The daily national Whig. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1847-1849, 1849-05-23
TaANCE AND RoHE.


The most important item Of news brought
by the steamer America is the resolve Of
the French Government, sanctioned by the
Assembly, to interfere in the Affairs Of
Rome, avowedly for the restorationIof The
Pope to accomplish which, iorceof feur-
teen thousand troops has been sent to the
Roman territory--to Civita Vecchia, which
is to be. the point Of Decentralization, and
which is only thirty-six miles distant from.
the Eternal City.
This measure, we are sorry to say, has
not little the appearance Of condemna-
ton Of the revolution Of February, and Of
a reachonary anti-repubican feeling in the
Government and in the present representa-
tives Of the French people-the Legislators
who formed the constitution, which, taken
altogether, is pretty passable one, though
not without some serious defects--defects
that we enumerated in the Globe in De-
cember last Now, that this same conven-
ton should, by vote carried by a large
majority, condemn its own acts by con-
demnipg those Of the Roman people, seems
strange and inconsistent and unaccountable.
But let us be just. The reason assigned
for this Intervention by the Government
and in the Assembly, against which Lamar
tine, Washington, Lafayette, and Cavaignac
voted, is, that a violent and unconditional
restoration of the Pope is not contemplated;
but that, whilst restoring him, a liberal form
Of government, with free and suitable instr
tutions, will be insisted on, on behalf Of the
Roman people, and that instead Of extin-
gushing freedom at Rome, it will be per-
manently established, with guarantees that
French intervention is better than Austrian
Intervention, which will be inevitable, I'M
less Austria is anticipated by France that
by settling the Roman question in this way,
the peace Of Italy may be preserved, and
more real and effective aid rendered to the
cause Of Italian freedom than by leaving the
question Of the Pope's deposition open and
unsettled, that his restoration is unavoida-
Bile, and the question is only, whether it is
not better that France should take the initi-
alive, than leave it to some other continent
tai power to- do so-some power that would
reap all the benefit to be derived from the
res iteration Of his Holiness, but would con-
fer none on the Roman people.
| huo a'SuN tuC VI NlfCHtioH---
whether they are sincere or not, it is i'm
possible as yet to tell; impossible to say
whether the reasons assigned publicly for
the intervention are the true reasons, OF
whether, under this mask Of generous and
conservative policy may not be concealed a
foul and traltorous conspiracy against both
the Roman and the French Republic. But
before condemning this measure in very
emphatic terms, we will wait and see by
what results it viii be followed what win
be the character and the extent Of the inter-
vention, and what will be stipulated for on
behalf Of the Roman people as condition
sine qua non of the restoration; and il a.
liberal constitution, with liberal institutions,
is obtained, and guarantees forthcoming
guarantees that will be sufficient and salts
factory for the maintenance Of freedom Of
the press and representative government
the priests TO have nothing to do with civil
fair and honorable means, and without re-
sort to force, then we will be prepared to
admit, that under the circumstances it is the
best that could be done--better certainly
than to leave Rome to the tender mercies
Of Austria, Of Spain, and Of Naples, as
Rome will be left, should the north Of Italy,
with Genoa and Tuscany, prove recreant to
the patriot cause, or prove unequal to the
work Of maintaining it, as will be the case,
we fear-as is now the case, il may per-
haps be said; and for which Charles Albert
is most 10 be blamed He rejected from
the beginning to the end all French aid,
Italy will manage her own affairs, was his
constant response, when the subject was
mentoned-L'Italia fara da Sc And she
did, or, more correctly, he did manage them
with vengeance. The consequence Of his
sel6shness, Of his rashness, and of his ambi-
ton has been--the subsection Of Lombardy,
OF Venice, (now or soon to be, the sub
mission Of Piedmont, and contribution
imposed BY the Austrians Of many millions,
the loss Of his crown, a reaction in Tuscany
and Modena, the restoration Of the Pope,
and the present humiliation Of all hope for
the establishment of Italian freedom. And
he furnishes another instance Of what vast
amount Of mischief mediocre man may do,
whose ambition is greater than his capacity,
his courage, if possessed at all, merely ami
NAL, and his integrity not by any mea'
above suspicion. The next time the Italians
strike a blow for their freedom, they win not
choose for their leader, we hope, any king
or prince or noble, but one Of the people,
whose cause is their cause, and whose heart
and soul will be with the cause. Would
Arcole and Marengo and Austerlitz and
Jena, &c., &C., be known in history, had
the French fought under the leading Of kings
and princes and aristocrats Certainly not.
1t is true that some Of these great battles
were won by the French under the leading
Of an emperor--the emperor Napoleon--but
he was made such by the French people,
and his elevation to the imperial dignity,
though an unfortunate measure, was still
triumph for the people, because the man they
invested with the purple was one Of them
selves and to this day one Of the causes Of
President Bonaparte's popularity is, that he