The Sun.
London, England, 1864-12-13 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

TIM Ea. —B y the merest accident in the world, a
vessel which had been the terror of Fe deral merchants
and shipowners was run down as she was lying
quietly off Norfolk, in the James River, and atter-
warde sunk from the effects of the collision. Her
name was the Florida, and our readers can scarcely
have forgotten that a casual misapprehension on the
part of a Federal captain, who mistook the neutral
harbour of Bahia for the high seas, was the cause
of her presence in Federal waters. Of course she
would have been restored, crew and all, to the
Brazilian Government, had this "fortuitous concur-
rence" not taken place ; but, as ill-luck would have
it, while she was coaling previous to being taken
up the river to Newport News, down came the
transport steamer Alliance, under heavy pressure of
steam, and caught her just on the bow. No time
was lost in setting the pumps to work, but the same
fatality pursued this doomed vessel, and the water
steadily gained. Desperate efforts were made to
save her by rigging out new pumps and baling
vigorously, and " a very strict watch was kept day
and night, as it was supposed that measures might
be taken by the rebels to attempt her destruction front
the shore." But alas! it was but labour lost. One
night, at half-past 12 o'clock, the acting master,
Mr. Biker, retired to bad, after satisfying himself
that there was no immediate danger of going down ;
but within an hour he was woke up by a report
from the engineer that " he could not keep the vessel
clear." According to the correspondent of the New
York World, it is not definitely known what caused
the water suddenly to pour into the Florida in so
much greater volume after midnight," but the
engineer fancied that " something had happened
to the sea-cocks of the engines," and others con-
jectured that "some portion of the bottom planks
had given way." Both of these suggestions seem
probable, but all that is known for certain is that
the untoward circumstance was entirely due to
chance, of which we cannot have a better proof
than the alacrity with which Captain Woodward, of
the ram Atlanta, came on board a to see what could
be done to keep her afloat." This officer nearly fell
a victim to his devotion on behalf of the Florida,
for he stood by her to the last, and had not
Admiral Porter, by some providential inspiration,
bethought himself of despatching a tug steamer to
the scene of action in the nick of time, Captain
Woodward and the prize crew would doubtless
have gone to the bottom. As it was, this crowning
misfortune was averted, and no sooner was every
one well out of her than " the Florida careened
over, and disappeared stern foremost." The only
consideration which qualifies the purely casual
nature of this occurrence is the fact that it had been
frequently predicted. Whether it were because
men are prone to forebode what they most dread, or
whether in some mysterious sense the coming event
cast its shadow before, it so happened that a very
general impression prevailed at New York that the
Florida would meet such a fate as we have described.
There was a certain discrepancy, indeed, between
the prophecies, for whereas some predicted that she
would founder as she did, others were of opinion
that she would perish by fire. Destiny willed that
the former lot should be hers, and also that the
fatal blow which stove in her side should be in.
flitted by a Government vessel. As to the effect
produced by the news on the Northern people, the
accounts aro rat her conflicting. The informant of
the New York World, after premising, rather super-
fluously, that " the cause of her sinking is consi-
dered undoubtedly to be the collision with the trans-
port steamer,'' expresses a conviction that " the
Government will call upon the owner of that vessel
for damages." He proceeds, as if by an undesigned
coincidence, to present another American view of
the matter ;—" There is a feeling of general satis-
faction among naval officers hero at the fate of the
Florida. It is considered much preferable to have
her disposed of here, and that indemnity be offered
to the Brazilian a overntnent, than suffer the humi-
hatian of taking her Jack and seeing her saluted
as she would enter the harbour of Rio Janeiro
in triumph with the rebel flag flying. This
would have been a most bitter pill to the Ame-
rican officers who would have to accompany her."
This is very frank, and gives significance to the
statement which reaches us from another quarter,
that " it is possible the Government had no come
plicity in the transaction.". A third authority,
writing for the information of one of our conterapee
caries, explains why it is impossible to entertain the

idea of any such complicity:--" Every one can see
that the enemies of the North will labour sedulously
to create the impression abroad that it is a Yankee
trick." However, their malice will be signally frus-
trated, for "Admiral Porter has ordered a full in.
vestigation of the affair, and if it shall be proved to
have been a deliberate act the perpetrators will
doubtless be punished as they deserve." Now let us
assume for a moment that the disappearance of the
notorious Florida was the result, not of accident,
but of design ; in fact, that it was the fulfilment of
a little plot arranged by Mr Barnum or some other
master of patriotic smartness. Upon this supposi.
tion what ought to be our feelings about it ? Per-
haps it betrays a want of sensitiveness in the con+
science, but the truth is that we are not disposed to
waste much indignation on the subject. Granted
that it was a Yankee trick of no very legitimate
kind to make specific performance of an interna-
tional duty impossible by destroying the property
in dispute, what are we to say of the proceedings to
which the Florida owed her existence ? If her cap-
ture was a lawless violation of neutrality, what was
her equipment; if underhand means were employed
to get rid of her, what sort of means were employed
to procure her ? Far be it from us to justify or pal+
liate one immoral act by another; but the question
here turns, not on the morality of those who con+
trived the accident, but on the claim of those who
suffered by it to our sympathy.
Quis tulcrit Gracchos de seditione quorontes?

Those who sacrifice means to ends in the prosecu-
tion of their own objects cannot be pitied when the
tables are turned on them by equally unscrupulous
opponents. The party whose rights have really been
outraged on our present supposition is the Brazilian
Government, and from this point of view the origi-
nal seizure of the Florida was a more lawless act
than her accidental submersion. What apology or
atonement Mr Seward will think it consistent with
his dignity to maker remains to be proved, but we
venture to anticipate that it will be ample and pros
fuse. It costs nothing to confess a fault—on the con.
trary, there is a sort of luxury in doing so—when the
blame of it can be thrown on a subordinate, and the
only reparation that would be disagreeable to make
has ceased to be possible. American pride will not
bo offended by volunteering the assurance that but
for this mishap the Florida would have been restored,
for between saying that in a given contingency one
would have submitted to humiliation and actually
submitting to it there is much the same difference as
between considering oneself horse whipped and being
horsewhipped in fact. We cannot suppose that the
ingenuity which has sufficed to play the game so
far will be unequal to the successful termination of
it ; indeed, we forsee but one serious difficulty to be
overcome. That difficulty is, how to avoid censur-
ing or punishing the Captain of Wachusetts, in case
Brazil should require it. It will obviously be easy
enough to reprimand the master of the transport
for his unseamanlike conduct, whereby the United
States have been compromised and their honour.
able intentions defeated. But the night attack
upon the Florida in the harbour of Bahia, and the
towing her out to sea under the guns of the Bra-
zilian forts, does not wear the aspect of an accident,
and the attempt to represent it in that light may,
perhaps, be met as Sancho Panza met the assertion
that ho had been himself tossed in the blanket by
fairy hands. More delicate handling wilbthere be
required. than was exhibited either in capturing
the Florida or in running her down, but to doubt
that it will be forthcoming at the right time would
be an insult to the American character.

HERALD.—The speech of General Cialdini, in the
Senate of Turin, applauded as it was by the cheers
of an unmistakeable majority, furnishes another
proof of the revolutionary policy which renders the
Italian Government dangerous to Europe. It was
a plain prediction of two wars to come—a war
almost imminent with Austria, and a war remotely
threatened with France. We are at a loss to
understand why the eulogiums of those who profess
to have at heart the peace of Europe and the pro.
gross of human civilisation should be lavished upon
declamation of this character. The question at
issue was, virtually, the choice between
Turin and Florence as the capital of the
new Italian kingdom. That, we imagined, had
been practically settled before General Cialdini rose
to present himself as an orator. The town which
contains some crumbling ruin supposed to have been
the prison of Ovid, which was suddenly swelled out
to suit the convenience of a new Royalty, which has
overpassed its old fortifications, and bulged upon
the country in square suburbs, could never be re-
garded as the permanent metropolis of such an
Italian realm as exists for the time, because it is out
of the way ; perilously situated ; supportedbeyiatbo.he
public establishments; unreal; the seat of an
rate Court without being the centre of a strictly
national population—a sort of Edinburgh, with a
hill and a river, but without the associations or tra-
ditions which could reconcile Italy to regard it as a
living substitute for Rome. Rome, we have con•
tinually said, is beyond the reach of the party of
action, so styled, and, if not, might be an affliction
to it rather than a boon. It is the ideal, the dream,
the hankering greed of a few visionary revolutionists
who forget that they have within their already cum.
brous territories an immense amount of work to
accomplish before Piedmont can he said to have
justified the actual lengthening of her sceptre by
foreign and insurrectionary alliance. So with
Venetia, although General Cialdini declares rheto-
riesl war against its Austrian garrisons with the
unction of a heedless patriot, who delights in being
a soldier while fancying himself a statesman. Flo-
rence, however, is at any rate worthy of the expo.
riment about to be tried. It is ancient, historical,
superb, and beloved by the Italian race. its epic
annals glance at once over the plains of Lombardy
and the mountains of Calabria; it deserves on every
account to be a capital, even as when Pope Boniface
VIII. exclaimed; " Earth, air, fire, water, and Flo-
rentines are to be found everywhere," and the arts
del cambia, or money trade, attracted to Florence all
the banking agents of Europe. The ruins and rem.
mints of that famous city are comparable with the
highest splendour of many erected in the modern
epochs, and we cannot wonder, therefore, that those
who desire for Italy no empty diadem, but solid and
rational progress, should bid her bestow her
thought, after the change from Turin to Florence,
upon the work of renovating "Danka'a fairest and
most renowned of the daughters of Rome," rather
than upon that of scheming against Venice and
troubling the Roman frontiers. To Florence, M.
cnza, the Tribune, gave the banner of Italy, " in
which Rome was represented between two other
females," as Pappencordt quaintly puts it, "desig-
nating Italy and the Christian faith." General
Cialdini refuses to accept this tradition. He regards
the new capital as a citadel whence assaults may be
directed against Austria and aggressions resisted
from France. This sort of oratory, as was history,-
according to Talleyrand, is a general conspiracy
against truth. The Italian general must have
known, when he appealed vaguely to the future,
traced maps of chimerical campaigns, and Imo■
claimed the coming annals of Italy to be a series of
tumults and battles—that he was merely endear•
vouring to keep alive a dangerous fire, kindled by
the irresponsible demagoguism of the most reckless
among his countrymen during the last twenty years.
Yet the cheers of the Senate, and the disguised ap-
proval of Victor Einsuanuel's Ministers, tempted
him, and ho rushed into a licence of inflammatory
bombast, suggesting the old saying, that " who
peppers highest is sure to please.' Certain classes
in Italy, of course, relish the taste of this unwise
adulation ; they forget duty and think of destiny,
as though the history of their beautiful peninsula
were written in an almanac; they neglect what is
due to themselves in the crazy passion of believing
that everything must be wrested from Austria, and
nothing loft to Rome. If this Italian people were
blessed with a conscientious and thoughtful friend,
of authority, in the Tribune, he would tell them
how difficult it is to establish upon a solid basis a
constitutional Government, how little the enthusi-
asm and excitement of agitated multitudes avail,
and how, if Italy aspires again to become the child
and heir of Jacobinism, her new independence will
rot away beneath the influence of principles which
have compassed more ruin than armies ever accom-
plished. With these views we naturally deprecate
both the recent speech of Gen. Cialdini at Turin,
and the acclamations with which it was welcomed.
Tho pretence of moderation assumed by the
valiant orator made the effect of his harangue all
the more mischievous. We hear him, reasonably
enough, championing the transfer of the capital
upon several grounds; but nothing would serve
him except dilating upon the immediate military
considerations which Justified the change. Italy,
thirty years since, he declared, had, and has now,
he suggested, a powerful enemy, with whom no
truce or transaction was possible and with whom
war was sooner or later inevitable. Is the Parlia-
ment of Turin, in time of peace, fulfilling its duty
to Europe by encouraging language of this charac-
ter? We say emphatically—Not. Austria, pro.
ceeded the general, wants another opportunity,
and Italy needs more aid. The Italians might
wisely and honourably abstain from menacing the
civilised world with a great disaster until they can
talk of fighting without begging for allies. Gen.
Cialdini estimates the alliance of his country with
France as useful, but transitory, because dependent
upon the existence of one man ; and suggests that
the posterity of Napoleon might descend from the
slopes of Savoy to conquer and annex the plains of
Italy. Then he broke out into extravagant com-
mentaries on the Apennines as a natural line of
defence, on Piedmont as an outwork of the Italian
kingdom, and on the Valley of the Po, with vision-
ary legions marching and countermarching on the
banks of the river; while proceeding to talk of
Florence, after speaking of French protectorates,
as a city whose defence should be entrusted to none

except Italian arms and Italian valour. We e°11:
fess ourselves puzzled by this patriotism. y 1 ,e ,
still less able to comprehend the polieY of declaim'
ing from Turin, at this crisis of European affsir,g_'
the necessity of urging a war from the gates of UT:
Tuscan metropolis to those of the Quadrilateral
Is Italy in need of no peace, repose, and recoverZ
from the exhaustion of her many struggles ? d
this a time to predict or plot new campaigna"t,
hold up a defiance in the face of Austria, necessita
ing the maintenance by that threatened Power of
enormous armaments, which might otherwise "
reduced, to the great advantage of Europe ?
scheme of Italy, in transferring its capital, be the_.:
of preparing for a violent disturbance in the bed"!
of Europe, a reckoning up of resources, in or elf
that Rome and Venetia may be set on fire, and °,l
misusing its independence in efforts to sacrifice all
that has been won by foreign aid—General Cialdi%
deserves few thanks from his country, no Prol'o
from the politicians of external Europe, end trion
confidence from the men whoa pplauded his scen—x,
and incendiary speech. We hear of " ill'ennergat
oratory. at Turin ; and it is safe to assume '
Cialdini's was a specimen of it.