The Sun.
London, England, 1859-03-28 00:00:00

COUNT CAVOW? TO THE MARQUIS

D'AZEGLIO.

We are enabled to place before our readers the
following important despatch :
" TURIN, MARCH 17, 1859.
‘1 M. le Marquis,—Sir James Hudson, in a note
deated the 14th of this month, a copy of which you
will find enclosed, has asked me, in the name of his
Government, if Sardinia would be disposed to fol:=
low the example of Austria, and to declare in a
formal manner (as Count Buol, on his part, declared
Austria's intention not to attack Piedmont, in his
despatch to Count Apponyi of the 25th January)
that Sardinia has no intention of attacking her
powerful neighbour.
" Appreciating the motives which have inspired
such a course on the part of the Cabinet of St.
James's, we do not hesitate to answer him with the
most perfect frankness, as we have done a few days
since when he asked us to draw up a memorandum,
clear and precise, of the complaints of Italy against
Austria, and to indicate the means of applying a
remedy.
"In pursuance of aggressive acts (what other
name can we give them ?) committed by Austria
by the concentration of imposing forces on the
Sardinian frontier; by placing on a war footing
the army of Italy ; by the construction and occupa-
tion of new fortifications on ground which does not
belong to her; by the occupation of the Legations ;
and by the violation of treaties, the Government of
the King, according to the law of nations, has a
right to prepare to defend herself against Austria
even by means of arms. England implicitly ac-
knowledged such a right when, a short time since,
through the medium of her Minister of Foreign
Affairs—by the weight of her great authority, by
the solemn means of diplomatic action—she con-
demned the unjust measures employed by Austria
in sequestering the estates of Sardinian subjects ;
and agreed that if under such circumstances the
dangers of war were prevented, it resulted from
the great moderation of the Sardinian Govern-
ment. *
" Accordingly, as her Britannic Majesty's Go-
vernnaent has acknowledged the abnormal state of
Italy, and promised to Sardinia that England
would endeavour to find a remedy for the evils
complained of, the Sardinian Government, availing
itself of such promises, and reserving its liberty of
action in case Austria should abstain for the future
from committing aggressive acts, Sardinia is ready
to give her assurance that it is not her intention to
attack Austria. And she agrees on this subject to
make a declaration the same as that contained in
the despatch of Count Buol, which, in reality, is
nothing but a long and bitter accusation against
Sardinia and the politics of the Cabinet over which
I have the honour to preside.
" The speeches delivered in Parliament explain-
ing our politics, the despatches and circulars which
have been • communicated to the Cabinet of St.
James's, and particularly the memorandum ad-
' dressed to England and Prussia, in the justice of
which Lord Malmesbury entirely agrees, explain
and justify our conduct most completely. I think,
therefore, I need not on the present occasion refute
one by. one the arguments which Count Buol em-
ploys in his despatch, wherein he represents Sar-
dima as the real cause of the abnormal condition of
Italy.
" Such arguments cannot have any value with
any impartial person who remembers the events
which have succeeded each other from the com-
mencement of the present year.
" The military preparations continually taken by
Austria, and pointed out in my despatch of
, have all preceded the justifiable action of
the Sardinian Government. The Speech from the
Throne at the opening of the Sardinian Parliament
was only pronounced on the 10th of January, and
yet on the 3d of the same month a new corps d'armee
was suddenly sent to Austrian Italy.
" Our loan did not take place until after Austria
had en deavoured to negotiate a much larger loan
in London.
" Finally, if we have called out our contingent,
leaving our reserves at their homes, it was not until
Austria had ordered her Italian army to be placed
on a complete war footing that we were convinced
that we should find ourselves ere long in the face
of one of the largest armies that ever crowded the
soil of Italy.
" These facts form a strange commentary, on the
pacific protestations which close the Austrian de-
spatch, and it would be difficult to reconcile them,
if, in the diplomatic note in question, we did not
find the innate ideas of Austria on the Italian
question.
_ _

" Count Buol, after having rapidly examined, from
his point of view, the events which have succeeded
each other since 1848, finishes by declaring that if
Italy is profoundly agitated, if the people are discon-
tented, if the Governments have done nothing to
satisfy the legitimate desires of their subjects, this all
originates in the views and spirit of turbulence which
liberty has developed in Piedmont ; in fact, availing
myself of Count Buol's words, Through the intro-
duction in that country (Piedmont) of institutions
which work well when they have been developed
and matured by ages, but which do not seem to be
in accordance with the genius, traditions, and social
condition of Italy:
"Count Buol also points out, as a principal
remedy to such a state of things (the gravity of
which he does not attempt to hide), the united
action of the great Powers, to be exercised with
the object of modifying the institutions of Pied-
mont ; in fact by stifling the liberty of Piedmont,—
Lombardy, Venice, and the other States of the
Peninsula would become again tranquil.
" Without admitting such a conclusion, and being
convinced that the destruction of the liberal insti•
tutions of Piedmont, instead of assuring peace, would
—the Italians being reduced to despair—result in
revolution—still we do not hesitate to acknowledge
there is much truth in the thought which inspired
this part of the despatch of the Austrian Minister.
" The contrast presented by Piedmont with the
provinces under the dominion of Austria is too
striking not to produce a profound irritation in
Austria. The example of Piedmont proving, con-
trary to the assertion of Count Buol, that the
Italians are susceptible of a liberal and progressive
regime, makes the military system of Austria more
hateful to the people of the Italian Peninsula. The
corporal punishments, the ever augmenting taxa-
tion, the fatal financial measures, and the abandon-
ment to the clergy of the rights of the State, make
the contrast more obvious.

" We acknowledge, therefore, that the liberty of
Piedmont is a danger and a menace for Austria.
According to Austria there are only two things to
do—destroy the liberal institutions of Italy, or keep
up her dominion over all Italy to prevent contagion
from spreading over the other states of the penin-
sula which have not enough strength at their dis-
posal for suppressing the voice of the peeple. It is
the second alternative which Austria has embraced,
waiting the later arrival, and indirect action, the
realisation of the first indicated means.

"Austria, up to the present moment, has suc-
ceeded by secret treaties with Parma, Modena, and
Tuscany, and by the indefinite occupation of the
Romagna (which is now about to cease, accord-
ing to the declarations of Vienna and Rome), and
by the considerable fortifications she has so con-

strutted, in making herself mistress of Central
Italy, and thus binding Piedmont with a circle of

iron.

" It is against such a state of things, which is not
justified by the Treaties of Vienna, that Sardinia
has not ceased to protest for many years, calling
for the intervention and support of the great
Powers who signed the Treaties of 1815.
" Such a state of things has for a long time con-
stituted a threatening danger to Piedmont, aggra-
vated of late by extraordinary armaments and other
aggressive acts on the part of Austria which have
forced the Government of the King to adopt defen-
sive measures and call the contingents under arms.
" It is proposed that this state of things should
cease, that Austrian dominion in Italy should enter
within the limits formally stipulated by treaties ;
that Austria should disarm, and that Sardinia,
whilst deploring the unhappy fate of the popula•
tion on the other side of the Ticino, should confine
her efforts, as England has often recommended her
to do, towards a pacific propaganda calculated more
and more to enlighten public opinion in Europe on
the Italian question, and to prepare the elements
for a future solution.
" But, so long as our neighbours group round
them and against us all the States of Italy which
border on us, and whilst they can freely- march
tohfeythceall:ohaonldd uppiatcoenzthae
their troops on the banks
as banks
A(trpaennsnfoinrmese;dsionto a fortress of the first order), con-
tinually threatening our frontier, it will he impos-
sible for us to remain defenceless in the face of the
provoking and armed attitude of Austria.
" The Government of her Britannic Majesty is
too enlightened and too loyal not to admit that we
cannot pursue any other line of conduct without
betraying our rights, without offending our honour,
whatever may be our desires to dissipate the clouds
which threaten the peace of the world.
" I request you, M. le Marquis, to read and give
a copy of this despatch to Lord Malmesbury, and I
avail myself,,&c.,-&c.

(Signed)

" CAVOUR."

See despatch of Lord Clarendon to the Marquis d'Azeglio.

The Journal de Rouen remarks :—The crops in
Normandy present a most splendid appearance, which can-
not but be improved by the splendid weather. Rye is par-
ticularly forward, and is beautifully green ; lucerne and
clover are in the best condition. Should no sharp frost or
extreme wet visit us, all these crops will not only produce
abundantly, but much earlier than usual."