Page:Stryker's American Register and Magazine, Volume 6, 1851.djvu/149

Rh put the country in a state of defence, and to take all practicable steps to secure it against invasion.

In the Roman territories, the most striking feature was the bad understanding existing between the government and the French troops. These were sufficiently odious from the first, to the great mass of the people, who were mostly attached to the Republic; and their failing to second the government fully, in carrying out reactionary proceedings, and enforcing very severe measures against all who were in any way concerned in the popular government, brought them into disfavor with the hierarchy. They were also disliked for being tainted with liberalism. The Papal and French troops frequently engaged in bloody quarrels; and several of the latter were killed, as the mob always sided with their own soldiers. In consequence of such occurrences, Gen. Gemeau abandoned some secondary posts, and concentrated his men in the vicinity of the Castle of St. Angelo. This measure was rendered the more proper, from the fact that several of the French soldiers had been assassinated, when they were walking through the streets at night, or in taverns. Some of the Romans were tried and shot for such, crimes. Gemeau also published a proclamation, suppressing all permissions to carry arms, and requiring them to be surrendered by a given day, after which the houses were to be searched; and every person found in possession of arms was to be tried by a court-martial. The owners of houses were made responsible for the arms that might be found on their premises. On the day that this proclamation was issued, a man was assassinated only about 100 yards from Gen. Gemeau's residence. At the same time he caused 10,000 rations, and a large quanityquantity [sic] of powder, to be taken into the Castle of St. Angelo. These measures had the effect of repressing the previous disorders.

The dislike of the French appeared during the carnival, when the mob threw bouquets loaded with stones, and lime-dust. It was thought by some that the mob were countenanced in what they did, and that the government would have greatly preferred an Austrian to a French army of occupation; but the soldiers received it all with the characteristic good humor of their countrymen, so that no collision occurred, although several persons were severely injured by the reckless conduct of the mob. The municipality were under the disagreeable necessity of paying 500,000 francs to General Gemeau, for lodging money, reparation of barracks, and new beds for the French soldiers. The government was also highly displeased at his ordering some of the Papal soldiers to be shot, when they thought death had not been deserved. Their ill-will had been further heightened by Gemeau's occupying several positions previously held by their