The event of the week has been a sudden and
to us unintel- ligible change in French politics. On Monday, M. de Moustier was reasonable, not to say conciliatory, in his language about Italy, and even on Wednesday said at first that the object of the Govern- ment was the maintenance of the Convention, but towards the close of the debate he affirmed that after the arrest of Garibaldi Rattazzi proposed a joint occupation, "France was invited to play the part not only of a dupe, but of a traitor," and the proposal was made "with a sort of bonhomie which made it doubly insult- ing. From that moment the expedition to Rome was resolved on." As if to add to the calculated effect of words which of themselves might justify a declaration of war, M. Rouher, the Vice- Emperor, on Thursday declared loudly, "Italy shall never have Rome," and then, after returning to his seat, nese-ended the tribune, to add that by " Rome " he intended the present dominion of the Pope, including of course Civita Vecchia, the gate by which the foreigner enters Italy. He said also that the Emperor had never approved the annexation of the Romagna, and that Victor Emanuel was " blamable " for the conquest of Naples. The object of these wilful insults is to us unintelligible, but their result is patent. Italy will transfer to France the hatred she has so long felt for Austria, and will wait with her rare patience till she is ready with the only possible reply, the march of 200,000 men upon the French prefectures Civita Vecchia and Rome.
