The Sun.
London, England, 1857-03-19 00:00:00

Spirit of the Public Journals.

(From, the Daily News)

The " Palmerstonians and nothing else" coolly
assume that the English people approved of the
Peace of Paris. It would be a more correct expres-
sion to say that they acquiesced in it. The general
sen-e of the nation at the time was that Russia had
been let off too easily. It was believed that the
Rii,stan. Government had not been sufficiently
humbled to teach it the necessity of restraining its
aggressive propensities in all time coming. It was
feaeed that the check it had experienced would only
irritate, and render it eager to embrace the first
opportunity to console its wounded vanity by some
dazzling encroachment on some weaker neighbour.
The arguments by which the aversion to the treaty
inspired by these considerations was overcome were
twofold. It was insinuated, rather than asserted,
that the exhausted state of the French Exchequer
had determined the Emperor to niake peace ; and
that if England resolved to carry on the war she
must carry it on without the aid of France. And
it was argued that Russia had been so much weak-
ened that she would be obliged to remain quiet for
meny years ; and that before she could again be in
a condition to resume offensive operations, the
Turkish Government might, by a system of judi-
cious policy, render the Ottoman Empire too strong
to be assailed with impunity. These considerations
were allowed to have so much weight that the
English people acquiesced, but reluctantly, in the
conditions of the treaty.
But a degree of eclat was undoubtedly given to
the Peace of Paris by an incident in the Conferences
which had no necessary connection with the war or
its termination. The representatives of Sardinia—as
the representatives of the only independent State
of the Italian Peninsula, availed themselves of the
assembly of the Great European Powers in Congress
to invite their attention to the grieVances of the
Italian people. They pointed out how the whole
of Italy, with the exception of the Sardinian terri-
tories, was in a state of chronic anarchy, bordering
on revolutien. They showed that this was owing to
the misgovernment of the native prince, who were
encouraged to persevere in their migovernment by
the protection afforded by foreign bayonets. They
re Ainded the Congress that a revolution in Italy
would inevitably spread over the whole of Europe.
Trey called upon the Great Powers represented in
C regress to interpose their good offices, with a view
to save Italy and Europe from revolution. And
they declarol that this could only be aecorn-
p'ished by withdrawing all foreign armaments
from the independent States of It ily, and
thus teaching the native princes that the stability
of their thrones depended upon their adoption of
a more energetic, a more wise, and a more humane
system of domestic policy. The answer made to this
appeal by the representatives of France and Eng-
laid in Congress was manly and generous. They
admitted the grave character of the grievances com-
plained of by the Italians. They recognised the
necessity of the adoption of a more humane policy
le; the King of Naples ; and of the reform of the
Pitital Government, by inft-eduss a larger lay ad-
mixture into the composition of its Administration.
.Ah the all, they recognised the urgent necessity for
the immediate adoption of measures having in view
the ultimate withdrawal of all foreign troops—
Austrian and French—from all the native Italian
St ates. The avowal of these views by the Go-
v tinments of France and England breathed a new
life into the patriots of Italy. The moderate, prac-
tit al Italian reformers, who had so long felt them-
e lees in a position of the greatest difficulty between
a' solutism on the one side, and ultia-republicanism
o s the other, looked forward with confidence to a
1 otter future. The peace and prosperity of It sly
seemed assured by legitimate, peaceable means.
There was not a humane and liberal heart in Eu-
lope that did not beat more freely. The honour
se n by the representatives of Frame and Entsland
i I Congress, through their frank, generous, and
humane declarations in favour of good government
a id liberty in Italy, reflected a glory on the equi-
,eal peace they had concluded, and universal satis-
faction prevailed.
This was in the beginning of April, 1956. In a
few weeks we shall have reached the beginning of
April, 1857. What has been done for Fitly during
tee year that has nearly completed its circle ? We
say nothing at present of the proceedings in rela-
tion to Naples, the result of which. however, it
tray be remarked, appears to be much more likely
to be the precipitating than the averting of an Ita-
lian revolution. But, we ask, what has been done
fur the centre and the north of Italy ? Not a French
soldier has been withdrawn from Rome, not a
movement made indicating that they are about to
be withdrawn. The Austrian troops have evacu-
a ed one or two unimportant posts in the neigh-
bouring territories. But, on the other hand, Aus-
tria has increased her army in Lombardy and
Venice ; she has strengthened her pesitions and in-
creased her gar' icons all along the line of the Po ;
et:e is rapidly cornplet.ng those maritime fortifica-
-Cons on the east coast of the Adriatic which are a
"standing menace to Italy;'' she has established a
fortified tele de pont at Ancona for the steam bridge
with which she has bridged the Adriatic. Instead
of preparing to evacuate the independent States of
Italy, the Austrian troops are intrenching them-
selves more strongly in their territories. No re-
forms have been made in the Papal Government ;
the persecution of liberal poli icians is persevered
in ; the chronic anarchy of society is on the in-
crease. In vain has the Sardinian Government
called the attention of France and England to this
melancholy' sta' eof affairs. Its importunities are
disregarded, replied to—if at all—with discour-
t,ons impatience. Austria, taking heart of grace
et the obvious coldness of France and England,
ee'ss to fasten a quarrel on Sardinia. Au I
this is- the • moment embraced by an English
Minister to boast in the House of Lords of the
• growing cordiality of the English and Austrian
Governments, and to laud the policy of Austria iu
Italy. A. conviction is rapidly gaining ground
t 1 r;ughout Italy that it has been betrayed by the
Western Powers. Indignation at such treatment is
driving the most judicious and temperate Italians
ft antic. The risk of a revolutionary crisis in It sly
is daily increasing. The condition and prospects of
that country are worse than they were on the Bth of
April, 1856 ; and they have bees reaalered worse
by the disappointment of the legitimate hopes which
tto language u-e-!.. on that day by the represenca-
t ves of Fiance and England awakened.
We this day publish a document, which throws
a melancholy light on the apathy and inaction of
tie last twelve months, which have been pregnant
with such fatal results to Italy. It is a Report on
the condition and prospects of the States of the
Church, and of Italy in general, addressed by the
French envoy at Rome to the French Minister of
Foreign Affairs, on the 14th of May of 1846. It is
a laboured and Jesuitical attempt to demonstrate
that the Italians are incapable of constitutional go-
vernment ; and that the time never can arrive
ashen it will be sate to withdraw the troops of
France from Civita Vecchia, or those of Austria
from Ancona. We are in daily expectation of a
reply to this document, prepared by several Italians
td-' world-acknowledged ability and experience in
The affairs of state, exposing the utter falsity of the
alleged facts on which the arguments of the Report
r. st. But, in fact, no answer is needed. The,
puerility of the theory of races upon which its rea-
i,ouing rests is transparent ; and the fear and ha-
tred of constitutional government by which the
jedament of the writer is bass ed cannot escape the
insa,t obtuse. The damning fact is incontrover-
tible, that one little month ater the French Gov-
unguent had publicly declared its adherence to a
just, wise and Inunaste policy as regards Italy, the
French Minister at Rome was strenuously apOlogis-
ing for all the shortcomings of the Roman Govern-
Tent, calumniously aspersing Piedmont, advocating
be permanent occupation of Italy by foreign troops,
and all this in a confident and complacent tone,
which betrays what good grounds lie had for feeling
assured that in the Emperor and his Minister for
Foreign -A-traits he had two sympathising and ap-
proving auditors. In short, it is clear to demon-
etration that in htle more than a month after the
French Ministe_r
OlovferForeign Affairs had publicly
declared that
feastt hat ".r"amental reforms and the re-
gn t. Ps from Italy were necessary
t prevent an Italian, a Eiatirsorarean revolution, the
French Governinent and
eeerting themselves to prevent ghnts were secretly
the carrying of these
secondary
Govern-
mentes into effect.
The conduct or motives of the
Ater of only se
are fits us a m wsry c-nic-rn
the latter, it true, are sunicie„tly - •
die anxious craving of the French EtwearorPit7, irc
I:iinself crowned—a la Charlemagne—at nee, i,v,,5
by the Pope, is not :rions. The
_ _ _orgiversation of
lee French Government, and its truckling to tio
lily. See, is sufficiently twounted for on tie,
g •ound. Whether it has been successful, or ashes
""r' ng is new currently reported, Austrian dip'.-.
1-lacy has our-gmeralled French diplomacy at the
I I.77)itit of Rome, is to us ;t matter of utter
e ice. It in with our own Government we have t
de.

Unfortunately, accidental circumstances have
pr,,vented our giving publicity to the report of the
..i'rench Minister at Roma nn i 1 it is too late for any
aovement to be taken upon it in Parliament. But
t .d country ought to insist upon knowing, and we
),ope it will insist upon knowing, whether the En-
glish Government has been aware of the double-
laced gime which their Imperial ally in the Tuile-
)i,is .4.s been playing. Lords Palmerston and Cla-
, endon succeeded in building for themselves a re-
7_Nttati,n upb*,the course they pursued with regard
to Italy in the Paris Conftrences. The bloth and
apathy they hive since &splayed have materially