NEWS OF THE WEEK.
THE French Government has definitively identified itself with the proposition embodied in the pamphlet of M. Gueronniere, and the Pope has intimation of the fact under the hand of Napoleon himself. The Imperial correspondence throws a full light upon the report which had recently been brought over from Rome.
The intimation was anticipated by an address from the Pontiff to General Count de Goyon, the Commander-in-Chief of the 'French division in the Pontifical States, who had attended at the head of his officers on New Year's day to pay the compliments of the season to the Holy Father. Whether Antonelli, or en-
thu.siam, prompted the Sovereign Pontiff, it is difficult to imagine any advice more rash than that which suggested a direct allusion from the infallible lips to the " opuscule " on "The Pope and the Congress." The simple allusion would have been bad enough ; but it is rendered more painful by a mixture of shocking as- surance and of absurdity, in the aspiration that "a divine light might shine upon the Chief of the French Army, so as to make him recognize the falsehood of certain principles enunciated, Within these few days, in an opuscule which may be termed a signal monument of hypocrisy and an ignoble tissue of contra- dictions." This extraordinary counterblast, specially addressed to M. Gueronniere, was followed up by a singular form of bene- diction, bestowed upon his Majesty the Emperor of the French with the implied condition of his repudiating the principles of the pamphlet ! It is a position which might have been assumed by a Gregory the Seventh,—only it is a Gregory the Seventh maintained on the throne by the forces of the very Sovereign whom he is thus addressing.
The epistle of the Emperor, which crossed the Papal manifesto on the road, completely elucidates the position of France at the opening of this current year. The Emperor plainly tells the Pope that amongst the powerful reasons which induced him to make so prompt a peace was the fear that the Italian revolution might assume larger proportions. He points out, that if the Pontiff had agreed to the administrative separation of the Lega- tions under a lay Governor, they would have returned to the Papal authority. Unhappily the advice to that effect was not taken ; and all the efforts of the Emperor could not prevent the insurrection from extending. The resignation of Garibaldi alone prevented the certain invasion of the marches at Ancona. The Legations can now only be recovered by force of foreign arms, which would but maintain the hatred of great part of the Italian people against the Pontiff ; and the Emperor therefore, in direct terms, advises his Holiness to relinquish the Legations, and to accept the government of Rome alone, under a general guarantee of the Powers. This is the plan which has already had an Euro- pean success.
Nothing in the letters of the Emperor Napoleon suggests that the idea of a Congress has been abandoned. It appears to be still open to the Pontiff, should he think fit, to send his repre- sentative to the Congress.
A report has been transmitted from Vienna that Austria de- clines, unless the Treaty of Zurich be the basis of the negotia-
tions in the Congress ; an improbable statement. Congresses do not " negotiate," and, it was never agreed to take the treaty as a basis for the deliberations of the Congress ; England having specifically declared that she wouldappear only with pirfnt -fne- dom to consider any proposition, and with an understanding that no coercion should be put upon the Italian people. It is very probable, however, that Austria may have retracted her consent, in sympathy and in concurrence with the Sovereign Pontiff. If so, Austria and Rome will stand out at their peril,—which is saying a great deal.
The report of a commercial treaty between France and Eng- land, announced by the Morning Post, has not been specifically endorsed ; but there seems to be "something in it ; " and we observe that the report has a French as well as English origin.
The speech delivered by the Prince Regent of Prussia at the opening of the Chambers on Thursday shows that he expected a Congress to be held. It also shows, that Prussia is not prepared to act with Austria, for Prussia sides with the Liberal party of Hesse Cassel-in demanding a return to the constitution of 1831, with certain modifications to make it the fit context of the Fede- ral pact. We • need not point the change since Prussia seemed half ready to play the part of second to Austria.
