What do you think
of our Romans? Do the descendants of Marius appear to you a
race without courage, incapable of confronting danger? If it
be indeed true that the nation has retained nothing of its
patrimony, not even its physical courage, all our efforts to
create a national force in Rome are foredoomed to failure.
The Popes must for ever remain disarmed in the presence of
their enemies. Nothing is left for them but to entrench
themselves behind the mercenary courage of a Swiss garrison
or the respectful protection of a great Catholic power. What
becomes of independence? What becomes of sovereignty?"
"Monsignore," I replied,
"I already know the Romans too well to judge them by the
calumnies of their enemies. I daily see with what
intemperate courage this violent and hot-blooded people
gives and receives death. I know the esteem expressed by
Napoleon I. for the regiments he raised here. And we can say
between ourselves that there were many of the subjects of
the Pope in the revolutionary army which defended Rome
against the French. I am persuaded, then, that the Holy
Father has no need to go abroad to find men, and that a few
years would serve to make these men good soldiers. What is
much less evident to me is the real necessity for having a
Roman army. Does the Pope want to aggrandise himself by war?
No.
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