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COUNT CAVOUIk
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navy , all the present regulations called discipline , the inventions of one class to keep another class in servile subjection , will vanish as if by magic . We only indicate principles , recommending them to the consideration of the new Commissioners who are to inquire into our national defences , and assuring them that Armstrong guns and steam rams , and all other mechanical appliance will not be efficient for the national defence unless our seafaring population be numerous , skilful , strong , and intelligent .
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GERMANY . July 37 th , 1859 .- Step by step the exasperation has gone on increasing . It was great on the breaking out of the war , it wa 9 greater on the conclusion of the preliminaries , arid it'baa now reached its culminating point . The assertion made l > y the Emperor of the French , that Europe was , at the commencement , nnjust towards him , is regarded bvall men as an audacious , barefaced attempt to foist a falsehood upon history , in spite of the press and of the universal knowledge of the real facts . The Germans were to a man enraged and ashamed , at the commencement of the war , that , their Governments , or rather Prussia ( for she it was that held Hanover , Saxony ,
and Bavaria back ) would not allow Germany , as a nation , to join Austria against Louis Napoleon . Far from having been treated unjustly , never had a monarch of France freer play for his designs and his ambition . He was supported by twenty millions of Italians ; , he had the sympathy of England and Russia ; he had the command orthe sea ; in fact , no hindrances whatever were thrown in his way , and yet he has the hardihood to maintain , in the face of mankind , who know it to be a lie , that Europe treated him with injustice . I can assure your readers that this impudence , for , indeed , no milder term can be applied to it , has cost the Emperor of the French every friend he had in Germany . We know paper is patient , and wi 1 bear any thing that is put upon it , and history is made of paper , but I . doubt whether history will teach posterity that all Europe was unjust to Louis Napoleon in this Italian war , and , therefore ought to
be made answerable for its abortive results . Another cause of anger against Louis Napoleon personally is the employment of negroes , whom he designates Ttircos , against Europeans and Christians ; and certainly if this is to become a system among Christian potentates , we shall have the slave trade renewed with a vengeance . We want to know whence these Turcos were procured , and how . It is a question of great importance for the French themselves . If Louis Napoleon can procure negroes at twopence or threepence a day , why should not England putsher' enormous warlike populations of Caftres , Af tghans , and Beloochees , under requisition . Where France can obtain her hundreds , England could obtain her thousands , and nnrhans Germanv too . 11 is no exeat compliment for the
French nation that the Zouaves and Turcos should be spoken of as-forming the elite of the French army . This is , however , a matter for the French to reflect upon . The employment of these mercenaries is a subject for all Europe to ponder upon . On receipt of the first news of peace , holders of produce endeavoured to turn it to account , arid for a day or two managed to push a trade , but the general feeling that the peace was too easily won damped all speculation . Not the slightest confidence in the continuance of peace exists , and notwithstanding all Mr . Bright ' a fine theories , and ministers' deprecatory letters and speeches , the great mass of Germans ardently desire war , and war to the knife with France—with that France which will never let Germany rest . The Germans ask : What have we ever done to France ? Have we
taken ought of her ? She hns often devastated our country—she has sown dissensions and kept us disunited . She has robbed from us Lorraine and Alsatia , and lias endeavoured , with almost complete success , to Romanise their inhabitants : whereas we huvo not taken from France an inch or territory , although twice we . in conjunction with our allies , have been masters of the whole country , They threaten us continually—they threaten to seize our Rhine provinces : and yet -we are told to remain quiet , and act like Christlnns . For two conquering nations like England and Frmice to preach peace and self-denial is like the Devil quoting Scripture . do not know what the sentiments of English Liberals are with respect to Mr . Bright and his coadjutors , but this I dd know , that his ideas upon pence and wnr oxcito unmitigated disgust and ridicule among Liberals , and thorp are many , and thinking ones , too , on the Continent . Mr . ijright lias perhaps not seen , ns I hare , men dragged out of their beds in the middle of the night , and hurried off to priaon , during the piping times of peace A tyrannical pence is worse than the flercoat wnr . Who would not nrofor belntr crushed on the fluid Ot
battle , to rotting in a dungeon ? " Peace t What have we here to do with pence ? Got thee behind mo . " To such a uegroe has the discontent orlaen that your readers may prepare themselves for a military insurrection , should peace be concluded * very unfavourable to Austria . The armies of Prussia and most states ol tho Confederation are composed of all classes of the popular tlpn , obtained by impressment— : a conscription , as it is eoi ' tfy termed : and thousands of private soldiers nro young men of good education and wealth . Thosa noon have studied history , and ore not ignorant of the origin of nations and governments . They arc , therefore , by no moans Wind instruments 1 » the hands of Government . Your readers will have seen elsewhero In your columns that It is the intention of the Prlne * Regent of Prussia In conjunction , possibly , with the rost of the J'cdeml sovereigns , to rotoriw the military system , because It lias been discovered that the lnndwejir and militia In ffoi" *™ do not answer th , o requirements of tho period . This w
Count Cavouik
involving complicated international questions , had to be provided for ; the contagion of French republicanism and Mazzinian intrigue were to be contended against . Cavour ' s talent and influence had , at this time , much effect in opposing the inroad of democratic passions . After the reverses of the royal arms in 1848 he sided with the minority , who were averse to . the immediate renewal of the war . ' His arguments in favour of prudence and delay were so unpopular , that upon a new election in Jan ., 1849 , Cavour lost his seat in the Chamber of Deputies . In the summer he was re-elected , and before the end of the session was in a parliamentary majority , and already looked upon as likely to
COUNT CAVOUR . The celebrated Sardinian statesman , Count Camillo Cavour , was born in 1810 , and belongs to one of the most wealthy and ancient families of Piedmont . While very young , he manifested a strong tendency to combat the prejudices against intellectual development which existed among the nobility and were strengthened by the political circumstances of the kingdom . In his youth he entered the military academy of Turin , where he pursued his studies with great honour and credit , and was apointed to a lieutenancy of engineers . He had
p , however , scarcely commenced hie in the capital , when his family saw reason to fear that his independence of thought and character would retard his success , and it was considered prudent to send him out of the country . He consequently spent several years abroad , resided alternately in G-eneva , Paris , and London , and gained great experience of men , and modes of government . The study of English worksion the various branches of political economy occupied much of his time and attention , as well as the observation of our laws and institu-VwLJ TV V « JL * Uw uuv . V f ~ r * J ^ s ± M » WfcV ^»» . ^ s * . Vf «* a , »• •>* **»» - »> . » uaw w * w « a .
tions . It was not until 1842 that he returned to his own country , where events seemed to be promisingmuch for the future of Piedmont . The King , Charles Albert , was making some timid approaches to a change of system . His patronage of railroads and scientific congresses were favourable indications from , which the Count , like the rest of the Piedmontese Liberals , augured well . He speedily united with a few others , most of whom afterwards became conspicuous . in public affairs , in forming the Associazione Agraria ., which was most valuable as a medium of national intercourse and discussion .
Its meetings , held in turn in the most important towns in the kingdom , afforded the opportunity of animadverting upon the political state of the country and discussing the means of legitimate reform . This was most distasteful to Austria , who spared no pains to let her annoyance be felt , and suspended a Milanese journal for speaking favourably of the association . During the ensuing twelve or eighteen months the King ' s hesitation and perplexity were extreme , in consequence of the difficult position in which he found himself placed in relation to Austria and Borne . In Nov ., 1847 , a royal decree gave
liberty to the press , and then Cavour and bis friends established the Risorgimento , a daily paper which became the organ of the aristocratic party , who were in favour of moderate reform . In that year Count Cavour proposed that a Constitution should be demanded for Piedmont . With Santa Rosa , Brofferio and Durando > , he drew up a paper informing the King of the popular wish . Charles Albert was opposed to the idea , and for some time hesitated to grant their demand ; The Sicilian revolt , which occurred a few months later , induced the treacherous Ferdinand II . to confer upon his subjects the longndesired boon of a Constitution , and the King . of Sardinia , as well as the Grand
Duke of Tuscany , was ' compelled to follow his example . Unfortunately the French revolution ensued , succeeded by the rising of Vienna and the Invitation of the Lombards to the King of Piedmont . It was greatly to be deplored that this general excitement should take place prematurely . Neither Piedmont nor . the rest of Italy was prepared for it ; but to draw back at that crisis was impossible , and Cavour was most energetic in his exhortations to the King to take up arms . This he did , but the contest ended disastrously for him and he eventually abdicated in favour ^ of his son , who was more ready to make concessions to the liberal tendencies of the times .
Oavour eat as one of the representatives of Turin in tfoe first session of the Pieamonteao Parliament of 1 , 848 . Here he distinguished himself as . a skilful debater , and was acknowledged to be without an equal in financial knowledge . This was a trying period . The assembly was quite inexperienced and now to its responsibilities ; a great war ,
quire the aid of his comprehensive intellect and staunch , unswerving resolution . Should he not soon be al > le to form , a ministry , there is every reason to iear that his labours of the past seven years will be completely lost in the face of actual circumstances .
become the greatest public man in Piedmont . In Oct ., 1850 , he was invited to join the cabinet , and accepted the invitation without demur , although but a secondary post was offered him under D'Azeglio . On the 4 th of -November , 1852 , he was called upon to replace Count d'Azeglio , who had retired before a parliamentary demonstration in favour of a more advanced liberalism than he could accept . At the wish of his sovereign he returned from a tour which he had been making in England and Scotland , and ¦ , became the _ King ' s chief adviser . For the next two years , internal economy mainly occupied Jiis attention , and the Government enjoyed a respite from the litigations with Home , which had formed a large portion of the cares of the preceding cabinet .
The most important act of Cavour ' s foreign administration was the adherence of Piedmont , at the beginning of 1855 , to the treaty of alliance between France and England against Russia ; an act which lie . eloquently vindicated in a manifesto , dated March 4 th . The two extreme parties in the Chamber of Deputies opposed this alliance on different grounds ; Cavour ' s triumphant reply attracted much attention at the time from the honesty and boldness with which he laid bare his schemes of national aggrandisement , as the result of taking a share in the war . In April , 1855 , Cavour resigned the premiership in order to facilitate an arrangement with Rome , rendered necessary by the
projected law in reference to the convents . The King having been induced by D'Azeglio to act with firmness , and it being found impossible to come to an understanding with the Holy See , Cavour again returned to office a few days af ter his retirement . That the unceasing efforts of this minister to limit the power of the church have been needed will be seen by the following facts . The revenues of the Sardinian church exceed seventeen million francs , which is equal to a tenth of the entire revenue of the state ; In « ie kingdom of Belgium , the population of which is about the same as that of tae Sardinian states , the whole expense of religious worship scarcely exceeds four millions . * In France , where
the popiilation is eight times as numerous , the expenses only amount to forty-four millions . The Sardinian episcopacy enjoys ten times the revenue of the Belgian episcopacy , and an equal amount with the French ; and some of its individual members are as rich as the whole episcopal body in Belgium . Again , civil marriage does not exist in Sardinia , and the lowest priest has a right , after several months of marriage ^ to separate hujband and wife , united by himself , upon the pretext that he has discovered the most distant degree of relationship between them—an occurrence which took place not long ago . The efforts of Cavour to make the clergy undergo some changes , and submit to
the common law , will meet with ready sympathy and appreciation in England , though in his own country he has , in consequence , boon , hold up to opprobrium and infamy by the clerical party . His exertions in maintaining the freedom of the press , and his independent , inonly reply to the complaints of Austria in the spring of 1857 will bo fresh in $ ho memory of the reader . The answer he gave to the remonstrance addressed to him by Count Buol was a skilful combination of cool
reasoning , sarcasm , and intrepidity . Its only effect , however , wns to odd one more to the numerous grieft of Austria against Piedmont , and which have issued in the war just closed . The prosperity enjoyed by the Sardinian states for several years past , amidst all their political contests and perplexities , and numerous internal grievances and afflictions , is to be traced mainly to the clover statesmanship of Count Cavour . It were greatly to be deplored that ho should bo suffered to stand aloof from iho Government at the present critioal juncture . Never did Victor Emmanuel so muon re-
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892 THE LEADER , [ No . 488 . July 30 , 1859 .
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Leader (1850-1860), July 30, 1859, page 892, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2305/page/16/
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