Year: 1867

ternatives shall take place will he shown in q
few days.


If it is true that the italian Government has
declared that it will furnish to the Pope no
troops for the suppression of an insurrection,
the speedy downfall of the Papal power is Sc
cured, whether the present movement be sue
cessful or not. This was the important point
which, at the conclusion of the Convention OF
September, 1854 was left undecided, the Italian
Government reserving TO itself freedom of ac-
ton. With the powerful tendency in Italy
toward. national unity, and with the readiness
of tens of thousands of young men to leap to
arms for cOnsummating this unity, no states
man could succeed in saving the Papal power
from its certain doom. Foreign Intervention
may postpone this event in the future, as 1t
did in the past. But even powerful govern
ments have, of late, learned to understand the
difficulty Of saving cause which the settled
opinion of an enlightened nation has doomed
to destruction. The teaching of the Austrian
rule in Venctia has not been lost on Louis
Napoleon any more than on other European
princes. The letters in which Louis Napoleon
so urgently recommended to the Pope to
secularize the administration Of his States are
one of many proofs. Neither Louis Napoleon
nor any other European monarch will be hope
full enough to guarantee to the Pope his tenn
poral power il the Italian nation continues to
demand its abolition.


The Italian people have special reasons for
hoping that foreign Powers will not be able to
prevent much longer the annexation OF Rome
The Pope not only represents the weak oppo-
stion to tho powerful national aspirations OF
Italy; but still more is it the power claimed by
tho head Of Church over civil affairs which
secures to the Italian people 1e efficient SYM
pathy of all nations of the world. More
than ever before do the representatives
of even Roman Catholic nations declare
against the political claims of the Church. The
Italian Parliament has but recently passed, by
an almost unanimous vote, resolutions Tor the
sale of the Church property. The Austrian Par
lament, likewise, with almost entire unanimity,
has demanded the abolition of the COncOrdat,
and tho Emperor has appointed Ministers who
were in this question the leaders of the Paria-
ment. In every Roman Catholic country Of Eu-
rope public opinion begins to express itself in this
way, and the universally of this opinion Will
prove powerful ally of Italy. The people,
Informed of the public opinion in Europe, are
fully aware that they are struggling for the
removal Of an institution which the nineteenth
century regards as an absurdity and this con-
seriousness gives force to the Italian move
ment against which, in the end, neither eccle-
siastical censures nor French bayOnets will
avail


The French patronage awarded to the Pope
must be admitted to be powerful obstacle,
but fortunately for the Italian people they
have a natural ally in reconstructed Germany.
The selfshness of Louis Nspoleon-whO, after
pompously parading the nationality principle as
great discovery in international politics, COM
bats the same principle more persistently than
any European monarch-is driving both Ger
many and Italy into a bitter enmity toward
France, and thus toward q close alliance
among each other. The Italian statesman who
would be wise enough to avail himself of this
opportunity could have population of over
100000 at his back to support his claim
against 3S,OOO,OO0 Frenchmen. Ratazzi has
missed the opportunity, but where such an
opportunity offers it may be assumed that the
statesman will be found who will know how
to turn it to advantage.