The Express.
London, England, 1860-03-03 00:00:00

explicit.

On the signature of the Treaty of Zurich the sus-
picions of the Swiss Government were again excited,
but no overt act tending to annexation could be
pointed out. Bat in January the activity of a knot of
persons in Savoy who were endeavouring to provoke
a movement in favour of annexation began to excite
notice, and before the month was out the Paris Petrie
published a remarkable article, audaciously declaring
that the Savoyards as a people had declared in
favour of annexation; that their country, always
French, was about to return to France; that history,
politics, language, customs would get their dee;
and ending with the prediction or promise, " We
" shall have our natural frontier the Alpe, which
" are a decree of GOD." Lord COWLaT reported to
Leaden that the annexation was again occupying the
public mind very seriously,andthat he could notdoubt
that it was more or less in the intention of the
French Government. Now, then, was the time for
England to exercise her influence for the peace of
Europe. On the 28th of January, therefore, Lord
lowx RUSSELL informed Lord Cowurr that be had
laid his despatch respecting Savoy before the Queer('
and that he had no difficulty in giving him instruc-
dolmas to the language be was to hold. He recalled
to memory the serious assurances which had been
given by the French Government in July, and the
satisfaction with which he had communicated them to
the House of Commons. He declined to treat the ques-
tion argumentatively, since if ever entertained it must
be considered by all the great Powers of Europe, and
its grounds be examined critically. "But," he wrote,
" 1 wish you to state to M. Titouvien at once the
" view which we take of this question in connexion
" with the general interests of Europe, and the posi-
" Lion of the Emperor of the Fames. The EMPEROR
" cannot fell to have present to his mind the alarm
" and anxiety which prevailed in Europe during the
"put summer; the arming of Prussia and the
" German Powers ; the hopes of revolution excited,
" the rumours of alliance', offensive and defensive,
" which agitated the public mind. The EMPEROR
" can well recall that period ; for he stated how
" mach of glory he was content to forego, bow
" much of noble aspirations to disappoint, in
" order to give satisfaction and peace to Europe.
" It is to be hoped and desired that the present tee-
" diary should be to soothe the troubled waves and
" motors calm to the agitated atmosphere. But the
" question of the annexation of Savoy would be re-
" girded not so much se composing past troubles as
" raising the elements for new storms. Natural
" frontiers—the Alps and the Rhine—the repetition
▪ of the history of long and bloody wars—the coin-
" menoement of a new struggle between Frame and
" Europe: such are the ideas which would pass
" through men's minds ►t the announcement of such
"as acquisition. Let the EMPEROR recall the noble
" words in which he gave forth at Milan a sentiment
" net less just than becoming the Sovereign of so
" swat se Empire."
And after quoting from the Milan proclamation
the peerage in which the EMPEROR invoked the
eeeldemeoe of Europe, and declared that the reward
he sought was the moral influence to be gained by
freeing one of the fairest portions of Europe, Lord
JOHN licsst. 1. adds, "I choose rather to suppose
" that the Emetic:la will adhere consistently to this
" declaration than that he will run the risk of
"arousing jealousies and fears in Europe which he
" would hod it difficult thereafter to appease."
This is not the ordinary language of diplomacy.
There is no periphrasis, no mystery or affectation
here, but all is earnest, straightforward, and sincere.
Early in February, shortly after receiving the
despatch just dwelled,* Lord CowLEY sought an
interview with M. THOVVENZL, bet before doing
so he saw Conot WALEWSICI, and ascertained from
that minister that he recognised the accuracy of the
report of that diplomatic sonversation in July, in which
the project of annexation was so solemnly disavowed
by France. Bat Ceunt Wet.aw•set added that that
declaration was made in view of the strict accom-
plishment of the Treaty of Zurich, and he reminded
Lord COWLEY that ►e had afterwards maintained
that " if Sardinia was to be aggrandised by the
annexation of the Hackies, it must be at the cost,

" of Savoy and *County which least pass
" b France." lierd Com= says that this is true.
and that he alluded to it in private correspon-
dence with Lord Join( Russ= ; but he had not
noticed it officially, because it was understood
that all questions arising out of the state of Italy
were to be referred to a Congress, and he
considered it unadvisable, in the face of the
previous declarations made to him, to engage
her MAJESTY'S Government in a diplomatic COT-
respondence upon a hypothetical question, which if
it ever assumed a tangible form must necessarily be
discussed in the presence of all the Powers. Bat
he observes that he Dever allowed Count WALEWSXI
to suppose that the realisation of that scheme would
be seen with indifference by the Quazn's Govern-
ment.

In his interview with K. Tamrelate', on the 4th
of February, Lord Conniff readved the official
answer of the French Government to the representa-
tions of England. It wee read from a written paper,
and its substance was thus reported to his Govern- '1
leant by Lord COWLIT:
" It was true that among the possible arrange-
" meets discussed between the French and Sardinian
" Governments, when they found themselves likely
" to be engaged side by side in war with Austria,
" was the cession to Francs, under certain coutin-
-1" pules, of Savoy and the County of Nice. These
" contingencies, however, did not occur when peace
" was made. The ExPEROR had thought that if
the chances of war had given such a large met-
" sion of territory to Sardinia as would have altered
" the relative proportions of the military strength of
" the two countries, he might with justice have de-
" mended such territorial concessions of Sardinia as
" would have preserved those relative proportions.
" But so long u the sole addition made to Sardinia
" was the province of Lombardy, there was no
" sufficient reason, in the EMPIRDa's opinion, for
"asking of Sardinia the sacrifice of any part of her
" ancient territory, and therefore Count WALEWent
" had made the declaration referred to by me.
" The Preliminaries of Villafranca, and subs.-
" quently the Treaty of Zurich, left the territorial
" distribution of Italy, with the exception of Lom-
bardy, es it had been before the war. The dif-
" resent States were to form a Confederation of a
" purely defensive character. The French Govern-
" meat desires no better than that this plan should
" be realised, and there will be no motive for raising
" the question of any territorial concessions in regard
" to France.

" Bat the aspect of the whole matter has cam-
,' pletely changed, and her MAJESTY'S Government
" have themselves made proposals which must lead
"to one of two results Either the people of the
" States of Central Italy will pronounce themselves
" in favour of a Central'Kingdom, or they will per-
" aist in asking to be annexed to Sardinia. In the
"former case the French Government, considering
that the solution would partake of the nature of
" the arrangements made at Zurich, will not think
" it necessary to look to the more immediate safety
"of the French frontier. But the French Govern-
" ment could not consent to the formation of •
" kingdom of above tea millions of souls in the
"4 South of Europe without taking precautions for
" the future security of France. This would be done
not in a spirit of conquest or aggrandisement, but
" simply as a measure of necessary precaution.

" Bat while the French Government ask for pia-
" ranteea for the safety of France, they have no in-
" tention of violating or infringing upon those which
" Europe has thought necessary to take for her own
" safety. The annexation, therefore, of Savoy to
"France would not break the engagement entered
" into for the neutrality of the districts of Ghablais
"and Faucigny ; indeed, in the opinion of the
" French Government, it would be well that those
" districts should be united permanently to Switzer-
" land."

In the conversation that followed the reading of
this statement, and in which Lord COWLEY expressed
the regret with which he had listened to it, adding
that he feared it was not calculated to calm the ap-
prehensions of gurope, the English diplomatist ob-
served that, in the opinion of her Marlin's Govern-
ment, the annexation of Savoy was a question
which, if ever entertained, must be considered by all
the Great Powers of Europe. M. THOUVENEL said
that he could not speak definitely on a question
of this importance without taking the EMPEROR'S
orders, but that he should advise his MAJESTY that
" if the QUERN'S Government were ready to admit
that the annexation of the States of Central Italy to
Sardinia could not be effected without the consent
of all the Great Powers of Europe, the Ex-
PEROR should subscribe to the urns rile
when applied to Savoy." The principle was
the same in both cases, and eould not be
applied to the one and not to the other. Lord Cow-
LET replied that to make the cases parallel Sardinia
must be a State as rich sod powerful es France ;
that the annexation of fresh territory to France
might alter the balance of power in Earope, which
could hardly be said of Sardinia, were that kingdom
to be increased to a State of 10,000,000 or 12,000,000
noels. Iced COWLEY further asked if it was in-
' tended, in certain eventualities, to annex Savoy to
France by force, and without any reference either
to the Bing of SARDINIA or to the people of Savoy.
M. Timm/van disclaimed promptly, and without
hesitation, any intention of the kind, and he added
• memorandum to the paper which he had been
reading to our Minister to the effect that it was well
understood that it had entered the Excision's
thoughts to constrain either the will of the
Xing of SARDINIA or that of the populations. To
Lard Cows.sr, on the 10th of February, the Ment-
ion personally repeated the same &Bureaus. lie
did not deny that, under certain eventualities, and
on the grounds already stated, he might think it
right to claim a proper frontier for France ; he be-
lieved that the wish of the Savoyard* was to be
I united to France; and he could not understand why,
in the case of the Duchies, the wishes of the popu-
lations were to be attended to, and that the same
principle should not prevail with respect to Savoy.
Bat he disclaimed all intention of annexing Savoy
against the will of the Savoyard& themselves,
and without having consulted the Great Powers,
and he authorised Lord COWLEY to transmit
this statement to his Government. This is the last
of the declsrations made on the part of the French
Government on this subject. The despatch of Lord
Jong AussELL, which we give in another column,
and in which the objections to the annexation of
Savoy are recapitulated, has remained without reply.
We are sorry for this, for every Englishman would
like to learn the reasons which would make
the existence of a State of 11,000.000 so dangerous
to a nation of 36,000,000 as it in said the existence of
the new kingdom of Upper Italy will be to France. We
need not howevercomplain. The despatches already
published in this correspondence supply abundant
food for thought, and we can only hops that, reflect-
ing on the impression they cannot fail to make in
Europe, the Estrzios will give one more proof of
his sagacity, and renounces project which, whatever
its immediate result, must exercise a prejudicial
influence over the remainder of his reign.