'Cardinal Manning, observing what dissatisfaction his refusal to allow the
Italians of London to join in a requiem for the late King of Italy has produced, telegraphed from Paris his consent to such a requiem for Victor Emanuel, on condition that it be not made a "political demonstration." But, as the Italians interested naturally remark, it is certainly difficult to make a solemn requiem for a King whose whole life was political, and who, had he not been in the highest sense a politician, would hardly have stirred any strong feeling in Italian hearts at all, anything but political. As a man, the late King of Italy was at least as well known for his vices as his virtues, — his chief virtues being, indeed, high courage and persistent adherence to his pledged word. If Cardi- nal Manning had conditioned that nothing should be said to give an* sanction to Victor Emanuel's conquest of the States of the Church, the condition would have been reasonable from an Illtramontane prelate ; but to impose a condition that the demonstration should be in no sense political was to make the whole thing nugatory. The State might almost as well agree to sanction a public requiem for a Pope—under condition only that in no sense whatever should it be permitted to become a religious demonstration.
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