The Express.
London, England, 1868-05-09 00:00:00

ITALY.

(130 K 001 (WK 001RUMONDINT.)

FLORENCE,
I must interrupt for a moment the KAT 5,
narrative of
court festivity to speak of the great political event--
for it really is a great political event—the reception
given in Italy to the Prince of Prussia. It is far
from improbable that it may exercise a much more
important influence on the foreign policy of this
country than could ever have been anticipated.
The demonstrations in favour of Prussia have been
so loud and so universal as to constitute a very
significant warning to those servile partisans of
France, whether in parliament, at court, or in the
public press, who keep eternally harping upon the
theme that Italy can never sufficiently discharge
her debt of gratitude to Napoleon 111., and that
the country should be prepared, in the event of
any European or Eastern complication, to peer
forth the best blood of its children in furtherance of
the aims of France. In speaking of such servile
partisans I wish it clearly to be understood that I
do not for a moment refer to the j resent cabinet,
to General lkenabrea and his colleagues, whose line
of conduct has been marked bygreat independence;
but to persona of a very different stamp, who were
in office before, and would gladlygratity the wishes
of their patron at the Tuileries, should they ever
come into office again. Unfortunately all teeir
speculations on the immense debt of gratitude due
by Italy to France possess no historical founda-
tion. If there be one fact more certain than
another respecting the causes which led to the
French campaign of 1859 in Italy, it is this, that
the initiative of that act was taken by the Emperor
Napoleon himself as early as the spring of 1858, long
before the celebrated interview at Plombieres— that
he believed that initiative to be imperatively required
for his own interests, and that the first and great
debt of gratitude was much rather that due by
him to Italy for seconding his views, than by Italy
to him because he entertained and wished to give
them effect. However, be that as it may, the de-
monstrations of the last fortnight have left no
• doubt to what aide the balance of Italian sympathy
inclines, when weighted with the rival claims to
gratitude of France and Prussia. As ill-luck sill
have it, the present Minister of Foreign Affairs .4
France, the Marquis de Moustier, and the vessel
I representative of the Frenchgovernment at Florence,
Baron Malaret, have no very brilliant ankte-
dents to boast of in their joint treatment
;of Prussian politics. It so happens that
, these were preaniely the two diplomatists who in
1865, as Minister and Secretary of Legation at the
I Court of Berlin, managed matters so deplorably
during the Crimean war, that the Prussian goveni-
-1 ment then expressed to that of France, in good set
terms, its conviction that they were not fit for
their posts ; a conviction which the French govern-
, ment itself virtually endorsed by carrying on all
its more important negotiations through a private
and non-official channel. With such antecedents
it is not difficult to imagine that Count Bismarck,
at Berlin, and Count lisedom, at Florence, have
the feeling that in now playing their little game
, of diplomatic whist they do so with all the
trump cards in their own hands. At the same time I
sedelvvoesutltoy
behospltuhacedt tinheto
italithXlief wilithnaottchale Prussian
lo"
them-
selves to
is necessarily the best game for Italy. So far
as a calm observer can judge from what he sees
here, the game bears a very suspicious resemblance
, to the one played by Count Cavour against
Austria with such rare dexterity in the brat
• months of 1859. Then Italy managed to throw the
onus of the war on Austria, though she had really,
in concert with France, prepared and provoked it
by the acts of the twelve previous months. The
. impression here in quarters furnished with ample
. and very reliable information is, that Conntliis-
Cavour.
; marck is now repeating the tactics of Come

W RATHER RV POUT. -(TB IS DAY.)

SATURDAY, 11.2 9, II A.M.

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n shade. Extreme force, with its direction during last 24 hours.
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