Rule of the Monk; Or, Rome in the Nineteenth CenturyGaribaldi, Giuseppe
History
Rule of the Monk; Or, Rome in the Nineteenth Century
Garibaldi, Giuseppe
Italian fiction -- Translations into English; Rome (Italy) -- History -- 1798-1870 -- Fiction
Notwithstanding this vote of the French National Assembly, the President
of the Republic, Prince Louis Napoleon, addressed a letter to General
Oudinot, in which he says: "I had hoped that the inhabitants of
Rome would receive with eagerness an army which had arrived there to
accomplish a friendly and disinterested mission. This has not been the
case; our soldiers have been received as enemies, our military honor
is-engaged. I shall not suffer it to be assailed. Reinforcements shall
not be wanting to you."
The envoy of the Roman Government in Paris addressed the following
letter, in the name of the Roman people, to their brothers in France:
"A sanguinary combat has taken place between the inhabitants of Rome and
the children of France, whom rigorous orders urged against our homes;
the sentiment of military honor commanded them to obey their chiefs,
the sentiment of patriotism ordered us to defend our liberties and
our country. Honor is saved, but at what a price! may the terrible
responsibility be averted from us, who are united by the bonds
of charity. May even the culpable be pardoned; they are punished
sufficiently by remorse. Health and fraternity.--L. Tarpolei, Colonel,
Envoy Extraordinary, of the Roman Republic in Pans."
In the next sitting of the French Assembly, the subject of the
President's letter to General Oudinot was brought forward by M. Grevy,
in reply to whom M. Odillon Barrot stated that though the letter in
question was not the act of the Cabinet, he and his colleagues were
ready to assume the whole responsibility of it. He declared that the
object of the letter was merely to express sympathy with the army, and
that it was not intended as the inauguration of a policy contrary to
that of the Assembly.
General Changamier placed the letter of the President of the Republic to
General Oudinot on the orders of the day of every regiment in the French
service, although M. Odillon Barrot declared in the Assembly that it
was not official. Also General Foret refused to obey the orders of the
President of the Assembly by sending two battalions to guard it during
its sitting; a breach of orders which was brought under the notice
of the Assembly by M. Armand Manest, and apologized for by M. Odillon
Barrot. On the 9th of May, M. Ledru-Rollin declaimed the letter of the
President to General Oudinot to be on insolent defiance of the National
Assembly, and a violation of the Constitution.
Ultimately the debate was adjourned on the motion of M. Grevy and M.
Favre, in consequence of M. Odillon Barrot having announced that M.
Lesseps, the late minister from Paris at Madrid, had been sent by the
Government as an envoy to Rome to express to the Roman people the wishes
of the Assembly, which showed that the Government did not intend to
oppose the Assembly.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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