New-York daily tribune., 1856-04-26
FRANCE.
SHIRLEY BROOKS
From Our Own Correspondent.

From Our Own CorrespOLdeut
PARIS, Thursday, April 10, 1856.
One of the questions that are now said to be oc-
cupJing the attention of the Congress Of Paris,
and one that occupies just at present large share
OF public attention here is, what is to be done with
Italy The question is said to be specially pressed,
accompanied with volunteer answer by the Ssr-
dinian Pl,nipOteniorics. OF the likelihood Of the
Congress interfering to regulate Italian affairs
still less Of the likelihood of the reports in Ger
man, English, Belgian and Piedm' ntese papers, Of
what Congress is doing and has done in the matter,
/ DO not purpose 70 speak. Ignorant persons have
said quite too much on these points already. Let
every one cutss for himself That sOm ething pres
emily must be done for Italy is past doubt Her
unfortunate inhabitants have fair claim on the
protection of civilized, and even sembar)arou
Europe against Auttrian oppression, Neapolitan
peifdy and imbecility. and Pontfci weakness,
that is as cruel in its effects upon the unhappy sub
iects Of the Pope as vigorous tyranny.
Many god, respectable people, even on the
American side Of the Atlantic, are always opposed
to European revolutions; and decaim against the
follies and violenCcs of 1918, aud maintain the S.
perOrity Of the fixed governments that recovered
WI at was not their own in 1S5l-'52 with as much
zeal, and, perhaps more honesty than the bureau
Gratis of royal or Imperial Administration.
hey are now weary of repeating that the Eu-
Korean peoples are not fit to govern themselye
Some of them only have the grace to shake their
hcadf, with a sort Of mild, pharsac, melancholy
shake, as they repeat the dictum. Now, granted
that the European peoples are not yet fit to govern
h,mselves-ss most people who have never gone
through preliminary hOunderlng IN the water are
not III 10 swim-the Inference which is often
draw does not follow that their present rulers are
tit to govern them. Revolutions are undoubtedly
fIauglt with evils-natiOnal and moral But
there NAV be a normal political and social state
that, on the whole is worse than revolution.
Chronic maadies are sometimes wore than fits
am aware that TO argue this proposition to tle
mass of the readers of THE TRIBUNE is 70 carry
Goals 10 Newcastle anthracite 10 Philado lphia,
But 10 them il may not be entirely uninteresting,
and to the small uncOnvinced minority, not without
advantage 10 cast their eye upon few facts and
figures illustrative Of the actual condition of the
Roman States
1t being agreed that the Roman people are not
fit TO pass without shock, from state OF Slavery
to one Of stlfgovernment, the first striking proof
of the sOundness Of the Inference that an epeptic
Pope and set of ambitious obstinate priests are
fit 10 govern them, appears in the fact of the oc-
cnPstiOn Of Rome by Austrian and French SO dlers.
Mind here this important and general fact, that
for the last five or six years Rome has been unin-
terIuptodly and unimpededly governed by this
combination Of native and foreign tit rulers. The
test of the fitness of government is the prosper
ty Of the gOverned one would say that among the
tests of the prosperity of people none is better
tlan diminution Of crimes. Now mark these sta
tistcs: In 1859 there were in the different pris-
Ons of the Papa States l0436 prisoners; their
number has gone on regularly increasing-in lS54
there were l3,O00 prisoners. Take another case
In tfe single city of Bologns, the capital Of the
Legation of the same name there were in part of
1855, 500 cases of simple theft and robbery, 50
cases of robbery with personal violence 10 the
victims 20 "invasions of handtti." In that same
city sits council of war, which between lSi9 aud
1855 hes condemned Ia banditt and thieves 70
be shot-with what mOrslizing effect msy be judged
from the fact that the Proleeste Of Bologna pub
lshed an edict dated Oct. 9, ls;L5, in which that
officer "a priestly dignitary, Monseigneur Grssse
llni sets prices upon the heads Of long list of
bsnGitti--thus: Lszzarini. 1900 scpdi; Bignaui,
5OO scudi, etc. That is. Monseigneur Grasselini,
with all tie apparatus of an established. III gov
erument, store of police and geHdarmsrie, and
French and Austrian troops al his back, esn de-
wise no better means Of spprshendiug notorious
robbers than the offer of large sums from the pub
lie treasury, in the way Temptation 70 the accom-
plices Vi these chief robbers TO hetTsy them