The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1849-04-23
Abdication and Exile of Charles Albert.

The accounts by the Europa, which were tele-
graphed to us last Friday, inform us of the defeat,
the abdication, and the exile of Charles Albert.
The sceptre of Sardinia has been transferred to the
hands of his son, Victor Emmanuel, and a peace
has been made between the new sovereign and the
Austrian General, Radetzsky. Until we are aware
of this peace, it would be idle to speculate on the
motives that led to its negotiation but in the
while, we may observe that the mere fact of a
peace having been made under the circumstances
(betrays the weakness of Austria, and conscious
ness on the part of the Radetzsky that it would be
hazardous to push the campaign farther. What
hindered the Imperial General from marching to
Turin and entering the capital of his PROSTATE
enemy! Mercy to the vanqushed Pity for the
conquered! When did the Austrian Government
learn to be generous or when did Radetzsky learn
to be humane
But leaving to future period any differences We
may draw from the fact of a peace having been so
hastily concluded, and from the strange forbear-
ance which the Austrian General seems to have
exercised, we may turn and contemplate the con-
sequences which the abdicaton and exile of Charles
Albert will probably have on the affairs of Italy in
general, and especially on the Republics of Rome
and Tuscany. Many may be disposed to think
that the failure and fall of the Sandman King will
have bad influence over the progress of liberal
principles in the peninsula. @31any were disposed
to regard him as the leader Of the crusade which
has been preached in Italy against foreign rule and
foreign intervention and the cause of Austrian
domination in Italy has been identified with the
cause of absolutism and government Independent
of popular will. But Charles Albert, both as King
and as Sandman, was precluded from the direction
of S1ro
years been agtatng Italy, In order that any effort
for Italian unity and independence should be sue
cessful, it must commence in Rome or Florence
And, Of these, Rome, as the centre of two great
powers in the past-as the seat of ancient republic
canism and Of modern Catholicsm-offers more
prominent points of cohesion than Tuscany, which
has only short republican history, and owes its
chief recolectons to poets and artists rather than
to statesmen and military leaders Sardinia can
not compare with either Rome or Tuscany in its
traditions. 1t has little more than the snge-true
IN itself a host-great name of Alieri to offer to
the admiration and reverence of Italian hearts,
The position, too, of Sardinia, lying as it does in
one corner of the peninsula prevents it from lead
ing, to any great extent, the mind of Italy. And if
Charles Albert's country was against him in his
attempt to lead the patriotic party of Italv. his
character as King was still greater impediment in
the way OF his accomplishing any thing for the
whole peninsula. As King he could never have
humbled himself so far as to follow in the wake of
a Roman or Tuscan Republic and this would have
been necessary to arrive at Italian unity. Nor do
we conceive that he was capable of eevating him.
self from the place of Monarch to the First Citizen
Of a Republic. Prevented, then, as he was by the
accidents of country and of office, from being the
leader in the cause of Italian unity, he would
necessarily have been its btterest and its most
powerful opponent
Piedmont is one Of the doors through which the
armies Of Northern Europe may enter Italy; and
accordingly as this mountain district is held by an
ally, neutral or an enemy, the safety and peace of
Central and Southern Italy may be preserved or
endangered. 1t may be easily seen how dangerous
it wonld be to the Roman and Tuscan Republics TO
have Piedmont in the possession of an enemy
Their welfare will be consulted by keeping Sar-,
DINA in state of neutrdlty-at least until the Sar-
dinian liberals themselves ready to establish a
republic and fraternze with their southern breth-
rem. But Charles Albertwas too old not to have
1mbibed many prejudices against the men and
things Of his southern neghbors. Therefore it is
better for the new republics that young king free
from enmities. should reign in Sardinia. Looking
mt the abdcation and exile of Charles Albert in all
these lights, we must conclude that it will be ad-
vantageous to the Italian patriots to be fairly rid of
the Italian monarch.
Charles Albert would have been dangerous to
the Italians as an open enemy; he has been still
more detrimental to them professed friend. Bv
his signal failure he has thrown discredt on the
Italian name and cause and far worse, we suspect.
has been the evil influence he has exercised by acts
of treachery, which only time and counter.treacb
cry can expose and bring before the public. As he
pretended to be the friend of Italian independence.
we may pity his misfortnnes, though we cannot be
sorry for his abdication If he was really the
traitor we hays good reason to think be VISA, he
eesssyss emily the soefp and reprobson OF those he
ssvaFsai ~ vel D. q the human race NJ large,