Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1859-10-24
NApoLroN \ AK Italian THRONE

PRINCE NAPOLEON n AN ITALIAN THRONE.
fro~ ne No"iteur Of SsPtes,bcr rs.
Some foreign Journals have stated that the solution of
the affairs Of Italy would be impcded by the desire of the
Emperor Of the French to found a Kingdom in Italy for
a Prince OF his house. These rumors do not need rciuta-
ton. To deprive them of all value IL ~suifces, without
speaking of the engagements entered into at VillaiIanca,
to bring to recollection the acts and the words of the
Emperor Napoleon since that epoch.
From The London TymIs, Of September %.
AT last the oracle has spoken. Aner a prctcrnstural
silence of several weeks, the Potentate whose will SWANS
question whether a French Prince is to succeed the late
Austrian Satraps in the government of Central Italy
The manifesto in the AonitsUr will be a severe blow to
the hopes of Napoleon Jerome's partisans. That the
Prince has a party who have worked hard to create
a throne to place him ON IL beyond n doubt and
il would be too great confidence in human virtue
to believe that the Imperial cousin himself has
been without some hope of more exalted rank, or
has been perfectly free from all Interference in the
matter. Indeed, tho solution of the Italian difficulty,
by placing the Prince on the throne of Tuscany, Mo-
dana aud Parma, has been likely enough ever since the
Italians showed such %antipathy TO their fugitive rulers,
and the INDICATION OF the world was SO much excited bv
the spectacle of an unnecessary war ending in an incom-
pletc aud almost inglorious peace. We have not the
smallest doubt that Napoleon LID when he agreed to con
ditions OF peace, at Nillafranca, was perfectly sincere in
his determination to restore the Dukes. What may have
been the secret springs of action which produced this
astonishing compromise no man can say. The stubborn
resistance of the Austrians, the strength of the fortreSSes.
the unconccaled displeasure of England, the open fostil.
" OF Germany, even personal WEAKNESS and the intense
heat ofthe weather. may have had something to do with il.
DIN uNm aA We hAIAl VI TINS event II NOuuu seem that
the French Emperor was really and truly DESTROYS so be
quit of the war, aud that he accepted the restoration of
the Duke as he accepted the retention 10y Austria OF the
fortresSes and of Nenice-becausc the Kaiser would not
yield on these points.
Still there seems much reason to suspect that the plan
of providing a throne for Prince Napoleon had been con.
sidered prior to the war. IL i well known that from the
earliest period OF the year-from the time when the Em-
peror made his hasty address to ". Hubucr-the Prince
was the open and avowed champion of the war. Ills
partisans were loud on the necessity Of trampling ON the
treaties of 1878. Of establishing the nationality OF italy,
or rather Of driving out the Austrians, for il dd not an
pear whether delivered Italy VAS to be left entirely TO
herself. Then came the hasty marriage between the
Prince and the daughter ofNiCtor Emanuel. Its idle TO
say that there was nothing personal in this alliance, that
the Prince only represented France, and that the union
was only a drawing closer oLthe boRds which linked to-
Gcther the policies of the Emperor and the King. Meth
or Sovereigns or States IN the present day require these
family ties TO insure the stability OF these alliances which
se cemented 10y = common interest. France and Sardiui,
would have equally fought side by side had neither Napo.
leon Jerome nor ClOtilde ever existed and We doubt
whether one Frenchman or Sandman in ten thousand
ever thinks on the marriage as IN any way increasing
the friendship of the two nations. But To Prince Ma
Po!eon himself the advantages were obvious. By
marriage With an Italian Princess, he became. accorlinr.
to the easy code of ROYAL naturalization. an Italian suf.
hcient to govern any part OF the Peninsula which might
be in search OF 4 Sovereign. At the time il will be ne.
mcmbercd that the future elevation of the husband of
Princess Cotilde was hardly doubted, and the only oues.
ton was whether L~ombariy and Vene;ia were TO n,
united under his Sceptre, or whether his throne was to De
placed on the banks of the Arno. We do not quote the
gossip Of siN months since in the belief that il Indicated
any settled policy in the mind Of the Emperor but every
one conversant with modern political society knows that
secrets are very badly kept, and that whether in ENGLISH
clubs or Partisan drawing-rooms, q certain approyima.
ton TO the designs of men in authority Is ant TO be srri.
we'd at. That At the beginning of the war an Italian set.
tement for Prince Napoleon was contemplated i As GER
tain as most facts connected with the affair. Then the
Imperial Highness, armed with p~roclamations and beam.
ing with smiles, was sent to Tuscany to lead the ardent
volunteers OF that fair land 10 victory and glory. He
had an independent corps, with which he was 10 revo.
lutiouize the territory of the petty Princes. and per.
haps mott 10 spare the holy possessions Of the Pope. lie
70 was who was TO attack the Austrans on their left flank
and crossing the Pc TAR lower down than the French
armies could attain, was to insure the retreat of the enc.
nv. But, unfortunately for the adventurous scion of
Imperialism, the enemy gave way too easily. Fortune
fAyOrs the bold, and Napoleon Jerome was 50 very bold
that fortune favored him rather too much. The Ans.
TRANS would not stay for the Prince and his corps and
his noble volunteers, To beat them. They abandoned
Payia and PacenZa and all the places which had been
the standing menaces o! Sardinia and the Duclirs for io
years. They retreatrd on their lortresses, they LETT the
legations, they blew up their works at Ancona. aud by
the time the Prince had worked himself up to the pro
per pitch OF martial srdor there was no enemy to fight.
He did not even assist az Magenta or Solferino. The
separate corps remained in embryo, the Tuscans and No
deneSe have never had any fighting a. vet. and the great
WAT Of 1859 passed over without the Princes name re-
criVing any additional~lu [
Still the Prince had not lost all chance. The Dukes
had fed from Florence and Modena, and the poor Duchess
interview al N~hafranca might have been eTpee,ed IN and
Ia some stipulation in favor of the cousin who would
have fought 80 bavelv, and who only ws..ed nm -,
tunity but At V~illafrauca Napoleon J.roue vas r.
mentioned, or was mentioned only 10 De nut aside Tbs
Dukes we're to be restored, il not by French and Austrian
hayoncts, al least by the moral suasion of the two I'm.
perors. What chance, then, was there for the Prince
But soon Il appeared that the Tuscans aud their counfry.
men would not have their iugitiycs back at All. and tb,,
they we're determined to place a throne at the disposal
Of some worthy aspiraut. The hopes Of tie Palais RoyaI
again rose high. Who so likely to be chosen for ihs
throne Of Central Italy as the Prince who went on, 10
hghtior Il: but again fortune irowned. The Italians with
That want OF consideration and gratitude which di..
ungu'hes them still chung TO the notion ofan united Italv
lhey would have nothing to say to a French Prince h1t
unanimously proiered their allegiance TO the S,rdipi,,
Monarch. To overcome this obstinacy has been the task
OF the Prince partisans for several weeks past. I'm,
the determination OF the Italians Is 100 strong. and the
engagements at N~ilafranca are too binding. The resnI,
l., TIA; now the claim of Prince NAPOLEON Is definitely
quashed by the French Emperor. This decision IL M
doubt, q right one, and will not diminish the prestice of
Napoleon III. There can be no doubt that To 1I,ce
Prince Napoleon on the throne Of Florence would he a
great mistake in the present state Of Italv and tho nre..
r"' temper Of the Italian people. That he is n man of
considerable ability may be true. and il i urob,Lla he
would make a fir Sovereign. But Italy requires upity
aud Enghshmen, at least, though opposed TO the distIr..
Dance oil European peace, are anxious that the present
opportunity should not he lost but that there shouId he
an Italy which both France aud Austria NAV respect II
j. hard, indeed, 20 see in what way such a solution NAV
be reached, but il f. certainly not 20 be attsinej tb,o1gb
the sovereignty Of a French Prince.