By the intervention in Italy, the French Government had placed
itself in a most embarrassing position. The Government at Paris, originating in a Republic that arose on the expulsion of a King, declines to recognize a Government at Rome which has established itself under circumstances precisely similar. An
armed expedition is sent to Civita Vecchia, for what purpose the French Ministers do not explicitly state, but apparently to act with. some moderate liberal party that is supposed to -exist in Rome—to reinstate the Pope as against the extreme Republicans, but to antagonize Austria and the reactionary party. From Civita Vecchia the French army marches upon-Rome, antici- pating a counter-revolution and a victory ; but it is repulsed with a heavy loss in killed and wounded. Whereat President Bona- parte declares that the French army has been "insulted," and he promises reinforcements to avenge the insult. Strange conduct for the President of a Republic ! strange protection for an allied state 1 Part of that which makes it difficult to grasp a thorough understanding of the Ministerial intentions, also appears to con- stitute no small portion of their own difficulty—they have not been acting openly and straightforwardly ; there seems to be no escape for them but through some act of violence.
