The Sun.
London, England, 1860-03-08 00:00:00

right have only voted under the pressure of the ter-
rorism to which the dothinant party has had re-
course. How could the dethroned Sovereigns have
been ePabled to make their voices heard in the pre
sence of so violent a state of things ? Would not
the reception which the chiefs of the movement
would have undoubtedly given to their moderate
maultestations have struck an irreparable blow at
their dignity, and uselessly compromised their
future?
" Whatever reforms the Sovereign of the States
of the Church had the intention of introducing into
his country, would it have been expedient to intro-
duce them at a moment when a factious assembly
was pronouncing his downfall ?
"Lastly, as to Villafranca, the generous intentions
manifested on this head at Viillfranea by the Em-
peror, our august master. still remain in their in-
tegrity, under the guarantee, let it be well under-
stood, of his independence and autonomy from all
foreign influence. If these intentions have not been
cle facto realised, whose fault is it ? Is it not well
known to every one that the Peace of Villafranca
has been to the revolutionary party a signal for re.
doubling an activity of which Venice was at once
the object and the victim.
" Did not the committees formed for this purpose
under the segis of Sardinia make unheard of efforts
to induce the Venetian provinces to rise? We ap-
peal in this respect to the testimony of the loyal
and valorous French army, under whose eyes these
manoeuvres took place, and which, we are con-
vinced, shared the feeling of indignation which this
subterranean war, continued under the shade of
a peace which had just been signed, excised among
us. The emissaries of disorder scoured Venetia in
all directions, everywhere lighting up the fire of
discord. They have succeeded so well that the Go-
Vernment has perceived the imperious necessity of
efficaciously protecting, as it had a right to do,
peaceful citizens by measures of severity against
the unreconcilable enemies of public peace. Would
the Imperial Government have acted wisely had it
selected such a moment for executing the intentions
to which M. Thouvenel alludes ? Recapitulating
the series of efforts which the French Government
has made in the interest of the Restoration, the
Minister speaks of the missions intrusted to Count
de Reiset and Prince Poniatowski ; and which, ac-
cording to M. Thouvenel, only failed from the op-
position of the populations.
" But, may we not, without fear of deceiving our-
selves, ascribe also this check in great part to the
assurances which other organs of the French Go•
vernment have given since the peace of Villafranca
and from which the dominating party has derived
the conviction that the employment of force was
excluded from the means to be adopted to bring
about a restoration P Completely tranquillised by
this premise, the rulers had in appearance an inte-
rest in remaining deaf to the intimations favourable
to the restoration which reached' them, and of em-
ploying without any scruple all the means of which
existing authority always disposes to prevent the
veritable opinion of the majority from prevailing.
" However this may be, France did not stop there.
She called for the meeting of a congress, in the hope
of triumphing, with the co-operation of Europe,
over the resistance which her isolated plans had
encountered.

" As this hope was also ours, we consented to
take part in the Congress, after having acquired the
certainty that the French plenipotentiaries would
act with those of Austria in a spirit of compleft ac-
cord, in order to cause to be respected the sovereign
right reserved by the Treaty of Zurich and to op-
pose annexationist tendencies.
" Things were in that state, when an unexpected
event sensibly modified the situation. To favour
plans of which the object was to encroach on the
territorial integrity of the States of the Church,
would have been to alter the bases of the under-
standing so happily established between ourselves
and France; for the maintenance of that integrity
had previously been considered in the negotiations
between the two Cabinets as a question beyond the
pale of discussion, and Art. 20 of the Treaty of
Zurich considered it in the same point of view.
" While people in all parts were asking them-
selves what success the meeting of a Congress under
the influence of such an important change in cir-
cumstances could obtain, France herself took the
decision of adjourning it to an indefinite period.
" The French Government has expressed regret
at the objections which were raised against the
meeting of the plenipotentiaries at the very moment
at which they were about to assemble. We believe
that we have proved that the obstacles which have
arisen at all phases of the affair were not caused
by us.
" In his account of the situation, M. Thouvenel
examines the question whether the restoration can
be brought about by the armed intervention of
Austria or of France, and he comes to the conclu-
sion that such a restoration is morally impossible
by either.
" It is important for us to distinguish here be-
tween the question of principle and the question of
opportuneness. Political motives of different kinds,
of which, for our part, we understand the value,
counsel the two nations to abstain from armed in-
tervention in Central Italy. We are anxious on
the other hand to establish that the application of
the principle invoked by France is subject to many
variations which depend on the nature of circum-
stances. It is certain that Sardinia has exercised
on behalf of the insurrection of Central Italy an
intervention, without which that insurrection would
not have been consolidated. The French Govern-
ment, though it sees in the principle of non-inter-
vention au international rule of great authority,
confesses itself that the rule is not without excep-
tion, and that it intervened on its part in Italy be-
cause it ceded to imperative circumstances, and
that its interests necessarily imposed on it the ob-
ligation of doing so ?
" M. Thouvenel, after having excluded from all
arrangements the application of external violence,
asks if everything ought to be abandoned to chance
at the risk of seeing revolutionary ideas take vio-
-1 lently the place of the monarchical ideas which
have hitherto characterised the Italian movement.

"In reply to this question, we can only express
our sincere desire to see a prompt solution of the
Italian complications, which shall be in accord with
the general interest, and shall consequently
the y afford
a pledge of duration and stability.
_eer of Great
W
ar-
rangement proposed by the G
havingßritain
speorsioseussslysurcehfleac
reflected,
thatac
terlive Wnment
doubtre avow
it. after
" We do not disguise from ourselves that the pro-
longation of the state of uncertainty which afflicts
Central Italy may definitively bring about the over-
flow of demagogic spirit which M. Thouvenel ap-
pears to fear. But it is also impossible for us not to
tear that a solution which would comprise the
triumph of the principles which the demagogic
party is accustomed to invoke would, far from
from conjuring those dangers, he rather calculated
to augment them.
Nothing is farther from our thoughts than to
consider the important question which occupies us
in the point of view of a conflict for influence be-
tween Austria and France. If, as M. Thouvenel re-
marks, it be desired to constitute in Italy an inter-
mediary power between the two States, we are
ready, and re have given the proof that we are so,
to contribute to that result ; but we should con-
tinue to entertain the conviction that the pro-
gramme of Vilafranca afforded the means of obtain-
ing it practically, and without danger
for the poli-
tical equilibrium of Europe.
"M. 'I houvenel has reserved to himself to treat
the question Of Romagna in another despatch. We
have already had occasion to express our op'nion
on this question in the despatch which I had the
honour to address to your Excellency on the 20th
January. 'I hat, however, will not prevent us from
awaiting, with the greatest interest, the overtures
which the Minister of Foreign Affairs announces to
us.

" You are authorised to read this despatch to
Thouvenel, and to leave him a copy of it if he de-
sires one.—Receive, &c.,

"DE RECHBERG."

THE TELEGRAPH TO INDIA.—The following is
an extract of a letter from the agent of the Peninsular and
Oriental Company at Aden, dated the 18th of February,
1860 :—" The telegraphic line between this and Kurrachee
is in first-rate order. ltir. Gordon had offered to send any
message I had to send to India. A message left this at
2.12 p.m., and at 2.22 p.m. we had an answer back from
Kurrachee acknowledging the receipt, thus only taking 10
minutes from here to Kurrachea and back. This was the
day after the junction was made."
PRICE OF GOLD.—The quotatioM of gold at Parir
is about per milled, and the short exchange oa London is
25.10 per £1 sterling. On comparing these rates with the
English Mint price of £3 17s. 101 d. per ounce for standar.)
gold, it appears that gold is at about 2-10ths per cent. dearer
in Paris than in London. By advices from Hamburg the
price of gold is 422 per mark, and the short exchange on
London is 13•32 per D. sterling. Standard gold at the
English Mint price is therefore about 1-10th per
cent. dearer in Hamburg than in London. The course of ex-
change at New York on London for bills at 60 days' sight is
about 109 per cent., which, when compared wit the Mint
11
proportions between the two countries, shows that the ex-
change is slightly against England ; and, after making
allowance for charges of transport and difference of • 1 t -
re st, the present rate leaves no profit on the i
of gold from the United States. mportation

Grosz the Morning
rue policy of Sardinia—t.
Italy we should rather call it.-- has.
its fitting organ - and interpreter in .
Count Cavour. The despatch of that st. .rs(4
Ino'i
Feb. 29, in reply to M. Thouvenel's conirnui
to Baron Talleyrand, marks out to all Europe the
divergence between the national policy of the Court
of Turin and the last, and by means most satisfac-
tory, of the many phases which it has been our lot
to witness in the policy of the Tuileries. The
trumpet of Sardinian diplomacy gives forth uo un-
certain sound. With the same mastery over forms
with which we have long been familiar in the peb
lie Manifestoes of Cuunt Cavour, there is combitel
the same clear insight into facts, and the same
vigorous, serried logic. M. Thouvenel is no mat, h
for the Piedmontese controyersionist ; and we
sus-
pect that even M. Thouvenel's maser will be un-
able to escape from the conviction that he, too, is
confronted by all the difficulties and dangers,
whether of a political or religious character, which
the military aid given to the Italian people had, at
the conclusion of the war, but pirtially removed,
and to which the, moral influences and national
feelings evoked since the peace have lent a tenfold
vigour. There has been, it is impossible to deny, a
change, within even the last few days, in the Italian
policy of the French Government. The saying,
which an Eastern monarch had graYen on his ling,
;:isnewavvy,h,o”
ckoeneptasholsnaa
mstorraaiglhqtari,
fact h
a,
scaanppnleicvaebr
lelotsoe
Sovereigns of Western Europe in the nineteenth
century. The French Government, we regret to
say, appears to have entered on a path, where it
must intvitably displease all Powers and parties—
whether the partisans of ancient legitmacy, or tke
champions of popular rights and regenerated na-
tionalities. Austria may not openly oppose, but
will not the less cordially detest, the Power which
prevents the unconditional restontion to their
thrones of her vassal princes.
The feeling in favour of the union tvith.acilinia.
has so strongly taken held of the lc of_4nt rat
Italy, that the recommendation I:lYen. to--any
to preserve its autonomy, anti the proposed plan of
a vicariate in the Romagna provinces, have but
little Chance of meeting with a favourable' accept-
ance from either the Tuscan or Romagnol popula-
tions.

And if the proposed compromise be regarded,
which it certainly will be, as a concession to the
clamours and the menaces of the VatiCa"ri, it would
exhibit but slight knowledge of the temper of the
Sacred College to augur from such a concession ©n
the part of the Imperial Government a corres-
ponding pliancy on the part of that of Rome. In
the opening paragraphs of his despatch Count
Cavour frankly avows that Sardinian gratitude
has its - limits in those very moral and political
necessities which France herself has mainly con-
tributed to create; and, as regards the policy of
England, we can only repeat the truth which the
English Government has constantly proclaimed,
and to which the English Parliament, the English
press, and the English people have given their
sanction—that England, having but one object arid
aim in view, to secure to the Italians the undis-
turbed settlement of their affairs, must approve or
disapprove of'any scheme for an Italian arrange-
ment exactly in proportion as it shall recognise or
reject the elements of popular will and of national
aspirat ions.
The simple fact is, that the French Government,
whilst resisting the Ultramontane pal ty in France,
has been played upon by, and ieduced to play into
the hands of, the Ultramontane party in Italy.
Whilst combating the diplomatic notes of Cardinal
Antonelli, and replying to the allocutions and ad-
dresses and epistles of Pope Pius, it has fallen
into the very snare which the wily Churchman
has laid both for it and for the Italian people.
Count Cavour truly remarks that the feeling of
•the population of Central Italy, their conscious-
ness of having a full right respecting their future
fate, and the strength and the r ()laical attitude
which they have assumed, have been greatly in-
creased by the frequently and formally renewed
declarations of the imperial Government, that no
special form of government shall be imposed upon
them by force. That declaration has acted as a
cheek on all reactionary intrigues, on all Austrian
and Papal machinations. There is not the slightest
hope that the votes of the different Legislative As-
semblies, the declaration of the communes, the
views of the great landed prop' ictors, the adhesions
of the Chambers of Commerce, or the demonstra-
tions of the literary and scientific bodies, would be
at all changed or cancelled by a fresh appeal to the it
suffrages. But there is a chance that a similar
appeal, if made to the lowest, most ignorant, most
prejudiced, and most bigoted portion of the popu-
lation, to those whom the agencies of a grovelliug
superstition still keep in thraldom to their priests
—there is a chance that a similar appeal
might meet with, at least, a partial success. It
would be something to produce befoie Eutope a
minority, which, though intellectually and morally,
socially- and politically, insignificvnt, might still,
when its members were counted. up, be numeri-
cally formidable. A vote by universal suffrage will
include these classes. Upon these classes the in-
fluence of the priests can be brought directly to
bear. It can be brought to bear directly upon
them at any time; but just at the present moment,
at this very season of the year—in Lent—it can be
exercised with peculiar dexterity and force. The
peasant himself, his wife, his mother, his sister, or
his bride, must all apply for their Easter tickets for
communion. Only through the grating of the con-
fessional can the application be made; etily through
that grating will a favourable answer be received-
Millions who, at no other season of the year, are
brought so directly and so surely into contact with
their spiritual directors, will, if only through the
force of ancient habit, be once more submitting
themselves to their guidance : and it at such a
moment that these very masses are called upon to
take part in a political act which they will be told
is contest between heaven and hell, between the
Blessed Virgin and the Archfiend himself. If we
are rightly informed, the Tuscan Government was
so perfectly aware of the part which the Confes-
sional was designed to play in influencing the
pitesoprile reply to
toan appeal t
the
ecom communication
uuninciaet-eiorsnal suffrage,
ofthe in
Sardinian
Cabinet, it requested that the election should either
he held at once, or be postponed until after Easter.
But the renewed appeal to the people, even
under this form, has been accepted by Sardinia ;
and Count Cavour, speaking in the name of his
Sovereign, declares that Sardinia is prepared to
accept the consequences. We must accord our un-
qualified approval to the frankness and fearlessnesi
of the declaration—believing that in that frankness
and fearlessness will be found, in the present stage
of the Italian question, the only true prudence and
the only reafwisdom. But we sincerely trust that
its frankness and fearlessness will not be thrown
away in the quarter where it is of most importance
that they-should produce their due effect ; and we
would earnestly entreat the French Emperor to
disentangle himselt, once for‘all; from those sinister
influences which have again cast suspicion and
doubt upon his Italian policy.

FALL OF RAMSAY-TERRACE, EDIX-

BUROIL

The picturesque marine-terrace recently erected
lyj the tete Lord Murray on a spur of the Castle-
hill, Edinburgh, overhanging Princee-street•gar-
dens, has given way owing to defective foundation,
and become a mass of ruins. To the locality the
poet Allan Itionsay had by residence and propertj-
gimn his name, and the late Lord Murray, to whom
the property some titre ago descended, determined
both to beautify the situation by the erection of a
promenade commanding a fine view of the New
Town and of the valley below, and to honour the
memory of his ancestral relative by the erection of
a status. The terrace was designed to be in har-
mony with projected improvements on the castle,
and at the east end a lodge was erected in the
Scotch baronial style. The work had been com-
pleted with the exception of the placing of the
statue, for which Mr. Steell had been commissioned,
when about three weeks ago several rents began to
appear in the masonry. The lodge was immediately
taken down, but it was fornd impossible to touch
the buttressed walls of the terrace, owing to the
foundations of
with
dailyextending flaws and the increasing danger of
the whole mass giving way. Within the last few
days the apprehensions entertained have been pain-
fully realised. "The mass of earth which had filled.
the space between the natural slope of the hill
munateely, been carried
up
Thursday
ostensive landslip,
and the retaining wall, beAconn:i_
moisture, pressed outwar3s the _ of the
and shattered.
wall, which had not, unf•
masonry falling, distorted
itd.anoc -.ncie
consequence,
cot
qh tltehi
eelna natural teudr
tookae lmrbpo
embankment.
place
e on
the most melancholy and extraordinary
well be imagined. 'The sloping night,
on theth e
The ruin kone of
gronndhotlloiawt can
mass, and
wall is cut up and
lrutted by the pressure of the
almost to the bottom of osfe
falling
thsteonveasllelyi::vothboueegnh
ohnurtlhed.:
face of the hill, at fromh 10 to 20 feet below its fir € -
in a r level, still restss.t e great burden of the i,iiii..
located masonry.. Since
.Thursday night the r
_mem
has continued further to yield, and while at . the
sides the original traces of the buttressed tt.v e I bat-
tlemented walls are still preserved, though is b. Token
and distorted outlines, the centre has bee ome a
confused and indistinguishable heap. Thee I cost of
the erection of the terrace to the late 1 niblic-
spirited
.proprietor is said to have toeeu iabout
£5,000 or £6,000.