The Express.
London, England, 1862-12-13 00:00:00

HMI WATIR AS LONDON =DON

TIM DAT Month& R lica.77.ithisTrooou:(lh. 26a.
So-VOssow—licetilag, M. 48a.....Afternoon, 7L 15e.

LONDON, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13.

'Owes more has Italy manifested in the face of
- Europe her admirable fitness for constitutional
government, and her rich political vitality. A
fortnight since the moat hopeful of her friends
were anxious; the most insidious of her enemies
hopeful and confident. A Minister strong in the
favour of the KING, and patronized by the KING'S
most powerful Ally, had fallen like autumn leaves
before the first breath of a parliamentary storm.
Tenacious, and almost defiant, to the last, he would
fain have sought a momentary reprieve from an
inexorable sentence by appealing from an ang:y
Parliament to a still more angry people, even at
the risk of convulsion and confusion. Happily the
KlNG—not that he regarded the Minister less, but
that he valued his kingdom more—declined to
sanction this desperate alternative, and nothing
remained for M. RATTAZZI but resignation. Since,
however, he had anticipated a vote of censure,
he might without offence to the Chamber
have considered the defeat avoided as no
defeat at all, and have advised the Crown to ap-
point a provisional and perfunctov admiristration
to carry on the urgent business of the State
while Parliament and people were cooling. If
this was M. Rsrrizzes advice, it was happily not'
followed, or it failed. But it is due to that eminent
though ill-omened statesman to record that his con-
stitutional and patriotic inatinctspreserved him from
that last and fatal error, and th►t the fruitless
attempts to patch tip what in an odious jargon is
called an "Administrative Ministry," were foreign,
if not contrary, to his counsels. Whether the idea
came from Compiegne or the Palais Royal, it was
very soon abandoned by the strong good sense and
good faith of Vicroa Emsurrur.L. The chiefs of
the parliamentary majority were "sent for," and
within the week an Administration perfect in all
its parts, not easily surpassed in character or in
capacity, was announced in the Official Gazette.
The KING had imposed silence on his personal
likings and antipathnss, and the royal example was
contagious and commanding.
The present Cabinet of Turin is no coalition
of the chiefs of adverse parties ; it ie an open
conspiracy of patriotic devotion and goodwill
among men of whose services any Parliament
and any country might be proud. It may
be affirmed without hesitation that the oldest
constitutional State in Europe could not
have come out of a political crisis with
greater honour and advantage. There was no
more agitation, difficulty, or delay than we are
Accustomed to under similar circumstances in Eng-
land. It is remarkable how thoroughly the Italian
monarchy has mastered the principles and assi-
milated the usages of Parliamentary government.
Not one of our ministerial changes in England
within the last twenty years has been transacted
with more dignity and regularit; than this change
from Rsrrszzi to num'. And when we consider
the task which the Rarrezzi policy had bequeathed
to its successors, the courage and self-sacrifice of
the men who have undertaken to administer to
the effects of such a policy seem doubly to deserve
respect.
It was an ill day for the secret and open
enemies of Italy when Vicroa EMMANUEL appealed
to the patriotism of a Pasousx, a Pasuzzi, a
DELLS ROVERE, and a FARINI. It is scarcely too
much to say that--always excepting one irreparable
loss—since Piedmont became a constitutional king-
dom no Cabinet of Turin has equalled the one over
which Rumex now presides in all the qualities of
which Italy stands most in need at this moment.
Always excepting CAVOUR, there has been no go-
vernment of Piedmont or of Italy which has con•
tained so many unquestioned superiorities. It is
not so much a Ministry of all the talents, as of all
the virtues of public life. High birth, ancient
lineage, scholarly culture, stainless character, civil
and military genius, diplomatic tact and skill,
experience and activity in the conduct of affairs—
all these titles to esteem and confidence are found
in this Italian Administration, while in England
we should often be content with a few, and not
perhaps the most important, of them. Here is one
of the most promising characteristics of public
in Italy : social rank is respected, yet not predomi-
nant ; there is no exclusion of capacities, no pre-
ference of classes or professions; it is a true
equality—as different from the envious uniformity
which is called equality in France as co-operation
from communism.
The reticence and retirement of RICASOLI during
the recent debates in the Parliament and the
crisis that followed, have added, if possible, to the
high respect in which that true aristocrat is held
by all classes of his countrymen. And be cannot
fail to regard with mere than complacency the