ITALY. 



411 



forve04noo of passions may lend to violence au<l t> 

 :,:i i-tt'u-K'ii of blood, which it is my duty and your*, 

 l';ithur, to avoid and prevent. I see the 

 intensity lor tho security of Italy and 

 ; ..ly Sco that my troops already guarding tho 

 n should advance and occupy tno positions 

 whi.-h nhall ho indispensable to the security of your 

 ll.'linusa and to the maintenance of order. Your 

 11 ..linens will not see a hostile act in this measure of 

 ition. My Government and my forces will re- 

 strict thi'inselves absolutely to an action conservative 

 and tutelary to tho rights, easily reconcilable^ of 

 the Roman populations, with the inviolability of tho 

 is?n Pontiff and of his spiritual authority, and 

 with the independence of the Holy See. If your 

 H. limits, as I do not doubt, and as your sacred char- 

 .md tho goodness of your soul give me the right 

 to hope, is inspired with a wish equal to mine of 

 avoiding all conflict, and escaping tho danger of 

 violence, you will be able to take, with the Count 

 l'i>ii/.:i di San Martino, who presents you this letter, 

 and who is furnished with tho necessary instructions 

 1'V my Government, those measures which shall best 

 conduce to the desired end. Will your Holiness per- 

 mit mo to hope still that tho present moment, as 

 solemn for Italy as for the Church and for the papacy, 

 will give occasion to the exercise of that spirit of be- 

 nevolence which has never been extinguished in your 

 heart toward this land, which is also your own country, 

 and of those sentiments of conciliation which I have 

 always studied with an indefatigable perseverance to 

 translate into acts, in order that, while satisfying tho 

 national aspirations, the chief of Catholicity, sur- 

 rounded by the devotion of the Italian populations, 

 might preserve on the banks of tho Tiber a glorious 

 Beat independent of all human sovereignty ? 



Your Holiness in delivering Rome from the foreign 

 troops, in freeing it from the continual peril of being 

 the cattle-field of subversive parties, will have ac- 

 complished a marvellous work, given peace to the 

 Church, and shown to Europe, shocked by the hor- 

 rors of war, how great battles can be won and im- 

 mortal victorios achieved by an act of justice and by 

 a single word of affection. 



I beg your Holiness to bestow upon me your Apos- 

 tolic benediction, and I renew to your Holiness the 

 expression of my profound respect. Your Holiness's 

 most humble, most obedient, and most devoted son, 

 VICTOR EMMANUEL. 



The reply of tho Pope was delivered to 

 Count Ponza di San Martino, who returned to 

 Florence on the 13th. It was as follows : 

 To King Victor Emmanuel II. : 



YODR MAJESTY : Count Ponza di San Martino has 

 consigned to me the letter your Majesty was pleased 

 to address me, but it is unworthy an affectionate son 

 who glories in professing the Catholic faith. I shall 

 not now enter into tho details of your letter, to avoid 

 a renewal of that deep sorrow your first letter caused 

 me. I give thanks to God, who has permitted your 

 Majesty to fill the last days of my life with bitterness. 

 For the rest, I cannot grant certain requests, or con- 

 form with certain principles contained in your letter. 

 Again I call upon God, and into His hands commit 

 my cause, which is His cause. I pray God to grant 

 your Majesty many graces, to free you from dangers, 

 and to dispense to you His mercy, which you BO much 

 need. 



Given at the Vatican, September 11, 1870. 



PIUS PP. IX. 



The King immediately sent orders to Gen- 

 eral Cadorna to enter the Papal territory, and 

 to occupy the city of Rome. He also ordered 

 a plebitcitum to be taken as early as practica- 

 ble on the question of "the unity of Italy." 



General Cadorna divided his army into four 

 columns, with which ho immediately crossed 



the frontier at four different points. Some 

 skirmishes took place between the Italian 

 troops and tho Papal Zouaves, but tho latter 

 were forced to retire, and Oadorna advanced 

 to within four miles of the city of Rome, while 

 General Bixio took possession of Civita Vecchia 

 without meeting with any serious resistance. 

 The general then manoeuvred bis troops in 

 such manner as to invest tho city, preparatory 

 to an attack if a peaceful surrender was not 

 made. Meanwhile the Pope, seeing that the 

 assault was near at hand, sent the following 

 instructions to General Kanzler, tho com- 

 mander-in-chief of tho Papal forces : 



GEVKIUL : Now that a grand sacrifice, as well as 

 tho most enormous injustice, ia about to be consum- 

 mated now that the troops of a Catholic King, with- 

 out provocation, without even tho semblance of a 

 motive, are besieging the capital of the Catholic world, 

 I feel the immediate necessity of thanking you, gen- 

 eral, and all our troops, for the generous conduct 

 which you have shown hitherto, for the affection of 

 which you have given proof to tne Holy See, and for 

 your readiness to devote yourself solely to the defence 

 of this metropolis. Let these lines remain as a 

 solemn document to testify tho discipline, loyalty, 

 and valor of the troops which have been in the ser- 

 vice of the Holy See. As for the duration of the de- 

 fence, it is my duty to give orders that it may bo 

 prolonged only sufficiently to show protest, and that 

 violence was used, and no more; in other wordsj 

 negotiations will be entered into for the surrenderor 

 the city aa soon as the first breach is made in tho 

 walls. At a time when the whole of Europe is de- 

 ploring the great loss of life occasioned by a war at 

 this moment raging between two great nations, it 

 must not be said that the Vicar of Christ, even though 

 unjustly assailed, gave his assent to prolonged blood- 

 shed. Our cause is that of God, and in Him we 

 place our whole confidence. I bless you from my 

 heart you, general, and all our troops. From the 

 Vatican, September 19, 1870. PIO IX., Pope. 



On the 20th orders were given for the im- 

 mediate attack upon the city. At half-past 

 ten o'clock in the morning, after a bombard- 

 ment of some hours, a breach was opened on 

 the right side of Porta Pia by the Italian artil- 

 lery, and another at the Porta del Popolo. The 

 walls were immediately passed, and the Papal 

 troops were obliged to retreat toward the 

 Vatican, while the Pope took refuge in tho 

 Castle of St. Angelo. 



The resistance of the Papal troops was of 

 only short duration, the Italian bersaglieri re- 

 ceiving tbe surrender of the Zouaves at the 

 Piazza de Ceri, in the afternoon of the same 

 day. The stipulations of the capitulation for 

 the surrender of the city were arranged be- 

 tween General Cadorna, on the part of the 

 Italian Government, and General Kanzler, aa 

 commander of tbe garrison, as follows : 



VILLA ALB.YJTI, September 20, 1870. 



1. Tho city of Rome, except that part which ia 

 limited to the southern part of the walls of the Santo 

 Spirito and comprehends Monte Vatican and the 

 Castle of St. Angelo, forming the so-called Leonine 

 City, its complete armament, flags, arms, ammuni- 

 tion, and stores. All the material belonging to the 

 government shall be consigned to tho troops of his 

 Majesty the King of Italy. 



2. All tho garrison of the city shall depart, receiv- 

 ing the honors of war, with flags, arms, and baggage. 



