The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-01-13
Austria, Royal Prince Of Hungary and Bohemia,
after which comes the title Of Grand Duke of rus-

snare all the WclssltuOe6 Ol tne mouse OF hap6-
burg and all the consequences Of its foreign
and domestic policy without sharing the advsn-
tages Of union With great confederation of
States. 1t received Austrian conservatism second
hand, while as q frontier post, it was, more than
other provinces Of Austria, exposed to the revolu-
tionary influences which, since the first French
revolution, have agitated the Italian peninsula.
The Grand Dukes have generally been good natured,
humane princes; but since the revolution Of 1913,
the paternal Grand Ducal government has yielded
to one Of more positive though far less liberal
haracter, as o means Of resisting the tendency Of
the age. Tuscany has become merely an advanced
Austrian post in Italy-an apendage to the king
dom OF Lombardy and Venice. The police has be-
come more vigIant the censorship more oppressive
even as regards books, and among them the book of
books, the Bible; while the physical condition Of the
people has suffered from disease, stagnation of trade
and bad harvests. Compared to Sardinia, Tuscany
is plunged into complete inanity, with no signs
whatever of popular movement, and no aspiration
that is not sanctioned by the police. Neither is
there any considerable under-current visible indi-
eating national direction Of the public mind, 30
that it may truly be said Tuscany is the most quiet
and contented State Of oil Italy.
The reason Of this quiet however, is easily under
stood. In Lombardy and Venice the revolution has
been put down by the iron hand of Radetzk; and If
LoMbardy and Venice were unable to resist Austrian
arms, there can be no hope for Tuscany. The Grand
Duke, an Austrian prince, will always be able to
dispose Of the whole power Of the empire to crush
any popular movement in his own State; and it must
be admitted that the internal administration of Tus
cany, though deficient in any substantial progress,
is still much superior to that of the Papa States
adjoining Tuscany or TO that OF the Kingdom Of the
Two Sicilies, that the people have reason to be
thankful that their lot has not been cast further
south among the Romans or Neapolitans. If the
despotiim of Naples were an honest despotsm, like
that of Russia; if the government Of Rome were
as honestly administered that Of Russia the
agents of Mazzini would not succeed in fomenting
troubles. 1t is only with chronic diseases that
quacks may tamper with impunity.
Here i'll Tuscany one can realize the vast strides
in advance Sardinia has taken among all the Italian
States. And whether the dynasty of the House Of
Savoy is purely Italian Or French it cannot be de-
MED that it has taken the lead the road to pro-
gress In one country there is absolute liberty Of
the press with every manifestation on the part of
the conductors of the press to use that boon with
moderation and discretion; in the other you find
questions concerning the State which can easily dis
peDse with newspapers altogether. In the public
houses at Ieghorn found no papers, except such
as were read by strangers; and when in one of the
principal coffee houses-the Cafe 4Americano-I
asked for the Jou,nad es Debats, which brought
to me from some dark hiding. place, | found
to my discomfort that l had become an object
of some surprise and attraction. There is,
however, a good reading room in that city,
where for pou,o ! could read the Times and
London Punch; and as q special bonnie bouche
the New York Courier and Enquirer OF lst Of May
last The extreme liberty enjoyed by that estab-
lshment is probably owing to its high entrance fee
which precludes the ordinary inhabitants of the city
from ndulging in such choice literature. What
little privilege Of motion is enjoyed here is in the
nature OF special allowance to foreigners but they
are taxed in every possible way for being thus made
the objects Of governmental exculpation.
OfaIepublican spirit have seen nothing in Tus
cany, neither among the higher nor lower classes,
though Cnce passed whole year in Florence. On
the contrary, no people in Europe seem to me to be
more thoroughly accustomed to, and satisfied with
merits must first be nstiIled into these people be-
fore they can be expected TO cherish republican
freedom; nor do see the materials with which and
on which TO work in such process. 1t seems to
that the Florentinc spirit was ultra-repub
lican, and that national Italian sentiment never
existed either in Pisa Florence, except in the
heart of the historical genius, Macchiavelli,
who was so far ahead of his time, that
his countrymen did not even understand him.
The principal merit of Florence still consists in hav
ing furnished Dante, the poet of exile and of hell
the chief characters for his Divine Comedy. Ii
the Italian patriots wait till the people of Tuscany
rise to shake off the Austrian yoke, they will des-
cend to the grave without seeing their hopes real
lied. The Tnscans did not share i'll any of the great
movements that agitated the Italian peninsula, and
to this day pride themselves more on their superior
civilization, language and app eciatiOn OF the arts
than on being an integral part of the Italian nation
You can realize here more easily than anywhere else
in Italy, that Metternich was right when he said
that the word Italy was merely geographical
tenn, conveying no political meaning and that that
which exists In the minds Of a few poets iterati,
or men OF superior education, requires yet years
of apprenticeship and experience before it can
ripcn into anything like national consciousness.
The best thing, the providental thing for Italy is
the present liberal government of Sardinia, under
sovereign who is not likely to take back what he
has promised to his people and to the world. He
that does aught either to lessen the confidence of
that prince in his people, or of his people in their
constitutional sovereign Is, in my opinion trait
to the cause OF Italy, or man so devoid of political
Judgment as to be utterly incompetent to conduct
national newspaper, much less national movement.
There is hope for Italy in her present condition.
but in the example OF Sardinia, and in the increased
power and influence of that state The Italians
have not only to learn great deal but they must
also forget much Of their former history their form
er laws and institutions, their prejudces and mutual
hatreds, to be able to unite-not again, but once =
since the name Of Italy appeared ON the maps, as
the people OF q CONN on country. Italy has not to
go through one, she has to go through twenty revo-
lutions to effect such change in public sentiment
and who shall say that these twenty revolutions will
be successful and that when accomplished they
shall not fail Of their common object?
The people of Sardinia have been much pleased
with the io'eption their King has met with in Eng
land. and the papers dwell upon that circumstance
with mrch greater plaisancy than on the atten-
ton shown him in France. His reception in France
was more Of an official nature, the honor done him
due to his rank and station. In England the people
and the press wed with each other in expressing
their appreciation of his course constitutional
sovereign and firm and impartial ruler. The
Sandman press has laid great stress these mani
fesatone which contains, to say the least, mega
tive criticism on the state Of public liberty in
TACT, has nevertheless ventured to predict an anne.
Iteration of things In France, and the Journal DIES
Dtbots went even 90 far as to hint that after the
conclusion of peace, the French nation, who was
willing to make great sacrifices in q great national