The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1849-03-21
italian Affairs,

y
at the Hotel de Belle Vue and thinking how they
may settle legtimately and automatically the
affairs OF Italy, the Italian people have themselves
taken the matters in hand and threaten to go ahead
of the slow negotiations pending in the capital OF
| Belgium. A Republic has been declared by the
| Roman Constituent Assembly as well as by the
| Tuscan Provisional Government: and the Roman
and The Tuscan authorities seem to act in concert,
looking both towards the establishment of Italian
unity and Italian Independence.
| If there is any land on the face of the globe
marked out by nature for the habtation of single
| and united people, that land is Italy. With PEN
insular position, washed on one side by the stormy
Adratic and on the other by the placid Meditera-
mean, walled in on the north by the lofty and semi
circular mountains that stretch from sea to sea,
Italy seems intended by the Creator for the resi-
dence of people one in laws, one in language, one
in religion, one in all the elements that go to make
up united and Independent people. Yet notwith-
standing these natural advantages for Italian unity,
notwithstanding the fine capacities of the race that
nhabits this magnificent peninsula, and the COM
mon language that has been illustrated by some of
the nobest names in literature and art, Italy has
for centuries been disunited, unorganized and the
prey of successive conquerors, who have, at inter-
walls, poured down on her plains from the north.
Why has such been the case and what is the
remedy.
The causes of Italy's griefs are two-foreign in
reference and aristocratic institutions and the
former is the result of the latter. From the days
when Rome embraced all Italy in her limits down
to the present times, the dissensons, the political
difficulties and large portion of the social suffer-
ings of the Italians may be traced to parlalty for
aristocratic forms of government From the Ro-
man Republic down to the Cisalpne, the Italian
States have been aristocratic and not democratic.
Florence, Genoa, Milan, Rome, Venice, Bologna,
Sienna-in fact all the Italian cites-have ever
had longing for republican institutions: but the
desire has hitherto been for aristocracies and not
for democracies. Hence troubles, woes and fail
ures innumerable. Hence the fruitless attempts
that have been made to establish Italian unity.
For in order to form permanent and lasting union
between communities distinctly organized there
must be common faith. And aristocracy repudi-
a.es all faith it lives and thrves on disrust 1t is
only by destroying mans confidence in himself and
in his fellows that class can dominate over class,
that there can come to be patricians and plebeans
in society. Since then aristocracy is suspicious
and tends to keep societies separate and distinct it
is only by putting down the spirit and genius of
arstocracy that you can hope to render nation
really united and lastingly independent.
We are glad that the Italian patriots are begin
ming to psrceive and act upon these plain and to us
selfevident truths. The Constituent Assembly at
Rome has declared for a democratic republic, and
the Provisional Government of Tuscany has deter
mined 10 act in entire harmony with the Roman
authorities. Once let democratic institutions be
fair1v ahliSbod fhrouobont Tta1,, ffar rJe
union of the various states will be necessarily
formed; and then the Italians may bid defiance to
all foreign interference. Then Italy will contain
within herself the requisites for her protection
and greatness. Gioberti of Sardinia complains
that Rome and Florence entirely under the con-
troll of the Republican and Unitarian ideas and
fancies that he and his master can deude the
country into the acceptation of one, great Italian
constitutional monarchy. But Charles Albert has
fooled and betrayed the Liberals of Italy too re.
Gently; better wait until they have forgotten his
last campaign before he makes an attempt to de-
ceive them the second time.
As to the Brussels Congress, which meets to de-
Hibernate on the means of resstablshing Pope Plus
the Ninth in his temporal domnions we look on it
as the expedient of politicians behind the times |
The age has passed when foreign powers might |
meet and dictate to millions of people over whom
they have no rghtful authority. Let not the |
smooth toDgued dplomatists who meet at Brussels |
imagine for moment that they can regnact the |
scenes of the Vienna and Verona Congresses.
Such gentlemen can no longer silence the heart
cries and soul-shoutngs Of men suffering grievous
wrongs and determined on removing the burdens
that sink. them to the earth. They may meet in
the palace that the Belgian King has fitted up for
them; they may sit long days around the green
baize table which diplomatists are accustomed to
use; they may endeavor, by doubtful words and
ambiguous phrases, each to get the better of the
other; they may even come at last to conclusion
which may be acceptable to themselves and agree
able to their royal masters. But in the mean time
Italy will be pursuing that course which she has
marked out for herself; the different States of the
peninsula will be advancing in those democratic
paths that converge towards Italian liberty, Italian
union, and Italian independence.