The Sun.
London, England, 1862-10-24 00:00:00

II AL IA N UNITY.

A pamphlet of 143 pages has just appeared in
Paris against the Unity of Italy. It is from the pen
of the once formidable Proudhon, and it is amusing
to see with what delight the clerical journals wel-
come the co-operation of the once-dreaded enemy
of religion, family, property, and Government.
"'The brilliant qualities of the controversialist,"
observes the Gazette de France, " are again found
in every one of these bold pages. We think we
hear, while reading them, the trampling of the fiery
courser on the whole mass of annexionist or Uni-
tarian journal. Not an argument of the Piedmon-
tese or Mazzinian politician that is not left in
the shade or unanswered, and that does not find in
the pen of the vigorous athlete a victorious refuta-
tion in the name of right, good sense, and truth."
/ a France feels proud that tne policy it advocates
is also defended " with all the energy and all the
originality of this vigorous mind, in spite of the
difference in their political, philosophical, and
reli-
gious convictions. This brochure, which has f r
title, " La Federation et l'Unite en Italie," is in
great part the reproduction of the two letters which
Proudhon addressed some short time since to Maz-
zini and Garibaldi, augmented by a new commen-
tary on Italian affairs and a letter to the Belgian
press on Italian Unity. "I have never believed in
the Unity of Italy," ho begins, " and both on prin-
ciple as well as in a practical point of view I have
alwaysscouted it." In support of his opinion he cites
that of the late Montanelli—who, by the way, was,
strongly suspected of Muratist tendencies—of the
historian Ferrari, of General Ullos, and of Napo-
leon 1., who would not accept of united Italy for
himself, and who, while placing the Iron Crown on
his own brow, gave Tuscany and the other duchies
to his sisters Pauline and Eliza, and the Kingdom
of the Two Sicilies to Murat. He admits Mazzini is
against him, but Mazzini he dismisses somewhat
contemptuously. "He is anti-socialist ; Louis
Blanc and I know something about him, and be-
tween his Republicanism and the Monarchy there
could well be arrangements."

M. Proudhon oppoees Italian Unity for reraons
which interest France as well as Europe :
" I understand perfectly the persistence of England in
following up the formation of this unity, and I am far from
blaming her for it. I also understand why Belgians, Aus-
trians, and even Russians applaud this policy ; and I do not
blame them for it. Every people has the right to pursue
what best suits its own interests; and if France, the first
military power in Europe, the most favoured by position,
.4j.squiets her neighbours by the progress of her arms and
'the influence of her policy, why should I allege it as a crime
against them to try to weaken her and to encircle her with
iron ? What I do not understand is the attitude of the
French press, dominated by its Ultramontane sympathies.
It is manifest that the Constitution of Italy as one united
Power, with an army of 300,000 men, would weaken the
empire in every possible way. Politically—for the Amphi-
tryonic Council of Europe, hitherto composed of the repre-
sentatives of five Powers, would be augmented by a sixth,
whose vote would be against us. We are too near Italy;
we resemble her too much, we have rendered her services
too great for her to love us ; and in politics ingratitude is
the first of rights and the first of duties. Strategically—for
while Spain menaced us in the rear, England, Belgium,and
li olland in front, Germany, Austria, and Russia on the
flank, Italy would pull at our legs and run the bayonet into
our stomachs, the only part which we thought protected ;
and the coalition against France would count a member the
more.. Socially—for in regard to religion and ideas, our
influence would diminish, in the first place, in proportion to
the loss sustained by our military and political powers ; and
in the second place, we should lose all the advantage we
had by our title of first Catholic Power, protectors of the
Holy See, and this whether the Pope be despoiled of his
States, whether he rally to Victor Emmanuel, or whether
he quit Italy as an exile. Protestants and Anglicans
understand this well and rejoice at it. It is not for the
glory of a theological thesis that they combat the temporal
power and demand the evacuation of Rome by the French.
Doubtless the evil would be nothing if the said Protestants
and Anglicans renounced propagandism, if, in the civilised
universe, States agreed to suppress the budget of public
worship, abolish bishoprics, seminaries, consistories,
churches, temples. and synagogues ; but this is not the case.
Just as united Italy wishes to guard the Papacy, in the
same manner the dissenting churches aim at taking the place
of the orthodox Church; of religious bodies amounting to
130 or 150 millions of souls that would accrue to them. Now,
the Powers, having no mind to abolish worship, civilisation
among different peoples being very unequal, moral philoso-
phy known to the very smallest minority, the result of
Italian unity is quite clear for us—namely, that France
having lost the preponderance which her military power
secured for her. and the authority of
her faith without putting in its place the authority of ideas
—France would abdicate as a nation and come to an end."
M. Proudhon anticipates his being denounced not
only for combating Italian Unity, but also for
upholding the Papacy and being a partisan. of the
clericals. " Perhaps I am," he says :
" Mere words de not frighten me, I warn you. But what
I hold to be of the greatest importance is to reason justly
and to avoid being duped. It is one thing to labour, as I
do every day, by philosophy, political economy, and law, by
the Revolution, in a word, in the cause of social regenera-
tion, and another thing to seek out what should be at a
given moment, in a Conservative Government, the conduct
followed by a statesman. Policy is the art of directing the
forces of nations, and in the hypothesis which I discuss,
and in the opinion of all the Powers interested, religion is
ono of these forces. For the immense majority of mortals
religion is still the foundation of morality, the fortress of
consciences. Everybody admits this, and even Mezzini
and Garibaldi proclaim it. I affirm, then, that it would be
treason to the Chief of a State to abandon one of the forces
confided to him before steps were taken to substitute some-
thing else for it. He would resemble the general who, when
informed of the invention of the new muskets and rifled
cannon, should begin by breaking all his old flint muskets
without waiting to get new ones. Yes, lam by position a
Catholic ; a clerical if you will have it so, because France,
my country, has not ceased to be both ; and because the
English are Anglicans, the Prussians Protestants, the Swiss
Calvinists, the Americans Unitarians, the Russians
Greeks ; and because, while our missionaries go to seek
martyrdom in Cochin China, those of England go to sell
Bibles and other articles of commerce."
Further on he says :
" So much the worse for France, they say, if Italy eman-
cipated, united, becomes a source of trouble to her. The
Italians have the right to organise themselves as they please
in their own land, and Rome and Venice belong to them. So
much the worse for Franee. Very good—but France has
also the right to make conditions for her service. I go fur-
ther, and I say that, if the service rendered has obtained the
assent of Europe, and if the debtor be insolvent, Europe
becomes security for the debt and responsible for it. Now,
this Italy emancipated only yesterday is not strong enough
to protect herself out of her own resources. It is asked that
the French army should evacuate Rome to-day rather than
to-morrow. Agreed ; but it is well understood that if the
Austrians take a fancy to return, France will not prevent
them. Italia fare da se. It is little too much to expect
that after having created Italy, and armed her against our-
selves, we should also mount guard to defend her. I con-
sent that France shall ask nothing for the dead of Solterino
and Magenta; but how much are we to have for mounting
guard ? The Italians feel this so well that they anti, ipate
the answer. The nationality of one,' they say, was made
at the expense of that of the other; unity is paid for by
annexation. Let the Emperor of the French take posses-
sion of the left bank of the Rhine, from Bale to the sea ;
let France re-enter into her natural frontiers, we ourselves
will aid them. With this supplement cf 8,000,000 of souls
and 6,000 square leagues of territory she will have recovered
her balance.' Now, I should like to know what our Bel-
gian democrats think of this system of compensation, on
favourable to Gai ibaldian ideas. In the same manner I
have heard it proposed, now in the name of Italy, now in
the name of Poland, to deliver up to Austria, in exchange
for Venetia or Galicia, Servia and Montenegro, and, if need
be, Moldo-Wallachia. Who knows if such a contingency has
not formed part of the arrangements of Garibaldi ? Nothing
is so selfi,h as a nationality, nothing less scrupulous than
h
but
past against the insolence of the Vienna
and nationalities go to work, end
you Hill see many others of the same kind."
t partitions;
for the unitariansome
years passion. People have declaimed a great deal
let unity

THE COLLIERY ON FIRE AT WIGAN,--The effortg
which have hitherto been made to extinguish the fire in
week,Messrs.
Alercer and Evans's High Brook. Colliery, park-
lane, near Wigan, have been unsuccessful. At the end of
last
the covering of the downcast shaft, the one
nearest to the four-feet mine in which the accident occurred,
was blown up by an explosion of gas, and since then ex-
plosion has succeeded explosion with startling rapidity-641
Wednesday morning, for instance, no fewer than seven •
taking place. It has thus been impossible to keep an
tight covering on the downcast pit, but the boarding over
the upcast shah remained firm till Wednesday, when it was
scattered in all directions by a rush of more than atdinail
force. Another plan is now being tried to extinguish the
fire—a large quantity of steam being thrown into the down-
cast shaft, which has again been closed. This, it is ex-
pected, will pass through that portion of the workings where
the fire exists, and will drive before it the smoke through
the upcast pit. If a current of steam can thus be sent
through the pit, it is hoped, should no further explosions
v
ec.
take place, to subdue the fire in a short time, ch
and
further destruction of property. It is believed, however,io
that the fire has not reached the five-feet seam, which
very extensive, but is confined to the four-feet mine
which it originated, and to the yard coal, adjacent seara,