The Sun.
London, England, 1860-03-07 00:00:00

FRANCE AND SARDINIA.

The following is the note from Count Cavour,
addressed to M. de Nigra, at Paris, dated February
29, in reply to the despatch of M. Thouvenal to
Baron Talleyrand :
" Monsieur Le Chevalier,—Baron Talleyrand
came yesterday to read to me a despatch which his
Excellency the Minister of Foreign Affairs of his
Majesty the Emperor of the French has trans-
mitted to him, with the copy of an official paper
which he has addressed to Count Persigny, point-
ing out the manner which he judges necessary to
issue from a situation all the more dangerous the
more confused it becomes. _ _

" In the despateh which Baron Talleyrand has
read to me, M./de Thouvenel justly thinks that the
moment has arrived for every one to explain him-
self clearly ; for him to explain without reserve the
thought of the French Government in order that
the Cabit of Turin may judge for itself of the mea-
sures by which it would be most suitable to regu-
lete its own conduct.
" Noi io endanger the results of the war, and to
act that they should be recognised by Europe, by
placing them under the sanction of international
law—such is the double object which M. Thouvenrl
assigns to the policy of France in Italy. He en-
gages the Turin Cabinet to associate itself to the
measures by which he proposes to attain this double
end, at the same time leaving us free to follow,
without the co-operation of France, a different line
of conduct.
" Regarding the present situation as the turn-
ing point of a historical period, without any
term previously marked for its duration,
M. de Thouvenel believes that, above all,
it is necessary to eliminate the elements
of perturbation which, at home as well as abroad,
might impede the regular:aud pacific development
of the order of things prevailing in Italy. A too
great extension of the territory of Sardinia, which
would impose on her the task of a too laborious as-
similation, appears to M. de Thouvenel the most
dangerous of these elements of perturbation. Ac-
cording to M. de Thouvenel, Sardinia, if excessively
aggrandised, would be led away by the unrefiect-
ing ardour of its new populations, could no longer
direct her policy, and her centre of action would be
displaced. M. de Thouvenel thinks that it is
hatred to Austria which has brought towards Sar-
dinia the populations of Central Italy; and he con-
sequently believes that the annexation of all these
provinces would place the King's Government in
the necessity of chosing between war and revolu-
tion.

" Influenced by these considerations the French
Government proposes :
" 1. To accomplish immediately the annexation
of the Duchies of Parma and Modena.

" 2. To give to Sardinia the temporal administra-
tion of the Romagn as, under the form of a Vicariat,
which, according to M. Thouvenel, Mould give
satisfaction to the Catholic and municipal feeling of
the population, at the same time respecting the
high sovereignty of the Holy See.
"To re-establish the Autonomy of Tuscany, the
population of which (such at least is the opinion of
M. de Thouvenel) by no means shares the desire of
absorbing in a more extended kingdom its noble
and glorious traditional individuality.
" After having explained this combination, M. de
Thouvenel adds, that France would engage to sup-
port it in a congress or in a conference; that she
would prevent all foreign intervention of a nature
to place obstacles to the execution of this plan, in
order that Sardinia, on adhering to these proposi-
tions, should have France behind her and with her.
" In the contrary hypothesis, the French Govern-
ment would take its own interest as the only guide
as regards its ulterior resolutions ; it would reas-
sume the independence of its policy in order to dis-
engage its responsibility, and place itself out of the
reach of all complication.
" Reserving myself to treat in another despatch
the arguments which have _reference to Central
Italy, I lose no time in making you acquainted,
M. le Chevalier, with the answer which his Ma-
jesty's Government deems it its duty to return to
these propositions, which it has been the subject of
serious examination and conscientious discussion.
Emanating from a Government which has so many
claims on the gratitude of Sardinia, and the bene-
volent solicitude of which for the condition of Italy
cannot be called in qu( stion, the King's Govern-
ment was naturally dispose' to receive these obser-
vations in the most favourable manner.

" In spite of that disposition, the Cabinet (whose
President I have the honour to be) has come to the
conviction that their realisation would encounter
serious difficulties, which it is beyond the power of
the King's Government to overcome ; and this, in
consequence of the following considerations, the
force of which, I hope, M. Thouvenel will appre-
ciate.

" I do riot mean to go deeply into the discussion
of the propositions which have been communicated
to me. Whatever objections they may present, and
some of which I shall point out hereafter, it is cer-
tain that they contain a solution much more advan-
tageous for Italy than that which we were per-
mitted to hope for the day after the peace of Villa-
franca.

" The complete destruction of Austrian influence
on the right bank of the Po, the exclusion of every
thought of restoration, and, finally, a lay and liberal
government secured to the Romagnas, are immense
benefits, the importance of which we cannot refuse
to admit. It is, therefore, possible that if this solu-
tion had been proposed in the month of August it
would have been accepted, if not with enthusiasm,
at least without repugnance, by Central Italy.

" That, however; cannot be the case at present.
Sardinia may still, out of deference towards France,
accept it, in as far as she herself is concerned, in
order to put an end to a precarious state of things,
replete with danger and opposed to her interests ;
but it is not doubtful that these propositions would
meet in Tuscany and in the Romagna the most
serious difficulties, which the King's Government
cannot hope to overcome.
"The populations of these countries have been
administered for more than eight months by a na-
tional Government, which has known how to re-
concile the most ardent patriotism with a remark-
able spirit of moderation and prudence. That
conduct, to which M. de Thouvenel is pleased to
render justice in his despatch to the Marquis de
Moustier, has won for the populations of Central
Italy the praise of the whole of Europe. The result
is that the feeling as to the rights of disposing of
their own condition is strongly developed among
them. It is strengthened by the assurances formally
repeated by the Government of the Emperor, that
it should never be permitted that any particular
form of government should be imposed upon them
by force ; it has acquired an irresistible vigour since
the publicity given to the four English prepositions,
the first two of which
and
establsh
werei inaca pcepetreedmpbytory Franceinan
without reserve,-
ner the principle of non-intervention.
" With such a state of things before us, Sardinia
must limit herself to transmitting to the Govern-
ments of Central Italy the propositions of France,
without letting them remain in ignorance of any of
the motives which have led the Government of the
Emperor, after mature reflection, to consider them as
the solution most proper to secure the maintenance
of peace by reconciling the interests of Italy with
the exigencies of Europe. It is hardly probable that
these Governments the issue of popular suffrage,
should take on them the responsibitity of a resolu-
tion so grave, and which pronounces ou the destiny
oF these populations.
" They persist, naturally, as they have been en-
gaged to do by the fourth proposition, in consulting
the naiion, so as to obtain a manifesttation of its
wishes as complete and as unmistakable as possi-
ble. For that purpose they will, perhaps, adopt
the means of universel and direct suffrage, as the
one of which the result may be the least contested.
"The communication of which I have just spoken
will be made this very day either to M. Fariei or