pronounced precarious. As a sign of the times, and more
especially of the just impatience which prevails in Italy about the
general direction of the army movements, it may not be without importance
to notice that the Italian press has begun to cry out against the
darkness in which everything is enveloped, while the time already passed
since the 24th June tells plainly of inaction. It is remarked that the
bitter gift made by Austria of the Venetian provinces, and the suspicious
offer of mediation by France, ought to have found Italy in greatly
different condition, both as regards her political and military position.
Italy is, on the contrary, in exactly the same state as when the Archduke
Albert telegraphed to Vienna that a great success had been obtained over
the Italian army. These are facts, and, however strong and worthy of
respect may be the reasons, there is no doubt that an extraordinary delay
in the resumption of hostilities has occurred, and that at the present
moment operations projected are perfectly mysterious. Something is let
out from time to time which only serves to make the subsequent absence of
news more and more puzzling. For the present the first official relation
of the unhappy fight of the 24th June is published, and is accordingly
anxiously scanned and closely studied. It is a matter of general remark
that no great military knowledge is required to perceive that too great a
reliance was placed upon supposed facts, and that the indulgence of
speculations and ideas caused the waste of so much precious blood. The
prudence characterising the subsequent moves of the Austrians may have
been caused by the effects of their opponents' arrangements, but the
Italian commanders ought to have avoided the responsibility of giving the
enemy the option to move.

It is clear that to mend things the utterance of generous and patriotic
cries is not sufficient, and that it must be shown that the vigour of the
body is not at all surpassed by the vigour of the mind. It is also clear
that many lives might have been spared if there had been greater proofs
of intelligence on the part of those who directed the movement.

The situation is still very serious. Such an armistice as General von
Gablenz could humiliate himself enough to ask from the Prussians has been
refused, but another which the Emperor of the French has advised them to
accept might ultimately become a fact. For Italy, the purely Venetian
question could then