The Sun.
London, England, 1857-03-26 00:00:00

COUNT BAYN EV A L'S DESPATCH TO
COUNT WALEW SKI.

(Prom the Daily News.)

The double-dealing Cabinet of the Tuileries, and
its obsequious organs in the press, are in a sad
pucker since we published Count Rayneval's de-
spatch to Count Walewski. The authenticity of
the document they cannot deny ; but it was rather
disagreeable to have such a proof of their duplicity
dragged to light. They are trying to put the best
face they can on the matter. Though the number
of the Dairy _hews in which it appeared was seized,
the Government journals in Paris have since re-
printed the translation of oar translation, which
appeared in the Independance Beige. The Pays
simply remarks, with a grimace and an affectation
of indifference, that it contains a striking picture
of the government of Pius IX. The Constitu-
tionnel has evinced less self-possession. In the
early edition of that journal, which is thrown off
for circulation in the provinces, we read, "We
cannot warrant its precise accuracy as to the text,"
and " we publish it on account of the immense in-
terest of its contents in substance, the importance
of the facts cited, and the opinions which it offers."
But in the later edition of the Constitutionnel,
thrown off for circulation in Paris, the following
communique is substituted fer the remarks we have
just quoted :—"A foreign journal has published a
despatch &scribed to the Ambassador of France at
Rome. Without seeking the means by which it
obtained this document, we think we can affirm
that the language and the sense of it have been
greatly altered." The imputation conveyed in the
last sentence is gratuitously false. The Govern-
ment of the coup d'etat may tamper with documents
—may lend a helping hand to Russia by producing
an inaccurate map of a district through which a
frontier line has to be traced—but we have too
math self-respect to have recourse to such prace ices.
Our translation of Count Rayneval's despatch is as
close as the different genius of the French aed
English languages allows. It was impossible that
the Independance Beige, in re-translating from our
version, could hit upon the exact phrases employed
in the original. The slight discrepancy thus occa-
sioned hag suggested to the embarrassed diplomatists
of the Tuileries the bright idea of insinuating that
the language and sense of the de ,patch have been
altered. To put an end to their cavils, we this day
publish the original French text. They have ac-
knowledged that our translation contains the sub-
stance of the despatch—we now give them every
word and letter as it originally stood.
They will owe us little thanks for this service,
and still less for the comments and exposures of tl:e
sophistry and falsehood of the despatch, from the
pens of distinguished Italian publicists, which we
append to it in the form of foot-notes. The despatch
brands the French Government with duplicity in
its condunt as regards the who'e of Italy, and with
shameless treachery in its conduct as regards Sar-
dinia in par:icular. At the Conferences in Paris,
in the month of April, 1856, the French Minister
for Foreign Affairs pledged his Government to use
its good offices wish the Italian Governments, in
order to obtain altninistraive reforms, as a pre-
lude to the withdrawal of all foreign troops from
Italy. It. is now apparent that in the month of
May the French Government was moving heaven
and earth to find an excuse for wriggling ou • of
this pledge. The despatch of Count Rayneval is
composed of two ingredients—abstract reasoning
end statements of alleged facts. The abstract re t-
s ming had palpably been dictated to him before he
loft Paris. No one can for a moment doubt the
eource whence proceeds these idees Napoleoniennes.
The attacks upon constitutional government., the
advocacy of an "intelligent and paternal despo-
tism," the sophistical distinctions between races
capable and races incapable of self-government,
father themselves. They are the same cant which
we have heard repeated by the propagandists of
governments on the new Paris model in France,
in Spain, and in Belgium. The alleged facts
are taken implicitly from the reports of Cardinal
Antonelli, fragmentary notices of which we were
enabled to publish about the time that this precious
despatch was being concocted. The eespatuh, in
short, bears every mark of being written to order.
Count Rayneval was supplied with a stock of ab-
stract arguments bees) be left Paris ; upon these
he was instructed to engraft any statements that
Cardinal Antonelli should make to him. A docu-
ment was thus to be prepared which might serve
Count Walewski and his Imperial Master as an
apoloey for breaking the promise to Italy solemnly
gives at the Conferences in Paris. The fruits of
this double-dealing are now apparent. A year has
, elapsed since the French and English Governments
pledged themselves under the eyes of Europe to
use their good offices, with the Papal and other
Italian sovereigns to obtain for the Italians more
just and lenient Government, and the removal of
foreign mercenaries from the Italian soil. From
that day to this nothing has been done to fulfil the
promise ; and it is now evident that- the French
Cabinet has had recourse to a most disreputable
subterfuge to escape from its fulfilment.
Does not this at once suggest to every true Eng-
lishman the necessity of exacting from the Premier
who boasts so loudly of his zeal for the honour and
glory of England, and from all his colleagues who
have to address constituencies at the present elec-
tion, some explanation of their connection with
these disreputable proceedings ? They cannot deny
that at the solicitation of France they have con-
sented to abstain from all action on the Italian ques-
tion for a whole year, at a time when prompt action
was most requisite. The electors of Engl Intl ought
to insist upon knowing whether this their unworthy
compliance with the Government of the coup d'etat
has been simply the, consequence of apathy and infir-
mity of purpose, or of guilty complicity. Were Lord
Palmerston and his colleagues aware of the disre-
putable intrigue between the French and Roman
Cabinets to concoct a libel on the Sardinian, and a
glorification of the Papal Government, asan excuse
for breaking faith with Italy and Sardinia ? Toe
avowed inclination of the English Cabinet to enter
into a closer and more cordial alliance with Aus-
tria, at the very time that Austria is addressing
threatening notes to the Government at Turin, and
withdrawing her Minister from that Court, is an
ugly symptom. The weakness or the disloyalty—
it matters not which—of the Elig'ish Cabinet has
allowed the danger ,f revolutionary outbreaks,
which hung over Italy at this time last year, to
multiply tenfold. And now the language of the
English Cabinet and of its organs in the press be-
trays a desire to find fault with Sardinia, and to
invent excuses for Austria, at the moment when
its ownneglect has added immeasurably to the dif-
ficulties of the position of Sardinia. Be it weak-
ness or be it perfidy in the English Ministers, their
conduct towards Italy reflects di.grace on ti:e Eng-
lish nation. It endangers the tranquillity of
Europe. And yet these are the men who appeal
to the country for support on their foreign policy,
and on their foreign policy exclusively.]