The Sun.
London, England, 1860-03-05 00:00:00

FRANCE AND ITALY;

M. de Thouvenel, the French Minister of Foreign
Affairs, has addressed the following despatches to
the French Ambassador at Turin and to the French
Ambakador at London :

" To BARON DE TALLETRAND, MINISTER OF
FRANCE AT TURIN.
"PARIS, FEB. 24.
" 'Monsieur le Baron,—l have the honour to send
you herewith copy of the despatch which I have
addressed to the Ambassador of the Emperor at
London, and in which, making known to him the
opinion of the Government of his Majesty on the
reply of the Vienna Cabinet to our last proposals,
1 point out to him the best line to be followed,
according to my idea, to relieve all responsibilities
without depriving any one of his legitimate freedom
of action, as also to get out of a situation which
would shortly become as dangerous as it is now
confused, if left to itself and to the chance of inci-
dents. The moment has, then, arrived for every
one to speak out, and I will now give you, without
any reserve, the views of the Emperor's Govern-
ment, so that the Turin Cabinet may form its own
judgment as to how far it may suit to conform
thercunto in presence of such serious—l may say,
such solemn conjunctures.
" The double object, which we have never lost
sight of, and which we ultimately wish .to attain,
with the concurrence of Sardinia, is this—so to
manage that, on the one hand, the results of the
war may not be compromised in Italy itself; on
the other hand, to obtain that they may, in a more
or less near future, be consolidated by the official
adhesion of Europe, or, in other words, to prevent
complications which would give up the Italian
Peninsull to anarchy, and to found a durable state
of things by placing it as soon as • possible under,
the protection of international law.

"The Cabinet of Turin can assist us in' the accom-
plishment of this task, and the success would pro-
bably be certain. It is also free to adopt a dif-
ferent line, but the gener.ll interests of France
would not allow the Government of the Emperor
to follow in it, and frankness compels us to say
so. It is these two systems, between which the
Government of his Sardinian Majesty has to choose,
that I am now going to consider with you.
" I am convinced, M. le Baron, that if the Turin
Cabinet shows itself resolved to consider and make
every one consider the organisation which a portion
of Italy is called upon to adopt as constituting the
origin of an historical period without a preliminary
term fixed for its duration in the conditions of order
and peace, the very nature of things will overcome
many obstacles. That this orgp nisat ion should have
such a character in the opinion of all men it is ne-
cessary that it should not contain the elements of
eventual and probable disorder, either within its
own self or in its external relations. The Govern-
. ment of the Emperor, for its part, is firmly con-
vinced that one and the save cause would produce
either effect, and that it would be unmistakeably
manifest from the day upon which it should under-
take a work out of proportion to its regular means
of influence and of action. If Sardinia extends her
territory too far the work of assimilation would
present obstacles which she ought not to overlook.
She would, in fact, find herself less powerful, and,
especially, less mistress of her resolutions ; she will
be dragged along, she will no longer direct, and the
impulsion which has made the strength and the
success of Piedmont in these latter years will no
longer emanate from Turin.

"It is not at a moment, M. le Baron ,when the
destinies of the Peninsula arc on the eve of a final
solution, that the Government of the Emperor
would hesitate to express itself with a frankness
which testifies, however, to the lively interest it
feels in a friendly and allied Court; let us, then,
frankly say that the sentiment which brought for-
ward in certain parts of Italy the idea of annexa-
tion, and which gave rise to the expression of that
wish, is rather a manifestation directed towards a
great Power than a well considered attraction to-
wards Sardinia. Such a sentiment, if not checked at

the onset: could not fail to fall into errors which it
would be the duty of the Turin Cabinet to oppose.
Could it do so for any length of time without being
violently reproached for denying and betraying
the cause for which it was alone aggran•
discd and armed? No one can say, and
what is likely is that it would be exposed to two
eventualities equally to be deplored—war and re-
volution.

" Taking cverything into consideration, M. le

Baron, with the firm intention of selecting .that
solution best suited to the pressing circumstances
of the moment and of a calmer future, it will be
admitted that it is high time to come to a settle-
ment that may be offered to Europe with some
chance of being accepted, and which would con-
serve to Sardinia the full exercise of the normal
influence which she has a right to hold in the
Peninsula.
" Such a combination, maturely considered by
the Government of the Emperor, is as follows
1. Complete annexation of the Duchies of
Parma and Modena to Sardinia.
" 2. Temporal admimistration of the Legations
of the Romagna, of Ferrara, and of Bologna,under
the form of a ricariat (lieutenancy) exercised by
his Sardinian Majesty, in the name of the Holy See.
" 3. Re-establishment of the Grand Duohy of
Tuscany in its political and territorial independ-
ence (a utonintie.)
" In this arrangement, the assimilation confined
to Lombardy and to the Duchies of Parma and
Modena would no longer be a work to which Sar-
dia would be bound to devote all her efforts exclu-
sively; the Turin Cabinet would preserve its liberty
of action and might exercise it in establishing
tranquillity in Italy, while organising in a com-
pact kingdom the territories added to the heredi-
tary possessions of King Victor Emmanuel. The
vicariut would be in harmonf:with the municipal