Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1859-05-25
THE WAR IN EUROPE.

ORIGIN OF TIE wAR-AUsTRIAN RULE IN ITALY.
The following extract from an editorial of the New
York Times, of Saturday, will give the reader gen.
eral idea of the origin of the threatened in Eu
rore:
The Italian peninsula, with an area about equal
to that of New York and New England combined
and population of nearly twenty-five millions, &C.
cupics such position in Europe that were it united
under authority, or leagued in one interest it
must carry with it the command of the Medterra
nean and balance in the south the power of Ger
many in the north. Were the Italian States free
and Independent, no power could successfully I'M
derake to arrogate to itself the dominion of South
ern Europe Were the Italian subject to any one
of the great powers that power might undertake
the accomplishment of the dream of universal Eu-
ropean dominion, at least safely as France in the
time Of Napoleon L., Spain in the days of Charles
V.
When exhausted Hurupv fell tack IN 1919 run
its victory over Napoleon upon the reconstruction
of "princpalities and powers" it was felt to be i'm
perativcly necessary not only that Italy should be
put beyond the reach of any of the parties to the
Holy Alliance, but also that she should be prevent
ed from aspiring to any unity of her own No rul-
er could trust his brother ruler with what Richaeu
called the "Key of the World" and all the rulers
were resolved that the Italian people should not
hold it. Italy was therefore, divided as follows -
To the restored King of Naples was given his old
realm, the Italian inheritance of the Spanish Bour-
bons. Upon an area nearly equal to that Of New
York this sovereign was to rule over ten millions OF
subjects, and the whole southern region of the PEN
insular. To the Pope confded an area equal to
that of Maryland and Massachusetts with three mil
lions of people, in the centre of Italy, and stretch
ing from sea to sea. An Austrian prince, of the
young House of Hapsbu:g, held Tuscany, with two
millions of people; and fertile region the west,
fully as large as Massachusetts, locked in upon its
northeastern borders by the smaller State of Parma
and Modena also ruled by princes of Austrian extrac
ton and alliance, and with combined population
of about million souls Northern Italy was final
ly divided by the river Tcino and the Lago Maggi-
ore between the Houses of Savoy and Hapsburg
the former as Kings. o. Sardinia, possessing do
mnion to the West about as large as South-Caroli-
ma, with population twice as large that of New
York, the latter as Kings Of Lombardo- Venetia,
holding region half as large as that of Maine,
with population of about five millions In these
arrangements it pleased the Cong ess of Vienna to
see sure guarantee of the impotence Of Italy to
menace the peace of the world.
But the House of Hapsburg had not forgotten its
ancient motto, and was determined not only to re-
tain Lombardy, which has descended to it from the
inheritance Of Charles ", and Venice, which had
fallen into its hands in the chances of the last Napo-
leonic war, but also they Northern Italy as Its
lever for making all the Peninsula its own. 1t lost
no time in beginning operations. 1t has never ceas-
ed to prosecute them. The most formidable engines
of Austrian influence have been the systematic at
tempts of the italian soveregns to crush their peo
pie back into the recognition of "Divine Right, u
and to kill the hydras Of Liberty and law" through
out their States. The ink was hardly dry on the
| Conventions of Paris, when in July 10, 1915, Aus
tria signed a "secret treaty" with Naples, binding
the King of Naples to "rule his dominions in &C
cordance with the views of the Austrian Govern
ment" Five years later, in 1920, Naples forced he'
King to grant her Constitution. Austria then ap
pealed to this secret treaty. and by virtue of il
marched an army into "indepeudent" Naples, sup
pressed the Constitution, and established that Aus
TRAN tutelage which has endured, with the brief in
terval of few months in 1848 up to this time. Ii
1921, Sardinia demanded Constitution. Into Sar
DINA, likewise, Austria marched acithout secre
treaty, and restored depotism there also. An out
break at Bologna brought Austria into the Papa
States, one or another point of which she has nsve
since ceased to occupy. The Grand Duke of Tus
eay is strictly Austrian by family and has therefor
been left comparatively uncomplimented by tn
armed presence of his kinsmen. With Parma an,
Modena, in 1S47, Austria concluded treaties allow
ing her to take armed possession of these State
whenever military prudence" should require it
Within the past forty years. therefore, Austria iron
ruling five millions of Italians in one corner of tn
Peninsula has advanced to practical control owe
the whole Peninsula with the single exception Q
Sardinia in which State liberty has established il
self and has held its own with Incompatible spiri
and good sense.
On formal grounds, then, Napoleon III, has clea,
~ been right as European sovereign in protestin
against the steady infractions of the balance q
power in Italy of which Austria has been guilty.
In these protests he has simple echoed the less de
termined language held from time to time by hi
predecessor, Louis Philippe, and by the Engis
Government. His right to protect Sardinia fro,
any Invasion of Austria is demonstrate en- thos
overt grounds alone
AS French sovereign, Napoleon, however, ha
other and even Stronger reasons for his present
ton, not ths less respectable that they need not
automatically put forward The course of "Austr
in Italy, while it threatens all the Powers conoerne