THE MISSION TO ROME. 27 



manoeuvres, to a discount of 41 or 42 per cent. The 

 attitude of the Italian and European Governments 

 became more and more hostile. These difficulties, as 

 well as their material isolation, the people endured 

 with the utmost calm, having faith in the future which 

 would be evolved out of the new principle proclaimed. 

 "By means of obscure threats, but more especially- 

 owing to unfamiliarity with political habits, a certain 

 number of electors had abstained from contributing to 

 the formation of the Assembly, and this seemed to 

 weaken the expression of the national will. But a 

 second and very vital and characteristic fact triumph- 

 antly refuted any doubt there might have been upon 

 this score. Shortly before the formal institution of the 

 Triumvirate there was a fresh election of the munici- 

 palities. The vote was a large one, and though the 

 municipal element is always the most conservative one 

 in the State, so much so that we were for a time afraid 

 that the elections would show retrograde tendencies, 

 the municipalities selected this very moment to give in 

 their spontaneous adhesion to the new form of govern- 

 ment. During the first fortnight of this month we 

 received, in addition to those of the clubs and the 

 commanders of the National Guard, the addresses of 

 all the municipalities with two or three exceptions. 

 I have had the honour to send you the list of them. 

 They all proclaim explicitly their devotion to the Ee- 

 public, and a profound conviction that the two powers 

 united under one head are incompatible with each 



