The Express.
London, England, 1859-04-08 00:00:00

trine of non-intervention. When Lord Castlereagh
presided over your foreign policy the doctrine in
question prevailed in your cabinet, though the oppo-
site principle triumphed at Lubiana and Verona.
Prussia's vote appears to be certain in the same sense,
she being too glad to humiliate her rival without
compromising the interests of Germany. But it is
very doubtful, and still improbable, whether Vienna
can make op her mind to accept a solution that for
her most be a complete moral defeat. Her journals
convey to the world what her intentions are, and
the public feeling in Germany gives her courage.
Count Cavour is loud in his praise of the noble and
loyal sentiments spoken to him at Paris by the
minister of Berlin, and has gathered the conviction
from them that although Prussia recognises the
trigre4t
shw:onrprumpliarretlitedharty Italyreist by Aar
the
ex-
eitement produced so skilfully in Germany
by Austrian diplomacy, and it cannot be denied that
within the last thirty years public opinion in Ger-
many has acquired great strength. The result of all
this is, that should the bases of a treaty to be con-
, eluded in a Congress be not sufficiently laid down
before it meets, the chances are that it will not meet
at all; and, on the other hand, should the powers be
satisfied with preliminary arrangements sufficiently
ample, though vague, the chances are again that the
Congress will come to nothing. The only thing that
would induce, and indeed compel, Austria to yield
would be to see herself threatened with isolation by
Prussia and England. Such a threat has not been
made yet, or, if it has, its sincerity has not been
be-
lieved in. There is another subject of discussion
about which four of the powers appear to be
agreed, and that is the necessity of re-
forming the Pope's dominions. It appears likely
that the Congress will adopt the practical conclusions
proposed by Count Cum in the memorandum
he presented to the Congress at Paris in 1856.
Looking at the whole case in all its bearings, the
fair inference is, that war is still far more probable
than peace. It is nearly impossible for any Con-
pees to untie knots so numerous and puzzling.
Napoleon 111. cannot recede, and although he accepts
in rod faith the efforts to be made by a Congress,
he is bound to expect from them some positive benefit
to Italy. Now, any good procured for her by this
means would be turned into evil, if Austria by her
interventions shall be able to prevent the Italian
princes from introducing and establishing reforms.
Let us suppose that the Congress may succeed in an-
nulling the right of intervention by Austria—
the usurped right of course. What would ensue P
Why this aesuredly, that in a very short time
Tuscany, the Duchies, and the Itomagnas, pertaps
Naples also, will desire to have radical changes in
their governments, that they will form a league to
expel Austria, and acquire independence. This is ens
grand wish of the entire Peninsula. Well, war is at
the bottom of all this; turn which way we will, war
can alone cut the knot. War will spring out of the
Congress, it this latter cannot disentangle the
threads. But what port of war will it be? Will it
be a local one, and will Russia guarantee to Eng-
land and Prussia that France will make no conquests
on this aide of the Alps ? This is certainly the wish
of Napoleon 111. and the Italians. Bat there is a
serious difficulty in the way that perhaps Europe is
' notfully aware of. When Austria got the Um:esti:tare
at Vienna in 1816, it was decreedthat not only should
Trieste be included in the territory of the Germanic
Confederation, but the Italian Tyrol likewise, con-
sequently Trentino, Betimes°, Cadorino, and other
countries. This once known, it is clear, sir, that
Austria will be invincible in Lombardy if she cannot
be attacked beyond the Piave. After the lose, even
of ten battles, Austria would only have to retreat to
the other side of that river, when, being gradually
reinforced, she would in time be able to renew her
assaults. And what hope is there of ever taking
Verona, a fortress of the first rank, that can hold a
large army, if it cannot be surrounded on all sides,
and all communication with the Austrian provinces
cut off, so as to arrest the constant influx of fresh
troops? lf, then, in England and Prussia, after the
failure of the Congress, there should remain the just
desire of circumscribing the war to 'the utmost and
of regulating the consequences, it should take mea-
sures to obviate the serious difficulty above-men-
tioned, and allow all Italy to be the field of conflict..
Be that as it may, Napoleon thinks, and rightly too,
that if the congress fails in attaining the end pro-
posed, no blame will be imputed to him, and that
all France will then willingly submit to the noose-
Buy of a war. It has been repeatedly declared that
Russia, although favourable on the whole to Na-
poleon and Piedmont, is very averse to hostilities in
the field. I believe I con venture to assert that
Count etyma was persuaded of the contrary when
at Paris, and I could write down here names and
aneedotee of a most significant nature, but you will un-
derstand the reason of my silence. Let me newspeak
to you more particularly about Piedmont. The Sardi-
nian government, though knowing well the design of
calling together a Congress, and the proposal that
would be made by Russia, only learned through a
telegraphic despatch the official act of that power,
its immediate acceptance by France, mid the exclu-
sion of Piedmont. I have not concealed from you
the sad surprise it created in the Sardinian cabinet
and in the breast of an august pereonage. Remon-
strances and protests were being prepared when
' Count Cavour was invited to repair to Paris. There
he was soon assured that, if Sardinia really wished it,
France and Russia would insist on her admission,
and that the adhesion of Er gland and Prussia was
probable. But after long and mature consideration
Sardinia resolved for the present on desisting from
her demand. First, she does not wish to give
Austria a pretext for withdrawing her assent to the
convocation of a Congress, and similarly, she does
not wish the Congress itself to be a failure,
this being only too probable, when the whole blame
would have been laid on poor Piedmont, too much
accused already of ambition and warlike impatience.
For these reasons Sardinia leaves to the Emperor of
the French in all freedom the task of showing to
Europe that his desire for peace and harmony is
sincere and constant. In the second place, Sardinia
, rejoices at finding herself uopledged to Anita in
any way. The condition of Italy is now so extra-
, ordinary, the faith of all Italians in Piedmont and
Victor Emanuel so full and perfect, that Sardinian
diplomacy is constrained to be most jealous of it, and
not to compromise it by any pledge opposed to the
hopes and expectations we all entertain of national
independence. For these grave reasons Piedmont
and her Kiog will make for the weal of Italy this
fresh sacrifice, by no means a slight one, affectimg as
it does the national dignity and importance. The
singular project of Austria to have a meeting at
Rome of representatives from the Italian States has
found a stumblierblock in the person of the Pontiff
himself, who does not intecd submitting to the
authority of any European Congress whatever, or
being represented in any way at such an institution.

Lord Redesdale will this evening move in the
House of Lords a eerie; of revolutions, for omit wag over
to the new parliament the private bills now pending Wore
thee lordships.
The Association for promoting the erection of
drinking fountains to London, will hold a public meeting at
Willies Rooms, on Tooday, the Earl of Celliste in the
obeli. The Hun of Shaltestxuy, S. Gurney, Esq., M.P.,
Merles Melly, Esq., and other gentlemen, will to present.
The first public dinner in aid of the &Althorn'
Benevolent Association,will take place et the Albion Tavern,
on Monday neat, the Lord Mayor In the chair.
An exhibition of the Industrial Work of Re-
formstorks. Refuges, end Industrial Schools in Great
Britain and Ireland, will be held et Willis's Booms, on
Tweed ay and Wedneslay met. •
In the budget of the Belgian Ministry of Marine,
various sums me required for repairs to steamers; among
them Is one of ISo,oootr. for repairing the Diemen., Ruble,
end Torze, which are engaged in carrying on poets! com-
munications with England.
The Opinions of Turin mentions a rumour to the
effect that the If srquis Massimo oi' A weglio is to be appointed
Sardinian embsetador to the court of floe Tuilerits, in the
place of the Marquis Pee de Villamarita.
Marshal Nurser arrived at Turin on the 4th,
from Milan.
The committee of the Spanish Chamber of Deputies
&printed to examine the charges of peculation brought
sgainat IL Basslisn Collantee, the es-minister, has Modal
that he ought to be impescted.