The Sun.
London, England, 1860-11-03 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENI

ITALIAN POLICY OF GREAT
BRITAIN.

The following despatch has been addressed to
our Minister at Turin :
FOREIGN-OFFICE, OCT. 27,
appears that the late proceedings of the
King of Sardinia have been strongly disapproved
of by several of the principal Courts of Europe.
The Emperor of the French, on hearing of the
invasion of the Papal States by the army of Gene-
ral Cialdini, withdrew his Minister from Turin,
expressing at the same time the opinion of the Im-
perial Government in condemnation of the invasion
of the Roman territory. The Emperor of Russia
has, we are told, declared in strong terms his indig-
nation at the entrance of the army of the King of
Sardinia into the Neapolitan territory, and has
withdrawn his entire mission from Turin. The
Prince Regent of Prussia has also thought it neces-
sary to convey to Sardinia a sense of his displeasure,
but he has not thought it necessary to remove the
Prussian Minister from Turin.
After these diplomatic acts it would scarcely be
just to Italy, or respectful to the other Great
Powers of Europe, were the Government of her
Majesty any longer to withhold the expression of
their opinion.
In so doing, however, her Majesty's Government
have no intention to raise a dispute upon the rea-
sons which have been given in the name of the
King of Sardinia for the invasion of the Roman
and Neapolitan States. 'Whether or no the Pope
was justified in defending his authority by means
of foreign levies ; whether the King of the Two
Sicilies, while still maintaining his flag at Capua
and Gaeta, can be said to have abdicated, are not the
arguments upon which her Majesty's Government
propose to dilate.
The large questions which appear to them to be
at issue are these :—Were the people of Italy jus-
tified in asking the assistance of the King of Sar-
dinia to relieve them from governments with which
they were discontented ?—and was the King of
Sardinia justified in furnishing the assistance of his
arms to the people of the Roman and Neapolitan
States ? There appear to have been two motives
which have induced the people of the Roman and
Neapolitan States to join willingly in the subver-
sion of their governments. The first of these was
that the Governments of the Pope and the King of
the Two Sicilies provided so ill for the administra-
tion of justice, the protection of personal liberty,
and the general welfare of their people, that their
subjects looked forward to the overthrow of their
rulers as a necessary preliminary to all improve-
ment in their condition.
The second motive was, that a conviction had
spread since the year 1849 that the only manner in
which Italians could secure their independence of
foreign control was by forming one strong govern-
ment for the whole of Italy. The struggle of
Charles Albert, in 1848, and the sympathy which
the present King of Sardinia has shown for the
Italian cause, have naturally caused the association
of the name of Victor Emmanuel with the single
authority under which the Italians aspire to live.
Looking at the question in this view, her Ma-
jesty's Government must admit that the Italians
themselves are the best judges of their own
interests.
That eminent jurist Vattel, when discussing the
lawfulness of the assistance given by the United
Provinces to the Prince of Orange when he invaded
England and overturned the throne of James 11.,
says, " The authority of the Prince of Orange had
doubtless an influence on the deliberations of the
States General, but it did not lead them to the
commission of an act of injustice, for when a
people for good reasons take up arms against an
oppressor, it is but an act of justice and generosity
to assist brave men in the defence of their liberties."
Therefore, according to Vattel, the question re-
solves itself into this—Did the people of Naples
and of the Roman States take up arms against
their governments for good reasons ?
Upon this grave matter her Majesty's Govern-
ment hold that the people in question are them-
selves the best judges of their own affairs. Her
Majesty's Government do not feel justified in de-
claring that the people of Southern Italy bad not
good reasons for throwing off their allegiance to
their former governments; her Majesty's Govern-
ment cannot, therefore, pretend to blame the King
of Sardinia for assisting them. There remains,
however, a question of fact. It is asserted by the
partisans of the fallen governments that the people
of the Roman States were attached to the Pope,
and the people of the kingdom of Naples to the
dynasty of Francis 11., but that Sardinian agents
and foreign adventurers have by force and intrigue
subverted the thrones of those sovereigns.
It is difficult, however, to believe, after the
astonishing events which we have seen, that the
Pope and the King of the Two Sicilies possessed
the love of their people. How was it, one must
ask, that the Pope found it impossible to levy a
Roman army, and that he was forced to rely almost
enitrely upon foreign mercenaries ? How did it
happen, again, that Garibaldi conquered nearly all
Sicily with 2,000 men, and marched from Reggio
to Naples with 5,000 ? How but from the univer-
sal disaffection of the people of the Two Sicilies ?
Neither can it be said that this testimony of the
popular will was capricious or causeless. Forty
years ago the Neapolitan people made an attempt
regularly and temperately to reform their Govern-
ment under the reigning dynasty. The powers
of Europe, assembled at Laybach, resolved, with
the exception of England, to put down this
attempt by force. It was put down, and a large
foreign army was left in the Two Sicilies to main-
tain social order. In 1848 the Neapolitan people
again attempted to secure liberty under the
Bourbon dynasty; but their best patriots atoned
by an imprisonment of ten years for the
offence of endeavouring to free their country ; what
wonder, then, that in 1860 the Neapolitans, mis-
trustful and resentful, should throw off the Bour-
bons, as in 1688 England had thrown off the
Stuarts ? It must be admitted undoubtedly that the
severance of the ties which bind together a Sove-
reign and his subjects is in itself a misfortune.
Notions of allegiance become confused, the succes-
sion of the throne is disputed, adverse parties
threaten the peace of society ; rights and preten-
sions are opposed to each other, and mar the har-
mony of the State. Yet it must be acknowledged,
on the other hand, that the Italian revolution has
been conducted with singular temper and forbear-
ance. The subversion of existing power has not
been followed, as is too often the case, by an out-
break of popular vengeance. The extreme -views
of democrats have nowhere prevailed. Public
opinion has checked the excesses of the public
triumph. The venerated forms of constitutional
monarchy have been associated with the name of a
prince who represents an ancient and glorious
dynasty.
Such having been the causes and the concomi-
tant circumstances of the revolution of Italy, her
Majesty's Government can see no sufficient ground
for the severe censure with which Austria, France,
Prussia, and Russia have visited the acts of the
King of Sardinia. Her Majesty's Government will
turn their eyes rather to the gratifying prospect of
a people building up the edifice of their liberties,
and consolidating the work of their independence
amid the sympathies and good wishes of Europe.
—I have, &c., (Signed) J. RUSSELL.
P.S.—You are at liberty to give a copy of this
despatch to Count Cavour.
To Sir James Hudson, &.o.

ACCIDENT ON THE SHREWSBURY AND HEREFORD
RAILWAY.—An accident occurred on Tuesday night, at
Bromfield station, near Ludlow, on the Shrewsbury and
Hereford (single) line of railway, a place but a few miles
distant from the recent scene of the collision which took
place a faw weeks ago. It appears that the passenger train
leaving Hereford at 10.50, and duo in Shrewsbury at 7.25,
proceeded safely on its way to Ludlow. As night set in a
dense fog arose, and on that account it is presumed that the
passenger train ran on and came in contact with a number
of trucks inadvertently left on the line, and severe injury
was inflicted upon some of the travellers, and much damage
to the property. Five or six people were badly hurt, and
are now receiving care at inns in Shrewsbury and elsewhere.
We believe the harm done to persons was mostly confined to
bruises of the legs, hands, and arms, and may be regarded as
of a minor character. Singularly enough, William Harley
Bayley, Esq., barrister, and a director of the company, who
had his eye bruised and blackened in the last collision, was in
the passenger train on this occasion, but escaped unhurt.

SURRENDER OF CAPITA.
NAPLES, Nov. 2.

Capua has capitulated. Military honours have
been granted to the garrison, who to the number of
8,000 men have been disarmed and sent to Naples,
where they will embark.
Naples is illuminated, and there are great re-
joicings.

PARIS, Nov. 2.

It is true that the French Government gave orders
to Rear-Admiral de Tinan to prevent the attack on
Gaeta by sea, and it is also trne that the rear-
admiral was not under the necessity of communicat-
ing these orders to the Sardinian admiral, as the
attack had not been attempted.

A telegraphic despatch states that the official
journal of Rome, in its number of yesterday, recti-
tifies in its essential parts the despatch attributed
to the Duke de Gramont by Lamoriciere. It was
on the energetic demand of the duke, in a despatch
addressed to Cardinal Antonelli, that this rectifica-
tion took place. The terms of the protest of the
French Ambassador are those of dignity and good
faith, and evince a just indignation. They will be
known here to-morrow.

THE IRISH BRIGADE.

QUEENSTOWN, SATURDAY.

The steamer Dee, from Havre, with the Irish
Brigade on board, arrived here this morning.
Their reception was of the most enthusiastic kind.

AUSTRALIA.

PLYMOUTH, SATURDAY MORNING,

The Swiftsure, Captain Pryce, from Melbourne,
with 76,000 ounces of gold, which landed 20 pas-
sengers at Penzance on Thursday, experienced
strong easterly winds, and put into the Sound
this morning. She has 140 passengers, many of
whom will land and proceed to London by express
train.