the decorations
upon the walls and ceilings. These
have renamed untouched.
Humbert may or may not be-
lieVe that he is King by Divine
right. 1t is hardly probable that
ne does believe it. He has been
reminded often enough that the
House Of Savoy came to the throne
OF Italy on the crest of series OF
revolutions in which his father,
Victor Emmanuel, had won enor-
nous popularity. Victor Emman-
uel was a splendid soldier and a
capable statesman. The men by
whose names the Italian patriots
conjure-Mazzlni, Garibaldi, and
the rest--did not lead the Italian
revolt because they wished to pre-
sent the house OF Savoy with the
throne Of Italy. Victor Emmanuel
knew that we'll enough, and his
son. the present King, knows it.
The revolution was founded on the
aspirations OF the people. The
monarchy was the result of
chain OF political accidents. Hum
bert's son, the Prince OF Naples,
bears the name Of his iIlustriouS
grandiather-he is called Victor
Emmanuel. He is twenty eight
years of age, but as yet he is an
uncertain guam ity in the political
calculations. He is adored by his
mother, and she is a brilliant, a
beautiful, and a good woman; but
he has not yet given reason why
he should be adored by the people.
His marriage rather more than a
year ago to the beautiful Princess
Helen of Montenegro was, how
ever, distinctly popular. He is an
officer in the army, and an accom-
plished horseman. His position
prevents him from taking hand
in the political game, and there is
hardly anything for him to do ex-
cept to be ornamental. He has
not yet become a counter in the
play.
There is to-day in Italy a mag
ni6cent opportunity for a great
man who is also great patriot.
King Humbert is a patriot but not
a great statesman. For statecraft
he has neither the inclination nor
the genius. They seem to think in
Italy that he might have done
more than he has to extricate the
country from the lamentable maze
OF complications in which it finds
itself. Perhaps they forget that,
after all. King Humbert is a con.
stitutional, not an absolute, mon
arch, that his powers are limited,
and that his duty is to reign, not
govern. On the other hand, they
know that Victor Emmanuel was
also a constitutional king. but that,
in spite OF the limitations thereby
imposed upon him, he directed
affairs. Victor Emmanuel had a
masterful will. He had what we
like to call backbone" He par ly
placed himself, and he was partly
thrust to the headship Of the State.
AS he had absolutely led the coun-
try on the battlefield, so he under
took to lead il in legislation and
diplomacy. He succeeded. He
was man of indomitable energy.
His public principles were high,
and he gave himself absolutely to
what he conceived TO be his duty.
Humbert, though strong soldier,
is not strong king. Were Italy
in danger from an armed Zoe, he
would ask NO better fortune than
to fight for her. He would be in
the front oil the fray. and he would
give his life without fear and with
"a -.-..a -. k~>fI ~, a., -, .a,hr.