The plain fact is, that the students could not get their courage up to signing point.

A government of priests never forgives or forgets, and their vengeance though slow is very sure.

Any student who had actually affixed his signature to the address would have been a marked man for life; and instead of wondering that the whole body had not sufficient moral resolution to express their sentiments in writing, I am surprised that they had the courage to protest at all, even anonymously.

This hesitation, however, afforded the government a loop-hole, which they were wise enough to take advantage of; Cardinal Antonelli declined at once to give any reply to the address, on the ground that he could take no notice of an unsigned and unauthentic document; so the matter rested.

Logically, the Cardinal had the best of the dispute; but, practically, the remonstrants triumphed.