Finally, on the 30th of October, the day on which the
French troops re-entered Rome, the Italians made a show of
interfering in the Pope's favour, General Menatiea authorising the
Italian forces to enter the Papal States in order to maintain
order. They did not, however, do more than make a short advance,
and no active measures were taken, but Garibaldi was routed on the
3d and 4th of November by the Papal forces, and his band being
dispersed the incident was at an end. But for the armed
intervention of France the result would have been that which
actually came about in 1870, when, the same Convention being still
valid, the French were prevented by their own disasters from
sending a force to the assistance of the Pope.
It is not yet time to discuss the question of the annexation of
the States of the Church to the kingdom of Italy. It is sufficient
to have shown that the movement of 1867 took place without any
actual violation of the letter of the Convention. The spirit in
which the Italian Government acted might be criticised at length.
It is sufficient however to notice that the Italian Government
was, as it still is, a parliamentary one; and to add that
parliamentary government, in general, exhibits its weakest side in
the emergency of war, as its greatest advantages are best
appreciated in times of peace.
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