Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-05-10 00:00:00

THE NORTHERN TIMES, TUESDAY, a*4IAY 10, 1859

living. " And, when, the unfortunate Milanese,':
as a contemporary well reminds us, " finding them •
selves in a worse condition than before, ventured to
rebel against their new oppressors, they were put
down with a scornful and merciless severity which
made the sway of their former masters appear mild
by comparison. When the town of Pavia, which
had dared, in consequence of those oppressive requisi-
tions, to shut its gates against the invaders,- fell'
again into the power of the conqueror, we are told
that, in order to terrify the insurgents, he
ordered the magistrates and leaders of the
revolt to be shot, and the city to be
delivered up -to plunder." And all the States
of Italy are similiarly treated by that ruthless
NAPOLEON, the Uncle, in whose footsteps NAPOLEON,
the Nephew, is now proceeding to tread—along what,
in France, they will be insensate enough to consider
the paths of glory. That it is along paths pursued
before by French troops, led by that first NAPOLEON,
which the present NAPOLEON designs to march his
hosts, has been officially declared to the Corps
Legislatif. "We enter this classic ground," says the
Imperial declaration, rendered illustrious by so many
victories, to seek the footsteps of our fathers. GOD
grant that we May be worthy of them." Such is
LOUIS NAPOLEON'S own exposition of his course. By
" the footsteps of our fathers" is meant the footsteps
of his immortal Uncle —those footsteps which were
invariably marked with the traces of blood, and
which never conducted to any issue that was not
characterised by military tyranny.

The Paris journal, the Patrie,—which, on the sub-
ject of 'this war more especially, is not of course,
allowed to publish anything that is not approved of
at Court,—has recently given insertion in its columns
to a letter from M. DE LA ROCHEFOLICAULD, Duc•de
Doudeauville, that is very explicit, or pretends to be,
on the attitude of France towards Italy. " France," he
says, " has to protect Italy against the invasion, open
or covert, but unceasing, of Austria, who seeks to

exercise a preponderating influence throughout the
peninsula. At all periods such has been the ambi-
tious policy of Austria, to which the policy of France
has always been justly opposed. If the French were
not at Rome the Austrians would be masters there.
Their despotism and the intolerable yoke which
presses upon the populations subjected to their rule
have excited general indignation." So that, accord-
ing to this latest version of the transaction, it is
evidently the jealous rivalry of France against Austria.
It is the ambitious policy of France opposing the
national policy of Austria: The Italian States,
over which Austria exercises authority, are placed
under her charge by treaties to which all the Great
Powers of Europe were parties, France included.
The settlement of Italy, in 1815, was a settlement
that was essential to the tranquillity of France her-
self, as well as to the peace and quiet of Europe. It
is quite unnecessary for Austria to " seek to exercise
a preponderating influence throughout the penin-
sula." She has already possessed such an influence
through the authority that was conferred upon her
by the other Powers of Europe.
"But people still repeat," continues the Due de
Doudeauville, " that France is going to support re-
volution in Italy.' No ; the French Government
cannot have the intention ascribed to it. To suppose
so is a calumny. Our armies are going to Italy to
re-establish the rule -of order and right. A noble
mission ! " And yet, immediately that he has thus
denied the popular imputation, he is so excessively
candid that he proceeds to show what excellent
reasons there really are for it. "It is true," he says,
" that the First :Nrinister of Piedmont has thought
fit to call upon the revolutionists for assistance, which
would be a misfortune were they to be received in
Italy as partizans of the revolution, but such will not
be the case. It is as Italians that they join Pied-
mont and France to throw off the hateful yoke of
Austria, and it would be unjust to blame them. Lef
us hope that their courage and their energy in the
day of battle will protest against the ideas of
disorder they are supposed to entertain_"

So that

from this it is evident the revolutionists are assisting
Sardinia—Sardinia is forwarding their cause—and
France is the active ally and helper, the very
mainstay, in fact, of Sardinia. If this be not "to
support revolution in Italy," we know not what can

be. The revolutionists seek to change, to revolu-
tionise their Government : their object is a revolution.
"They join Piedmont and France to throw off the
hateful yoke of Austria,"—and that would be revo-
lution. It is literally true, therefore, that " France
is going to support revolution in Italy."

And according to this same court scribe, the DUC
DE DOUDEAVVILLE, France must on no account look
upon England with any but hostile feelings, sineQ
England sees through the crafty device, and will be
no party to its execution. " France," he declares,
" had cause to distrust Austria, her enemy at all
times, and jealous England, always perfidious, and
never more to be feared than when she professes
friendship. It is sufficient to read the speeches of
the Ministers," he continues, " to be convinced of this.
The nation is net hostile to us ; but English policy
ever has been, still is, and always will be, hostile to
France. It soon forgets the services it has received ;
and with England we shall always be the victims
of our generosity and our good faith. Who could
deny the effects of that policy P England, after
doing all in her power to excite revolation -in Italg,
abandons her just as she takes up arras, and declines
an active participation with us, so that France
to-day is reduced to inquire wireth'e

he is a friend

or foe. It is thus she repays, the services we
rendered her in the Crimea ; she is as jealous of
our glory as of our prosperity. " Now here we
have an ilhistratiow of French appreciation of 'English
alliance and co-operation. " The services we ren-
dered her in the Crimea !" Why, we thought that
those services were rendered to the interests of
Europe—of France among the rest—and not to Eng-
land, who rendered,them also ! .-We are certainly not
aware. or, ally services England has received from
France ; she cannot possibly, therefore, forget what
has never been. And as to England " doing all in
her power to excite revolution in Italy," the imputa-
tion is simply a most absurd piece of sophistry. Eng-
land warmly sympathised, and still does, with
Italians, who were under any oppression ; and her •sea-
girt isle, as the home of freedom, is ever ready to
be an asylum for the oppressed. French-
men themselves, only some nine or ten years age,
came over and found it a safe asylum against the
tyranny, of this very Lours NAPOLEON himself.
Butt to say that she thereby "'does all in her power
to excite revolution" is, we repeat, a most absurd
piece of malicious mendaeiti.
But :this display of bad *cling ,es the part of