, 1859-05-23
Austrian Rule In 1tAly--Opinlon Of
One TY1So X uoFFk.

Austrian Rule In 1taly--0pinlon Of
One who Knows.
Ths editor Of ths Pnst-W. G. BaTAsr--has,
Tor tho lat two years OF more. bean In Europe,
considerable part Of tia tiuo in italy. He il
; clesr.sighted, saBscious and experienced
traveller, aud could not be decei7ed in regard to
the present condition Of the italian people. and
he il incapable Of wilfa1ly giFing currency to N
untru.h. In the RDst Of "Wednesday last, We
find an article combating certain notions Of the
English Press, in which the condition Of the
1talians under Austrian domlnntion is de-
seribcd. Wequote:
The l.n:lish press warns the Itelians that
F1Gi,s'I, srrcc>ocs in italy may destroy the bal
II. ;nst Vi i''wcr ia Europe, and lead to the @tab-
l.' u both sides of the Alps. 1t assures them
that it is folly to suppose that he who 30 ruth
lceSly destroyed free institutions In his own
country IS likely 10 establish them in italy. We
admit that it does not seem probable that he
will do so. We admit That bis antecedents are
everywhere calculated to inspire distrust Of his
singiencss Of purpose and purity Of intention.
We know he is no Washington; we know that
be does not practically admit the capacity Of the
masses for any larger share in tue work Of GOV
ernmcnt than the choice Of their dcspot- But
We must not forget that the balance of power
wears an aspect at Milan and Venine yery differ
ent from TINT which it wears at London. To
hare the forces which govern Europe SO nicely
adjusted thut none shull be able to overawe tue
otier, may seem to people whose liberties are
secure, and who are Jealous only Of their glory.
the greatest aim Of . statesman. When d mans
house is safe from douiciiary visits, his buck is
safe from the stick, bis head from the sabre Of
the 1nilitaiy bully, his son from serrice in the
ranks Of foreign army, his person secure
aSainst spies and dangerous and secret trials,
his wife aud daughter from Tue jailer.s lash; his
much as he pteases, it may seem IN, awful thing
that Louis Napoleon should put the Murats on
tile throne Of Naples, or make his son King of
Rome, OF subject the newspapers to the censor-
ship.
But it requires no great stretch Of imagination
to believe that these terrible contingencies sink
into famentable insigniticance in the eyes Of
| people whose common law is Austrian martial
law who are daily liable to seizure md perpct-
| ual Imprisonment or castigation on the bare
back, without ever learning their accusation or
tile name Of their accuser. Dreadful as Louis
| Napoleon's rcs ime may seem to freeborn
Eng1ishmen;" or Americans, to Lon,bards or
| yenetians 1t would be paradise itself, even if
they were certain Of falling under his yoke.
There is chance that still nob!er fate awaits
tEcm. but small blanc to them if they embrace
evcn the certainty of it in preference to their
present lot. 1t would not secure them liberty
in its highest sense, or even in any sense, but It
would Secure them equal laws we'll admins
tered, police, stringent certainly, but not yex-
| otious; it would exempt them from cruel and
| degrading punishment; it would accord them
triul by jury, and in the face Of day; it would
open career for their sons, and giye their trade
aud commerce room TO deEelupe themselves.
With all these, TOE, it is true, should still suffer
! from nameless pain; but every mans notion
OF happiness is, in great degree, dependent
upon what he has been used to. To one who
had for years been obliged to submit to kick
ing in The public street, the mere exemption
| from the intiction would seem positive bliss.
though to one who lad never undergone it, it
| would seem no boon at ali-
| There are certain stages Of misery in which
any change is change for the better, and that
stage ltaiy has unquestionabIy reuched. She
might technically be estopped from impugning
| the trcuties Of 1915, if she bad had . voice in
their construction, or had ever been consulted
as to the disposition which they made Of her
| III settling her status as they did, England, aus
| tia and Prussia consulted their own fear, md
| nut her welfare. They ask Of her now again to
sacrifice llcr welfare to their fenrs, but recent
events show that nothing is farther from her
thoughts. The deliberate delivery Of twenty
millions Of people to Il foul tyranny, in order
tl,ut " the great Powers" might be saved posi-
bic rehearsal Of French victories WIS rs bluek q
crime US cvcr was perpetratcd. One generation
Of noble people has already gone down to the
grave blasted By its operation. 1t is for this
rcuson that The Italian youtl, of the present day
will die sword in hand in preference TO living
their fathers lives. The great Powers" hare
for huff a century left them to their fate they
will now leaae the F." great Powers to theirs.
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