The worst part of the whole story, in my opinion, was the subsequent conduct of the Government.  These outrages, which might have been excused as the result of an unforeseen disturbance, obtained in cold blood the deliberate sanction of the Vatican.  The Papal gendarmes received the personal acknowledgments of the Pope for their conduct.  The six horsemen who distinguished themselves by clearing the Piazza Colonna were promoted for their services, and all the police on duty that day received extra pay.  With unusual promptitude, in fact not more than a week after the event, the Giornale di Roma contained an official statement of the occurrence.  After alleging that hitherto they had considered the unpleasant event of too small importance to deserve notice, they proceed to give the following narrative.

“On Monday, the 19th instant, in the course of the afternoon, the revolutionary faction proposed to make a demonstration in the Corso against the Pontifical Government, by an assemblage of persons hired for the express purpose.  On the discovery of these designs, fitting arrangements were made in concert with the French police; and the French troops, as well as the Papal gendarmes, were drawn up, so that in case of need they might suppress any disturbance whatever.

“In fact, about five o’clock in the afternoon crowds were formed in the streets, directed by leaders, and amongst these leaders were two hide-tanners, whom the gendarmes arrested with promptitude.  The crowd, thus raked together, then began to hoot at and insult the gendarmes, and at last attempted to rescue the prisoners.  Not succeeding in this attempt, the rioters, whose numbers had now been swollen by a lot of idle fellows from the vilest rabble, crowded together into the Piazza Colonna, and continued to outrage the officers of public justice with every kind of insult.  Thereupon a handful of police advanced courageously against the rioters, and proved quite sufficient to disperse and rout them.

“The friends of order applauded the gallant gendarmes in the execution of their duty.  In less than an hour the most perfect quiet reigned around, and in the affray a very few persons were injured, whose injuries have proved to be of slight consequence.”

Throughout the whole of this document the suppressio veri reigns supreme.  It is ludicrous describing the emeute as an event unworthy of special mention, when rewards and praises have been heaped by the Government on the heroes who distinguished themselves in the suppression of this contemptible fracas.  In a city like Rome a crowd which filled the whole Corso’s length cannot be described as a faction, while the occupants of the aristocratic carriages which lined both sides of the street are not likely to have had two hide-tanners for their leaders.  The size of the crowd disposes at once of the idea that the persons who composed it were bribed to be