Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-02-26 00:00:00

FRANCE

-
The PARIS, Thursday.
ws
"whie, Public have eagerly welcomed the._
o_
Loto has been received from London this day f
eke owley's mission to Vienna, and appear
.t for granted that it will be successful
therertmg the impending danger. What grounds
hie may be for this confidence, as excessive as
like, sudden, I am unable to say. It was not
(10,CI that in so serious a question the French
tertijuraeut would willingly incur the odium of
e„.,lg the good offices of her Majesty's Minister
'4°4i-oaring to bring about am timica,ble solutiou

of the question ; but in official circles it is not
believed that any diplomatic solution is available, as
the French Government is determined to.take its
stand on the plan for Italian reform put forward in
M. de la Guerroniere's manifesto; " Napoleon 111.
et l' Italie," and it is not thought likely that
Austria can accept any such terms. It is said that
in an interview he had with the Emperor just
before his departure, Lord Cowley frankly
admitted that he considered his task a hopeless one.
It is gratifying to have to have to record that a
gleam of sunshine 'has broke through the clouds,
but in official quarters it is not believed that the
storm will be averted. There is not the slightest
ground for supposing that the Cabinet of the
Tuileries has altered its views ; and I have not
succeeded, after diligent enquiry, in discovering
that any of the warlike preparations have been
countermanded. I mentioned two days ago that
several corps had been designated for
warlike operations in Italy ; up to this
morning no contre-ordre had been received.
The preparations for a camp of 106,000 men
near Toulon continue to be made, and
long files of horses purchased in Normandy con-
tinue to traverse Paris, on their way to the
southern railroads. Entertaining personally a
warm desire for peace, it is my duty to caution
you against placing too implicit a reliance on the
sudden changes of public opinion in Paris. Altera-
tions of extreme despondency and confidence have
succeeded each other without intromission since
the beginning of the year ; but white the country
is ringing with the preparations for coming con-
flict, while official papers are being instructed to
prepare the public for the worst, whilst the
younger officers of the army are already exulting
over the prospect of active employment and pro-
motion, it is useless to indulge in a fond hope that
peace may be maintained as long as the French
Government insists upon concessions which it is
known that Austria will not grant until after her
defeat. It is not thought that the " diplomatic
phass " will.last much longer than the month of
April—the regiments ordered for operation having
received a private intimation that their services
will be required about that period. I have seen a
letter from Marseilles, which states that twenty
batteries of artillery had arrived there within the
last week ; but I think the writer must make some
mistake in the number. Twenty batteries is a
most formidable armanent, not less than 120- guns;
and if the campaign is only to commence in two
months, it does not appear what use there would
be in sending the ordnance on so much in advance
of the gunners.

The 'Patrie publishes the following communi-
cated article

The departure of Lord Cowley for Vienna has been
much commented on, both yesterday and to-day. Public
opinion attaches great importance to that journey, and
we think deservedly so. Without wishing to exaggerate
the importance or anticipate the result of that mission,
we must consider the step taken by the British diplo-
matist as the sign of a tendency on the part of the
English ministry to adopt the policy of the. Cabinet of
the Tuilleries. For our part we had never doubted of
that good understanding which arises from all the
principles and interests involved in the English alliance.
The most fortunate and logical circumstance that might
occur would be to see that alliance protecting in Italy
the civilisation and independence of peoples and the se-
curity of Europe in Italy as it has already done in the
East and throughout the world.
The greatest astonishment has been created by
this " note," as it is understood to mean that the
departure of Lord Cowley for Vienna indicates a
determination on the part of the British Cabinet
to aid and abet the views of France and Pied-
mont in Italy. Of course, those who take such a
view of the question lose sight of the speeches. of
Lord Derby and Mr. Disraeli on the first night of
the session, but the great mass of the public have
not such long memories, and this piece of semi-
official prevarication is for the nonce implicitly
believed.

The French maritime insurance companies now
insert in each policy a clause referring to casualties
from war on the high seas. Yet a small rise in
the funds here to-day, has for groundwork the
reported mission of Lord Cowley to Vienna, in the
faint hope that they may struggle successfuly
with Austrian obstinacy. Tortuous, evasive, and
full of promissory note's, but dogged and plodding,
all the efforts of diplomacy will fall like the
boy's sticks on the hide of that Jeru-
salem pony to which Homer compares Ajax.
In proof of this, to-day's Journal de Frankfort
brings two letters dictated from Vienna (February
19th and February 20th), in which Count. Buol
treads the old vicious circle in the same old jog-
trot. " What has a Paris Congress to meddle
with in Italy ? Does it mean to interfere with
certain provinces belonging to Austria ? No
power on earth has aught to say therein save the
reigning authority at Vienna. Do folks contem-
plate intruding on the internal Government of
Naples ? The King of the Two Sicilies has no
account to render to any foreign Crown. Is
there a design to sit in judgment on the Papal
administration ? The withdrawal of Austrian
troop as well as French, is one thing, but the
dictation of internal changes is a point on which
France and Austria can never be of one mind, so
there the matter must end."