The Sun.
London, England, 1859-01-22 00:00:00

ture, the first necessities of which we see in the
augmentation to her Italian army of 30,000 men,
and in an attempt about to be made to raise a loan
of £5,000,000 in England. On the other side,
France, checked a little in her designs on behalf of
Italy, nevertheless steadily prepares for the future
by a close alliance with Piedmont, which gives her
almost as ready means of throwing troops into Italy
as Austria possesses, by unostentatiously but seri-
ously collecting all the materiel for a campaign,
and by sending General Niel, the ablest strategist
in her service, to Turin, in the suite of Prince
Napoleon, there to study and report on the whole
military position of Italy.' Meanwhile there is a
pause in which calmly to consider the prospects of
the future, a pause which affords on opening for
the British Government to play a magnanimous
and disinterested part in the service of permanent
and assured tranquillity.
Hitherto the attitude of our Cabinet towards the
French Government, when the Italian question has
presented itself, has been that of reserve, coldness,
and mystery. Lord Derby and his colleagues have
simply deprecated war, without exhibiting any
views, policy, or inclinations of their own. during
a great crisis in the affairs of Europe they have left
the most powerful Ally of England in a state of
ignorance as to their wishes and sympathies ; and
while avoiding any frank explanation as to Italy,
they have, we understand, produced the impression
on the French Government that the English Cabinet
has largely influenced the communications which
have passed between France and Prussia.
The net result of those communications is, we
believe, in brief this :—Prussia signifies that
whilst she would be prepared to act in a spirit
of strict neutrality should war on any assign-
able cause of a grave character arise between
France and Austria, the Government of the Prince
Regent would look not with indifference but with
great anxiety on any unprovoked attack on Austria
by France. This is of course a very natural position
for a Power situated as Prussia is towards France
to assume ; and it is, we may be sure, a chief cause
of the hesitation which Europe has just witnessed
in the conduct of France. Nevertheless, as its
tendency is to throw the weight of Protestant
Germany into the scale against Italy, it is calcu-
lated, while avoiding and averting present danger,
to aggravate and embarrass hereafter a settlement
of the Italian question on the only bases that will
satisfy the necessities of the case, and also to en-
courage Austria. to resist those alterations and
ameliorations which the large interests of Europe
require. Inasmuch, too, as this policy of Prussia
is to a large extent ascribed. to the English Cabinet,
it cannot conciliate and confirm the alliance between
France and England, which has hitherto been the
pride of both countries.
Of course we shall be told that the policy of our
Government has been guided by a desire of lessen-
ing the chances of immediate war ; and in this
respect it may be very defensible, The.thing has
been done, and the result is seen and felt, and we
are not going to open up a discussion as to whether
a bolder and franker course would not have been a
wiser one. But since such a policy settles nothing
and tends to separate England from France on-a
subject that must increase in gravity and import.
mice, it can only be a temporary one. And the
question, therefore, still remains, what permanent
course England ought to pursue—whether she ought
to abandon, or profess to abandon, all interest in
the improvement of Italy-, and leave the differences
which have manifested themselves between France
and Austria to grow, and so remit the duration of
peace to causes and influences which she does not
affect or pretend to deal with ; or whether she
would act more wisely in attempting to utilise the
interval of silent preparation on either side through
which we are now passing ?
That, left entirely to itself, it will prove to be a
mere suspension of hostile intentions, we may be
perfectly assured. If we wanted any evidence of
that, it is to be found in the family connection now
forming between the Courts of France and Pied-
mont—a connection on which, it is no secret, the
Czar of Russia has warmly congratulated his rela-
tion (through the house of Wurtemberg), Prince
Napoleon. That personage is a man of advanced
opinions and strong will ; the interest he had al-
ready taken in the fate of Italy will, of course, be
largely increased by his marriage with the Princess
Clotilde of Savoy ; and the most casual observer oaf
French politics cannot of late have failed to rem ark
that the influence of Prince Napoleon over the Em-
peror of the French (which is that of firm views
over a wavering disposition) is powerfully increas-
ing. No doubt there are counter-influences at work
in the Empress Eugenie, the Bourse, and the Priests,
who all deprecate active interference in Italy at
present. But Prince Napoleon and the French
Army, on the one side, have powerful odds in their
favour against the more pacific inclinations of the
other party, even overlooking altogether the per-
sonal danger to Louis Napoleon from Italian dis-
appointment •
Blaming, as we must the Emperor of the French
for his recent capricious manifestations, which have
given so terrible a shock to public confidence, it is
quite certain that they indicate an interest in Italy
which will not be abandoned. At present that inte-
rest may, we are disposed to believe, and not on
light grounds, be regulated to the advantage of
Europe, if England will only play a worthy part,
and endeavour to form in conjunction with France
some scheme for the amelioration of Italy. We arc
assured. that there is a very strong desire on the part
of Louis Napoleon personally to come to some
understanding (and not in any violent sense) with
England on fitting representations to be submitted
to the Emperor of Austria, as to what the perma-
nent interests of Europe require in Italy. And we
refer thus publicly to this disposition of the Ern-
' peror, that the full weight of responsibility as to
the future may be thrown where, it really rests—
on the Government of England.
It will, no doubt, be replied that no representations
having for their object the withdrawal of Italy from
the domination of Austria have in them the element
of pecess. But it is by no means certain that an
Italian kingdom to be formed in favour of the Arch-
duke Maximilian, out of the easterly portion of the
present possessions of Austria in Italy, would not
afford a solution of this question, which would be
acceptable to the moderate party in Italy, and to
the House of Hapsburg, which can now only hope
to retain Lombardy at sacrifices which she cannot
afford to make. Of course such a kingdom would
have to be maintained without Austrian troops in
Italy, and the safety of the Government must re-
pose on a national army.
It is not possible to deny that in its recent diffi-
culties and embarrassments the Government of
Vienna has exhibited some temper and prudence.
Its language to France has been prudent, courteous,
and even complaisant. Nor is that all. Its policy
on questions unconnected with Italy has to a large
extent been unusually conciliatory and yielding. It
has given way before French objections to the ex-
treme course it threatened to pursue in Servia; and
it indicates a disposition to adopt the views of the
English and French Governments, as to the freedom
of navigation of the Danube, which previously it
stoutly resisted. These may, indeed, only be tem-
porary .concessions made by Austria to avoid a
rupture with France. But even if they aro to be
only so regarded, they encourage at least a hope
that Austria would yield something substantial to
the cause of Italian happiness and European tran-
quillity, if France and England could, in the spirit
of their former amity and cordiality, agree on re-
presentations to be made to Austria of a wise and
prudent kind.

[ADVERTISEMENT.]—Rarey's Hors, and Cattle Tmprov-
ing Food improves the stamina, vigour, endurance, and
muscle of ill-conditioned or apparently worn-out Horses,
Cows, Bullocks, Calves, Sheep, and Pigs. It causes no
extra expense, as it contains far more and better nourish-
ment than its cost of Id. per feed supplies in corn or
hay; hence ensures an actual saving. In a short time it
improves the appearance and value of horses and cattle by
20 to 30 per cent. Rarey and Co., sole importers, 77, Pic-
cadilly, Quadrant, London. Packed in tins of about 42
feeds, Gs. ; of about 90 feeds, lls. ; in casks of about 450
feeds, 50s. ; of about 1,000 feeds, £5, being about lid. per
feed. Goods forwarded on receipt of Post-office Orders.
Important Caution—Beware of spurious imitations offered
by the ignorant and unscrupulous. All imitators will be
proceeded against.