his
reproach, and cannot but repel it, as I do at this moment. No! the honor
of our flag was never compromised. No! never did this noble flag cover
with its folds a more noble enterprise. History will tell. I confidently
invoke its testimony and its judgment. History will throw a veil over all
the ambiguity, tergiversation and contestation which have been pointed to
with so much bitterness and so eager a desire to spread discord amongst
us. It will ignore all this, or, rather, it will proclaim it all, in order
that the greatness of the undertaking may become apparent from the number
and nature of the difficulties that have been surmounted.

"History will say that a thousand years from the time of Charlemagne, and
fifty from that of Napoleon--a thousand years after Charlemagne had won for
himself imperishable glory by restoring the Pontifical State, and fifty
years after Napoleon, in the zenith of power and prestige, had failed in
his endeavor to undo the work of his predecessor; history will say that
France has remained true to her traditions and deaf to odious counsels.
History will say that thirty thousand Frenchmen, under the leadership of
the worthy son of one of the giants of our great imperial glories, left
the shores of their country, in order to re-establish at Rome, in the
person of the Pope, right, equity, European and French interest. History
will further say what Pius IX. himself said, in his letter of thanks to
General Oudinot: '_The victory of the French arms is won over the enemies
of human society_.' Yes! gentlemen, such will be the judgment of impartial
history; and it will be one of the brightest glories of France and the
nineteenth century. You will not attenuate, tarnish, eclipse this glory by
plunging into a mass of contradictions, complications, and inextricable
inconsistency. Know you what would dim for ever the lustre of the French
flag? It would be to set it in opposition to the Cross, to the Tiara,
which it has delivered. It would be to transform the soldiers of France,
the protectors of the Pope, into his oppressors. It would be to exchange
the _role_ and the glory of Charlemagne for a pitiful mimicry of
Garibaldi."

(M20) A large majority of the legislative assembly agreed with
Montalembert. The news of their decision, which was in accordance with the
general sentiment of the French nation, was speedily conveyed to the
Pontifical Court. It dispelled all the unpleasant (M21) apprehensions
whi