The Sun.
London, England, 1848-05-20 00:00:00

ITALY.

ROME.

The
Contemporaneo of the 9th instant contains the
following article on the disinclination shown by the
Pon to declare war agairst Austria, in accordance
With the wishes of the Roman people :
" In a letter addressed to the Contemporaneo of the
9th instant, the Rev. and Learned Canon CAREEZI
has discussed the question, IV/tether the Pon
tifical Government can and ought to declare war It
and he proved by striking and positive reasons, that
the Pontifical Government, as a civil government re-
presenting a society of men in a given territory,
bound to other people by relations, by interests, and
by territory—by all the conditions, finally, which
guarantee the existence of nations—has, by its posi-
tion with respect to them the rights of nations, has
causes for war, is bound to support its rights, has a
Sword, because it possesses a crown, has enemies in
those who disturb the harmless progress of its society,
and by a rather protracted discussion on these bases
attacking all the vulnerable sides of the question,
and victoriously replying to all the contrary argu-
ments, avowed in conclusion, that the Pontifical Go-
vernment, although a compact of two elements,
ecclesiastical and temporal, can and ought to follow the
customs, the laws, and the principles of other socie-
ties, lie, however, confined the question to the
prince, considered in him concentrated all the Go-
vernment, and overlooking the other parts which
Compose the state, gave to him alone the right
to make war. We say, to make war, because
the right to declare it, as it is sanctioned
in our modern constitutions, is one of the
different attributes of modern Governments,
which, as
a means of transaction between absolutism
and liberty, has been left with the prince, without
flying him, however, the absolute power to make it,
n these times there is no prince, in any constitu
f
onal kingdom of Europe, who makes war, since,
although it is the prince that declares war, it is the
nation which demands it when its interests are injured,
because
a principle is perfectly consistent with justice,
providestoe blood of
fice_ll3,e it is the nation, and not the prince, that sacri-
fices
the its children—it is the nation which
the marvellous
supplies to carry it on. One amongst
the Conquests of modern civilisation over
a old barbarians is undoubtedly the impossibility of
again Ir.
-"Kate. the most unjust, capricious, arbitrary,
on-inaatie wars, always fatal to national intersts, and
Y Made by ambitious and revengeful princes.
I.lf such a prince appeared in our times, either the
those rights which modern civilisation allows to the
people, and then he would find neither men nor
tneney to satisfy his caprices, or he reigns over na-
tions not yet free, and he would find no allies, with-
out
Whom an European war is now almost impossible.
Consequently a war without the consent of the nation
!II now almost impossible. But, in the same manner
in which by the coercion of civilisation princes have
been stripped of the power of making war without the
Consent of their people, they have likewise been deprived
oft the Power of refusing to make it when it is demanded
by the people, not with the view of conquering what
does not belong to them, but of defending their own
1,-a forming
ghts• It is in this case that war ought to be con-
;ered as just and defensive, and not as offensive;
an essential part of the right of nations,
of that right which barbarism and tyranny trampled
upon in times bygone, that right which the nations
have lately ree conquered. The thing being looked
at in this point of view, and on the application of the
general rule to our own case, the question becomes
extremely simple. Thus, instead of saying whether
the Pontifical Government ought or ought not to
declare war, we shall say, ought tthreinp? aeopinedof Italy,eho
the
Princesnot, to mbe akein the waron
affi Arma
tive, the Italian
edecisioilnl
no
lon
ger have any reason to refuse
declaringwwar, unless they are prepared and willing
to
enter into a struggle with their people, which
would be tantamount to becoming allies with Austria
against Italy. Of the dire consequences and the
irreparable blunders of such a monstrous alliance
the Dukedoms of Parma and Modena have already
had sufficient proofs. Both the Sovereign Princes
of those two States were hurled from their thrones
by the will of their people, and could find no Italian
Prince to raise a voice in their behalf, although
bound to them by ancient treaties, and by the ties of
consanguinity and friendship. On the contrary, the
new Governments of those States were immediately
recognised as legal by several from amongst our
Princes, and thus sanctioning the fail accompli of
the se people, publicly avowed their fault to be of
such a magnitude as to deserve the loss of a throne.
The existence of the various human societies of the
earth, which are called nations, is supported by two
Conditions; the former of conventions and transitory,
and this is formed by treaties ; the latter, eternal,
Unchangeable, and this springs out of the nationalities
belonging to every part of the great family. Treaties,
however, can never bind the people, when they de-
stroy their nationality, because it is supposed they
are imposed by deceit and violence, and because a
nation never gives up the right to emancipate itself
from a foreign slavery, as every man possesses
the right to enjoy his own individual liberty, on the
Same principle that a family possesses the right of
Property., and that every citizen has the right to look
after his own business. If the right to become
independent is denied to nations, all the other rights
Which belong to the individual, to the family, to so-
ciety, must all be denied, and man would be doomed
to the savage state.
"The dominion of a foreigner upon a nation is al-
Waysl an usurpation, contrary to all human and
Divine law, is merely the right of the stronger, is
shake
oppression of the weak, and when the people
t Ike off this ignominious yoke, they do a meri-
torious and virtuous work before man and GOD ; be-
...2:llnan, because they raise from slavery and abject-
ness the dignity of human nature, and revenge the
greatest crime which can be committed upon earth,
before GOD, because they glorify his benevolent
Work, which manifested itself by imparting, to some
Parts of the human family, climates, customs, lan-
guages, of a nature to facilitate to them the power
of constituting themselves into society, and thus to
place in a common stock their energies and talents,
1,,t1 order to develop those gifts which they received
from the CREATOR.
~" The expulsion of the Moors from Spain, of the
nosh from Sicily, of the British from France, of
Alahometans from Greece, are exploits which do
4:now. to human history, and none ever dared to in-
ke existing treaties to condemn them; and if it
bc'
tLaPPened, that from among those people who expelled
:7 foreigners, any one had been recorded who
by indifference in the holy struggle supported
°:' their brethren, he was doomed to eternal in-
tome' he Was stigmatised as a renegade, unworthy
t, belong to the heroic victorious nation.
40-- That the Austrian dominion in Italy is like all
gut:ininns, either ancient or modern, of the con-
querors over the conquered, none will presume to
Nttiot• That Italy was created by GOD to be af
our Worthy of its independence the fiercest o
lb_ enemies would not dare to deny : how is it
vi,v,l that some perverse and rabid portefeuille makers
deiniterefia, her the right to reconquer her indepen-
,ar end her nationality? And if the interests of one
of 4 nation are, by logical consequence, the com-
mon ieterest
s of all the other parts, if the oppression of
it tf,. one
of the Italian States, brought with
if direct or indirect oppression of all the others,
lllfierce and o brutal force encroached on all their
cora:tents, destroyed all their liberty, ruined their
rn'roe, their industry, and always by dividing,
renderedall other
them so weak as to be the slaves of
the nations ; why is the war declared by one of
no parts Of this society which calls itself Italy
tto be looked • lwar?
its it r upon as a national And
sally
to tn.., .is a national war, should its Princes refuse
People4ge ? and were they to refuse, are their
_in duty bound to obey them ?
in
thWhatever the private opinion of an Italian Prince
()nil is great national question may be, it would now
3: represent an individual opinion, and inasmuch
asenthe Government of every Italian State is not re-
anted by the Prince alone, he must consequently
consequences
to the will of his people, without any tear of
Re4equenees either before Gon or before man.
nianvyould must undoubtedly incur the reprobation of
:i nd if its had only in view his own aggrandiz.!-
Pup
is,ana the usurpation of other States. Gon would
him were the war unjust; but the war which
Impla
Isnea against Austria is a defensive war, is a