he real
will of the people be known, and to frustrate the wiles of French
emissaries and the pressure of government in the official plebiscite
of the 15th of April. The story of the conspiracy, which is unknown in
Italy, has been told by one of the conspirators, the late Lawrence
Oliphant. The English writer, who reached Turin full of wrath at the
proposed cession, was introduced to Garibaldi, from whom he received
the news of the proposed enterprise. Oliphant offered his services,
which were accepted, and he accompanied the general to Genoa, where he
engaged a diligence which was to carry the vanguard to Nice. But, on
going to Garibaldi for the last orders, he found him supping with
twenty or thirty young men; 'All Sicilians!' said the chief. 'We must
give up the Nice programme; the general opinion is that we shall lose
all if we try for too much.' He added that he had hoped to carry out
the Nice plan first, but now everything must be sacrificed to freeing
Sicily. And he asked Oliphant to join the Thousand, an offer which the
adventurous Englishman never ceased to regret that he did not accept.
As it was, he elected to go all the same to Nice, where he was the
spectator and became the historian of the arts which brought about the
semblance of an unanimous vote in favour of annexation to France.

The ratification of the treaty--which, by straining the constitution,
was concluded without consulting Parliament--was reluctantly given by
the Piedmontese Chambers, the majority of members fearing the
responsibility of upsetting an accomplished fact. Cavour, when he laid
down the pen after signing the deed of cession, turned to Baron de
Talleyrand with the remark: 'Now we are accomplices!' His face, which
had been depressed, resumed its cheerful air. In fact, though
Napoleon's dislike of the central annexations was unabated, he could
no longer oppose them. Victor Emmanuel accepted the four crowns of
Central Italy, the people of which, during the long months of waiting,
and under circumstances that applied the most crucial test to their
resolution, had never swerved from the desire to form part of the
Italian monarchy under the sceptre of the _Re Galantuomo_. The King of
Sardinia, as he was still called, had eleven million subjects, and on
his head rested one excommunication the more. The Bull fulminated
against all who had, directly or indirectly, participated in the
events which caused Romagna to change hands, was published a