The French Press is adopting the American practice of "in-
terviewing," which though vulgar has its conveniences, and the Dilbats has interviewed M. Thiers about the Pope. M. Thiers declares that France CM express no opinion about the Pope's re- treat from Rome—" God must enlighten his Vicar by the voice of events "..—but if the Pope resolves to seek an asylum in France, the Chateau at Pau will be placed at his disposal. Four sergents- de-ville will suffice to protect him, the Pope "will be free from all obligation to France," and he will be "received with the most respectful veneration." We have stated elsewhere reasons for believing that such a flight would greatly damage the Papacy, and may add here that Count Beust recently informed the Vienna corre- spondent of the Telegraph that he did not believe the Pope would quit Rome. The Roman story is that Ids Holiness prefers to remain, while his courtiers urge him to depart, but we never knew a Roman rumour about a Pope to be true yet. The difficulty of moving the great ecclesiastical establishments will be consider- able, and in the event of a vacancy the Conclave would be less free surrounded by French gensdarines than in the Vatican.
