Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-04-01 00:00:00

in all directions, as formidably as ever

And there

is one party that seems to be busily illustrating, in
connection with this preparation for a conflict, the
old adage of its being an ill wind that blows nobody

any good. " The Swiss," we read, " true to their
passion for hard coin, appear to be making money
even out of the Lombard emigrants who pass through
the federal territory on their- way for enlistment.
The Swiss gensdarmes are said to charge a toll of 10f.
to every individual." This enlistment is apparently
still going on as briskly as ever ; which certainly
does not look very ouch like peace.
The feeling of Russia towards Austria is acknow-
ledged to be hostile,—the old sore about the
Principalities, and the refusal of Austria to favour
Russia in any way during the Crimean war, not yet
being closed up. To this feeling is it attributed, that
Russia has just prohibited the negociation of the
last Austrian loan throughout the empire.

Then, as regards the issue of the deliberations of
the coming Congress—or rather its right to decide
upon the questions at issue,—we see the Gazette de
France protesting against the assumption by the
Great Powers of any control over the Lesser States.

" The sovereign authority assumed by certain Great
Powers," it is observed, " over the destinies of States
of secondary rank, takes its source in a spirit of
conquest. By right, no nation can declare itself
arbiter of the fate of another nation ; whatever may
be the difference existing between them in numerical
strength and territorial development. The argu-'
ment, ' because I am the strongest,' has no longer
value, or at least should no longer have any in a
period like ours, when civilisation has opposed to it
the admirable maxim There is no law which can
prevail against right.' From this alsolute precept,
which no consideration of ncoca.,ity can change,
proceeds the right possessed by the small States of
living in independence and freedom, and of not allow-
ing any. other Power to lay down to them the law."
Now if this is the spirit in which the proceedings
of the approaching Congress are to be encountered
by any of the parties to it, not only will it be " a
mere sham," but, what will be far worse, a delusion
and a snare, and one which may lead to incalculable

mischiefs

Piedmont is obviously very ill-advised in what she
is represented to be still doing, or, at any rate,.
meditating and preparing to do. Well would it be
for her, and for Italy too, did she avail herself of the
chance now presented of falling back upon a sounder
and quieter policy. "Itis a piece of good fortune
for Piedmont," says a contemporary, " which she
had no right to expect, and can hardly be said to
have deserved, that she should have another oppor-
tunity of resuming that position of dignified
independence and enlightened freedom which had
secured to her the respect and the sympathy
of Europe. By returning to the policy from
which she has so unfortunately departed, she
will serve the Italian cause far better
than by insidious alliances and unjustifiable
So long as she confines herself to

aggressions

the maintenance of her own independence and
the promotion of the principles of liberty by a
living example, she will have the unanimous and'
decided support of that European opinion which has
been compelled to disapprove her recent course."
Were she but detached from France, this might be
hoped for,—and along with it the maintenance of the
peace of Europe. But Count CAVOUR, if not also
his Royal master, cannot be expected to shake off
that entanglement so easily,—an entanglement which

the Piedmontese Premier's visit to Paris this week
has, in all probability, rendered still closer than