On 8 September, the temporary lull in Palermo was disturbed by the arrival of two pieces of information. Too late for inclusion in the evening papers came the eagerly awaited telegram from Bertani to say that Garibaldi had entered Naples in triumph on the 7th; and at once Depretis sent off to notify Crispi of the fact, hoping no doubt that he would now think the capture of Rome sufficiently near for the plebiscite to be held. But Crispi had already heard of a second piece of news which complicated the issue, namely that Piedmontese troop movements were being reported in the north. This tallied with other information received during the past three weeks which suggested that the Turin government might be meditating some more active intervention in the Italian civil war. It might signify that Cavour had decided to throw in his lot with Garibaldi. Alternatively, it might mean that he was invading the centre and south only to defend the cause of order and the French alliance against the advance of red revolution. Crispi's present mood was to expect the worst. Although Cavour might let it be inferred that his aim was to help, some of the radicals already feared, and correctly feared, that it would rather be to hinder. For this reason the good news of the conquest of Naples did not resolve the ministerial tension.

In the streets of Palermo, however, Garibaldi's triumph at Naples was greeted with tremendous enthusiasm, and a dangerous turbulence was converted into general festivity.