University of Virginia Library

ARGUMENT.

The revolutionary movement of 1848 having extended its influence to Italy, attempts were made in the Italian states to shake off the direct or indirect predominance of Austria, and to establish free governments. At Rome the new Pope, Pius IX, after encouraging for a time these tendencies, became alarmed, and inclined to a reactionary policy. On the assassination of his minister Rossi in November 1848, he left Rome, took refuge under the protection of the King of Naples, and invoked the aid of Austria, Spain, and France against his people.

In March 1849 the Roman Republic was proclaimed. Mazzini was invited to Rome, and there, acting as Triumvir with Saffi and Armellini, was the guide of the home and foreign policy of the Republic, as Garibaldi, summoned at the same time, was of its military action. In the same month the defeat of Charles Albert, King of Sardinia, by the Austrians at the battle of Novara, deprived Rome of all hope of help from the Piedmontese, and Venice was fully engaged in maintaining her heroic resistance to the Austrian siege. Aid or encouragement might have been expected from the new French Republic,

but France was already under the influences which led to the Bonapartist coup d'état of December 1851. In December 1848 Louis Napoleon Bonaparte became President. In April 1849, a French army under General Oudinot landed on Roman territory under a vaguely declared commission to aid in the restoration of order, without any recognition of the existing government of the Roman Republic, which had been constituted by the suffrages of the people. Civita Vecchia was seized under protest of the Roman government, and on April 30 the French attempted to enter Rome by force, though warned that the attempt would be resisted. They were repulsed with loss, 300 prisoners being taken by the Romans, but released on the ground that it was impossible that it could be the deliberate intention of the French Republic to make war on the Roman, in direct despite of an Article of the French Constitution. A truce followed, M. Lesseps being now arrived as Envoy Plenipotentiary to arrange an amicable settlement. Negotiations were continued during the month of May, but were then abruptly broken off by Oudinot, acting under secret instructions from the French Executive, who thus betrayed and disgraced their own representative. Reinforcements had been sent which gave the French an army of 35,000 men: the men under arms in the city were about 18,000. Oudinot had already seized on Monte Mario during the truce, and while refusing to restore this important post, he now pledged himself to abstain from hostilities till the 4th of June. On the night of the 2nd he ordered a treacherous attack on the heights in front of the gate of San Pancrazio, and after a long struggle, maintained by the garrison against great odds, carried and occupied the position. This was a fatal blow to the defence, but it was prolonged by courageous effort till the 1st of July. On the 3rd the French entered the city, and presently restored the papal government, which lasted until its final overthrow on the 20th of September, 1870.