The Sun.
London, England, 1860-07-02 00:00:00

THE DANUBE MENACING IT ALT.

The intelligence which reached us yesterday of
the violence offered to Baron Brenier, the French
Ambassador at Naples, by the Neapolitan mob,
is a matter of very grave concern to the friends of
Italy. There can be no doubt as to the true origin
and intention of that assault. It is the act of laz-
zaroni, hired by the Sanfedist party in Naples, for
the express purpose of bringing about French inter-
vention in the affairs of Naples. That Louis Napo-
leon is anxious for a respectable excuse to interfere

we have but too good reason to know-. French
statesmen have for some time been inclined to think
that the power of the Neapolitan mob is too danger-
ous to the party of order in Italy to render it safe to
abandon the Neapolitan Government to its fate.
Hitherto this predisposition for intervention on the
part of France has been kept in check by the atti-
tude of England and other causes. Will it be kept
in check any longer now ? By the machinations of
the despotic party the life of a French Ambassador
has been endangered, and the excuse so given for
interference for which the Emperor has been on the
watch. Other influences, we fear, will co-operate.
We say it with deep regret, but we have good rea-
son to think that the telegram which attributed to
tho Prince Regent of Prussia a very anti-liberal
speech respecting the present state of Italy repre-
sents correctly the general attitude of the Prussian
Government on that question. The influence exerted
by the Baden Conference over the affairs of Italy will
be anything but favourable. France will, we fear,
have learnt from it that no sympathy is felt by the
Executive power in Prussia for Italian unity and
independence, and will have been encouraged
thereby to assume once more the guidance of Italian
affairs with a view to French interests. That that
Conference is likely to check rather than stimulate
for the present any meddling with the German fron-
tier seems now generally admitted; and if, there-
fore, the great Napoleonic policy of extending
French influence in Europe is to be pursued withr
success, it must be pursued on the Italian side. W e
have often pointed out the motives which will
sway France in this direction. It is clear that a
united and powerful Italian kingdom on her
southern frontier, allied by constitutional sym-
pathies with the united and powerful British
kingdom on her north-west frontier, would tend
to diminish her present exceptional influence
in Europe. Besides, a powerful Italian king-
dom could not but divide with France the command
of the Mediterranean, which could never then be-
come a French lake. 111 short, if the Napoleonic
foreign policy for France is still the main idea in
the Emperor's mind, a united Italy will present
formidable obstacles to its realisation. And a united
Italy is now no dream ; it is, if not prevented by
foreign intervention, all but apolitical certainty. The
highest authorities in Naples inform us that after
the first engagement in Calabria Garibaldi would
have a triumphant march to Naples, that the Go-
vernment is already crumbling away, and that no
power remains to offer the show of effective resist-
ance. And the army of Lamoriciere would not, if
--A may trust all we hear, long survive the army of
The spirit of the Roman people is roused
,i `cily as the spirit of the Neapolitan
Garibaldi reaches Naples it
is added to the area
-nting Venetia,

Naples,
almost as eftee..
people, and when 0nt....
will not be long before Roil—
of the reclaimed kingdom. Exc..l
Italy and Sicily may soon be free and
under one crown. The enthusiasm for annexatio..
to Piedmont is, we believe, as deep and universal
one
would.have thought of Italian unity as anything