igned the greatest
disquietude for the new frontiers of Piedmont.

On the 4th September, 1860, Napoleon III. was at Chambery, receiving the
homage and congratulations of his Savoyard subjects. A public banquet was
held in his honor, and whilst the guests were yet at table, two
Piedmontese envoys, Messrs. Farini and Cialdini, sought a private
interview with the Emperor. Napoleon left the festive board and remained
closeted with the envoys the remainder of the evening. The result of this
conference was the immediate invasion of the Papal States by Sardinian
troops, under the command of General Cialdini. This officer reports that
he was fully authorized by Napoleon. It is even related that the Emperor,
strongly encouraging him used the words of our blessed Lord to Judas:
"_Quod facis, fac citius_." Napoleon, indeed, denied having uttered these
words. It matters not. All his acts, at the time, expressed their meaning.
Whilst conferring with the envoys at Chambery, there lay on a table a map
of Central Italy, on which he traced in pencil and effaced several lines.
The map having been left on the table, was afterwards found to contain one
line in crayon, which was not effaced. It showed exactly the route which
Cialdini followed in marching to the destruction of the Papal army.
Between the conference of Chambery and the arrival of Cialdini on the
Pontifical territory, there elapsed precisely the time necessary for the
journey by post-carriage and railway. Seventy thousand men were waiting
for him on the frontier, ready to march as soon as he brought them the
required authorization. General Fanti, who also had an army corps
concentrated on the borders of the Marches, had already intimated to
General Lamoriciere, that if the Papal troops had recourse to force, "in
order to suppress any insurrection in the Papal State," he would, at once,
occupy the Marches and Umbria, "in order to secure to the inhabitants full
liberty to express their wishes." The Sardinian generals evidently wished
to raise an insurrection, but as no insurrection occurred, they managed to
do without one. In the meantime, it was thought expedient to perform a
piece of mock diplomacy. Count Delia Minerva was despatched from Turin to
Rome, charged with an _ultimatum_ to the Pope. Without diplomatic
negotiations or shadow of pretext, purely by virtue of the right of the
strongest and most audacious, the Holy Father was suddenly summoned to
dismiss his volunteers as