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THE PRICE OFFRENCH ALT).
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failure , and in the imparting- of greater and more vigorous impulse to the onward spirit of the nation . If the present moderate measure of Reform be not carried this session , there will be an end to all further room for compromise . The jnasses will raise a loud and bitter laugh at the expense of those who would fain have secured , by the pending measure , a limited instalment of what they consider their due ; and no public man who has to -consult the feelings of a large constituency , or who looks at all ahead of the torpid condition through which we are-just now passing , will venture any more to talk of compromise . _ The sands of compromise are almost run out ; the days of indecision are well nih numbered . ¦ ¦ ' ¦ ' /
g _ ,. _ , ,... One thing is certain , that whether the present cabal be aimed at the partial breaking up of the Government , or at its total overthrow , differences about the Ileform Bill , are but the pretexts , not the actiiatinff motives of the design . The first and principal object is to drive Lord John Russell from the Foreign Office as an inveterate and incorrigible friend of liberty- abroad . His enemies do not dare to attack him openly on this ground , for thev know how strong are the feelings of the country
regarding it . " They prefer to harass and thwart him . on that about which " there is less popular excitability at the moment , namely . Reform . They know that , under the circumstances of'the-case , this is with him . a point of honour , and that either the Bill must be carried or he must resign . He would indeed be irretrievably disgraced if for the third time he permitted the measure to be snatched or stolen out of his hand . This is well understood on all sides , and hence . the opposition to the Bill , because it . is clear that if it be by any means made av / ay with , Lord Joiix must cease to be of the Crown .
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E YEN Christian casuists have decided that a boat full of shipwrecked mariners may throw one , of their number overboard , or kill him and eat . him under the pressure of dire necessity and for the salvation of the rest . Italy was that shipwrecked crew : tossed . upon the stormy waves of European politics , and morally starved almost to death from the prolonged absence of liberty , which is the food of noble minds . Under these circumstances , Count Cavour , as the . officer actually in command , agreed to the sacrifice of Savoy and Nice as the only means by which his country could be saved ; and now that the unfortunate victims are handed over to the civil death of French despotism , the consenting- agent in the transaction is vilified far more than he deserves . Cavouk belongs to the old school of
intriguing politicians ; but if his means are full of subtlety ^ his aims " patriotic , and Europe deserves to bear the blrmie- of the tortuosities through which he has been compelled to meander , in order to serve his country and his race . When he stated that the King of Sardinia' had ' no idea of ceding territory to France , he may not have spoken a decided untruth . The original compact with the French Empeuoh is believed to have been that the cession in question should take place on condition of Austria ' s beiu" - driven entirely out of the Italian peninsula , and the
unsatisfactory pence of Villnfronca may be regarded ns having completely changed the reciprocal position-of ' the . contracting parties . When that peace ivns made its author boldly declared that Italy was free , but the falsehood provoked more derision than could be safely encountered , and the provisions of the Treaty of Zurich were set ' aside , to the infinite disgust of Francis Joseph , who found himself tho dupe of it more subtle foe . Morally speaking , Napoleon ITT . chose the less of two evils , as cheating Austria for the benefit of Italy was u comparatively venial offence . He did not , however , choose to do this without
a " consideration . " The Empire diplomatizes as well as fights for an " idea , " nnd the Imperial idea was to get possession of a tract of country which would add to his fame and gratify the vanity of . Franco . If Cavouk had not consented to the cession demanded , or had asked the fulfilment of the original compact as a previous condition , the French Empeiioh would not have consented to the annexation of Tuscany and the Jtoningna . The Italian statesman and patriot was in a "fix . " Froin England ho could only get fair words : even if the Empire thought proper to turn round and diviilo Italian spoils with Austrin , it was clour that wo should only indulge in moral reflections or utter sententious ndvico . No aid could come from Germany—the southern
States were in league with Austria und the Popk , and the Prussian Court was too muoh afraid of liberty to become the champion of national or of popular right . Russia might have protested against any very great extension . of French power , but if driven to act would certainly not have , Inkcn the liberal side . Thus' Sardinia , as the represonlutivo and guardian of Italian interests , oouhl do no bettor than accept t . lio terms oHt'ivd by the « lyagon of despotism , and , to say nothing of old ( irock dragons ,
we -may . , affirm' that from the days of the Dragon of Wantley downwards , no creature of the class has consented to be useful for so small a pay . If Europe will act with a little firmness and reason , the Swiss valleys of Savov may be saved . from the Imperial maw ,-and those which are French in nature may as well be French in fact . The iVice question is more ugly , and will long rankle in Italian hearts . We do not blame Cavouu for an act of inevitable expediency ; we do not blame the Sardinian Chamber for consenting to sacrifice a member of the community for the . sake of preserving the whole , but it Va misfortune for parliamentary .-government that the Senate of a free state should be obliged to smother the discussion of such a question , and igupnriniously consent to what each member could only regard as a violation of principle under pressure which it would have been ' madness to resist , ( i .-vuibaldi has raised his name by his indignant protests against the unfortunate act ; but while we honour the man who will not bend to'evil ' circumstances' and makes honour his guiding star , we acknowledge with regret that the state . of society affords little . support to such characters , and places practical power in less scrupulous hands . Count Ca . vour could do no ' better for his country than to recommend them to accept ' and swallow what he called " the bitter cup ; . " " lie knew it was not the way to be popular , but it was the way to serve the'future of Italy . The state of the country was not . so healthy as ecrt-aiu deputies seemed to think ; and whoever believed' that the danger had passed , let him . look beyond the Mincio . " LauiiivNTi Eobandi , a member for the county of Xiery produced a great , impression upon the .. Sardinian -Chamber by exposing the conduct of the French Government in -, order . to procure a majority in favour of its ; schemes . Pn-Tiu , the French senator . and confidential agent of the Empkkok ,. LrBONi . s , the provisional governor and the M . vYop / of Is ire , ' nil behaved as if the country were already French , Avhilst Frem-h reuiinents garrisoning the town ami the frigates in the harbour inspired terror in the inhabitants . . Circular's without name , but -primed by the Government lithographer , were sent , to -the country threatening those who should vote against the annexation , nnd exhorting tlie ' officials to neutralize the efforts hostile to French interests . The priests . ' already chanted at the altar , ' Douiine , salvuin fac Iinperatorein nostrum Xapoleonem ; " and the bishop declared " it was a matter of conscience to vote for annexation . " Such was Hobakdj ' s narrative , and we have no doubt it is true in all the main features , although we cannot believe these disgraceful manoeuvres would have been so thoroughly successful as the Mouih'ur fells us , unless a considerable number of the inhabitants were willing partisans of France . By and by we shall know more of this bad business ; meanwhile , in the words of Count jMamiami , the Sardinian minister of Justice * and Instruction , imperial France has proved an "Amazon terrible in her embraces , " and Italy has " cut off a limb to s « ve the whole body . " That body , however , stands in the presence of n « w-dangers , and , unless Europe inierpnses , the Imperial dragon will devour another limb as the-price of further aid . Sicily is in insurrection , and the Count of Syic . utsk , uncle of the young King , has given him some excellent advice , urging n liberal policy and union with Sardinia . Napoi . kon III . docs not want a powerful and united " Italy j and if the ( imH European Powers were wise , they would ensure the Italians against all intervention to prevent their currying out this idea . A . witty continental paper , the liioi- ' Elve Social of Kmftsel * , sketches u " year of annexations , " and depicts the progress of this ^ Napoleonic lnancuuvro ,. while the various States of Europe remain apathetic and jealous , each enjoying the other's misfortunes , and- becoming a victim in its turn . -There is no doubt some danger of this prediction being realized ,, and European states-men would do well to try to concert some common ground of action . England could only support popular rights , and must stand by and see dynasties perish and the balance of power , overthrown , rather than aid them in opposition to liberal principles ; but while our support might bo given to Italy upon brood and noble grounds , the despotic Powers , like 'Russia and Prussia , might come to the some conclusion by a dillereut route , and see tlio advantage of thoroughly emancipating the- whole peninsula from the dangerous friendship of Imperial France ; and this could only bo accomplished by persuading An ulna- to withdraw from Venice , and forming a lunguo to insist upon nonintervention in Italian affairs . A very little 'help of thin kind would mal « j Victor Emmanuisl King of till Italy , oxi ^ 'p l , perhaps , of the city of Home , which the Popk might hold I ' nr a season to accommodate- the views of Austria and France . ^ do not oxpoct the Great Powers will conic to so rational nn agreement , « lthough their interests would ho promoted by » i" ' fl course , and it would involve ) less concessions of m'iuuiplu tlum
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368 ' Me-Leader and Saturday--Analyst . [ Apiui , 2 . 1 , 1 SG 0 .
The Price Offrench Alt).
THE PRICE OF FRENCH AIJ > .
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), April 21, 1860, page 368, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2344/page/4/
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