When adulation and servility suggested to some amongst us the utterance of a falsehood which insulted the Pontiff, while it did no service to the Sovereign, we all rose in union to denounce those who, without our consent, constituted themselves the interpreters of our wishes.

This act was not the caprice of a section.

It was the vast majority amongst us who thus spoke out the truth.

The punishment, if punishment there is to be for speaking the truth, should not fall upon a few alone.
"We confess it openly, the act was the act of all; the measure of our conduct was the same for all.

We therefore demand from your Excellency that the expelled students should be allowed to return, or else that we should all be united with them in one common punishment, as we are proud of being united with them in a common love of truth and of our country.
"The presence of our 400 students supplies the place of signatures." The last clause is open to question.