The Sun.
London, England, 1856-08-02 00:00:00

THE A1t14%, LONDON;

that, stepping beyond merely constitutional

freedom, would insure the desertion of our
Court and Aristocracy. M. MANILA knows that
while the English people would exult in defending
a Federal Italian Republic, our ruling caste,
with our German Prince at their head, would

rather fight agaicst it than for it. What Louis

- _
NAPOLEON and FRANCIS JOSEPH would do, and
or Court permit them to do, is MANIN'S fear.

We fear with him. We believe with MAzzINI
lat the Italians could nobly govern themselves

as a republic. The past has taught them the
danger and folly of domestic feuds, they want
but an opportunity of free expression of thought
and of free voting to prove themselves one of the
most powerful of nations. All that Americans can
do the far more cultivated Italians could do ;

and it may well be remembered, that, to them we

owe the civil law and the municipal institutions

of Europe. They are by nature a legislative and
a law-loving race, and no people under the sun
would better sustain the majesty of the law.

Still, however annoying to be dominated in their

'orm of Government from without, we fear there

is little hope but in submitting to circumstances,

We fool the force of MAzzmrs friendly re-

monstrauces with MANIN, which appeared
in Friday's Sun, and yet, cursed as the Con-
tinent is with despots who can scarcely
endure the Sardinian Constitutional Government
itself—who could hardly be kept in their own ter-
ritories, if more of Italy made even that approach
towards liberty, is it not hopeless to expect that
neir madness could be restrained if the
country acquired complete Freedom ? Would
England—we mean England's masters—declare
themselves determined at any cost to allow no
more interventions in Italy or elsewhere we should
not despair ; but Mazzo.' should know that our
Royal Matrimonial policy has sold the foreign
policy of this country to the despots of Germany.
On the dagger question MAZZINI gives utter-
ance to noble sentiments. While neither he nor
any sane man would plead for assassination, yet
the prevalence of it, much exaggerated by the
sentimental friends of tyrants, is due to their own
tyranny. The assassin is not the only coward,
nor always a coward at all. The brutal foreign
despots and soldiers who oppress him are the real
cowards. What courage do they show ? That
of disarming others, arming themselves, and then
goading the disarmed to resistance. There exists
not on earth a more bullying, degraded, beaten,
and thoroughly coward soldiery than that
of Austria ; the white uniform and the white
feather are now for ever associated. Beaten by
NAPOLEON 1., beaten by Hungarians, beaten, for
they dared not attack them, by Russians in the
Principalities,—against such armed cowards and
bullies assassination is not cowardice. We can-
not in every case tell even that it is wrong. The
assassin may be the vindicator of his wife's or
daughter's honour, or may even, like the destroyers
of Domitian, have found that his own name was
on the proscribed list. Lord CLARENDON him-
self declared the State of Naples, and the remark
applies to all Italy, exceptional. Is it t• be won-
dered at that the exceptional state of " dagger
vengeance" should exist there also ? " GOD
forbid," as Mr. MONCKTON MILNES told Mr.
DISRAELI ; " that where no man may speak or
publish his opinions, that there should not be
secret associations." Let not tyrants enjoy both
their accursed tyranny and immunity from fear
also. As we have said, we do not for a moment
plead for assassination, but we do not think it
more cowardly or more guilty than despotism.
Endeed the latter has the greater guilt of ibeing
he tempter.