strength of which he obtained a new loan and punctually
paid the interest on the public debt. He invited General Zucchi home
from Switzerland to take the command of the army, which rapidly improved
in discipline under his energetic guidance. He distributed medals to
those who had been wounded and to the families of the slain at Vicenza.
He established two lines of telegraph, one to Ferrara by the way of
Bologna, and another to Civita Vecchia. The negotiations with Sardinia
and Tuscany for an Italian league were advanced nearly to completion.
Chairs of political economy and commercial law were founded in the
universities at Rome and Bologna. Toward the close of October the mob
rose in Rome, on occasion of a squabble between a Jew and a Catholic,
and threatened to sack the Ghetto and maltreat its inhabitants. Rossi
hurried the Civic Guard and the carbineers to the spot, allayed the
tumult, arrested and imprisoned some of its ringleaders, and published
an energetic proclamation to warn the turbulent that the laws would be
enforced.

"All these proceedings excited the anger of Rossi's enemies, the
journalists, the captains of the people, and the Roman clubs." There was
no opprobrium that was not heaped upon him, no charge that was not
levelled at the Government. But these declamations seemed to have little
effect on the body of the people. On the morning of November 15th, when
the Legislature was to commence its session, though knots of persons
were seen talking in the streets with excited countenances, there was no
outbreak or popular tumult. Rossi had received many anonymous letters in
which his life was threatened, but he scorned to take any notice of
them. This morning one came which directly affirmed that he would be
assassinated in the course of the day; and he threw it into the fire.
The regulation of the police, now that the day of the session had
arrived, belonged to the President of the Council of Deputies; and
Rossi, punctilious in the observance of the constitution, refused to
give them any orders.

Several of his friends came and remonstrated with him against such an
exposure of his life. "To all this he answered that he had taken the
measures which he thought suitable for keeping the seditious in order,
and that he could not, on account of risk that he might personally run,
forego repairing to the Council according to his duty; that perhaps
these were idle menaces; but if anyone thirsted for his blood, he wo