New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-11-17
TTALY-FEDERATION.


.nnroaehinQ solution. The curtain is TO rise over
new act Of the great bloody centuries-lOng italian
drama. Federation and unity win stand face to
face, one or the other is to be the solution of the
political condition Of Italy.
Ardent patriots desire the formation of q strong
kingdom Of Sardinia, by the absorption OF al Zen
tral Itay-and this as safeguard Of the future In
tegrity OF the nation, as Transition 70 more
general and all-embrseing unity Federation
seems now to be pushed into the background; al
though. IL developed, it will mark progress nor
,nallv evolving from italian history from the womb
of italian NE, so variegated and so prominent for
its originality.
Since the times Of the German inroads, but aboy
an siuce the times of the Hohenstauffen and tn
autaQonism of Guelphs and Ghibellines, unity ha
been advocated by both parties. 1t is easy to COM
urehend how the Sandman ruler, Sandman states
men, and other Italians, partisans OF unity, claim it
AZ the realization of old everything national aspi-
ratjoDs and as the sole means of the regeneration
of Italy; and how, goaded by long and terrible
suAerngs and martyrdOm, inflicted upon them by
their petty princes spurred on and protected by
Austrian bayonets, the populations of Central
Italy invoke union as their only means OF salvation.
But when the excitement has once subsidized, the
traditions, as well as the still strongly ingrained
characteristics which constitute the various national
Municipalities, will claim their old, indestructble,
and-in the historical life of Italy--natural rights.
Unity was the watchwOrd Of Guelphs and Ghibe-
lines. The Guelphs invoked it as an armOr against
foreign principally Germany invasions occupation,
tic
struggles and dissensons. Venerated and almost
sacred names like those of Dante, Petrarca, Mae
chiayel, MassatO, Muratori, and GiObert, have in
yoked unity under various forms; under Caesar,
an Italian Prince, OF under Pope, and in Papacy.
Union under one supreme head, whatever this
head might be, has mostly turned out to DO an OPP
pressiye, often a tyrannical and finally absorbing
supremacy The Spartans, when at the head of
Greece, were oppressOrs and tyrants. Rome began
as the bead of confederation formed of the
surrounding districts, villages, and clans. Rome
absorbed them, then Italy; and finally, almost the
whole of the then known world. The unity of Italy,
under supreme head would first clog and trouble,
and then Cypress the different national indivduah-
ties now composing Italy. Dante before this
nnme an Italian or barbarian Gas j ann ought
religousy to bow his head-Dante invoked unity
against the internal discussions in cities, and be-
tween cities and republics, discussions TO which he
himself was a victim. To put an end to them,
Dante advocated the supreme power OF Cesar
then the German Henry VII. Dante greeted his
advent even after anti-Imperial, if not wholly
Guelphc Italian cities, like Brescia and CremOna,
had been subjugated by Imperial armies. But in
the conception of Dante, such Cesarian supreme
power should preside over the destinies of Italy,
should harmonic and cOnciliate, without fusing
into one, the various portions of the peninsula
His powerful mind foreshadowed federation as
generated by modern polity, without, however ar
irving at the clear comprehension oft. Dante says
in his Monarcha "H0bcRt namque aGtiOnes, regina,
"eiritates inter Sc ProPrietGtes qudS tegbHs dBer-
..eRtiJas regulGri opOret." What Dante expected
from the power of Cesar was the Cancellation of
antagOnisms; and that is now almost completely
obtained by modern federation.
Federation, as comprehendednOw, as shaped out in
the United States in Switzerland, and less cOinpre-
hensvely in the Germand Bund, is progress 1t
was unknown to antiquity. 1t was not even at
tempted on ts present basis and principles Not by
the Amphctyons; not even by Pericles and Athens,
the AtheDians attempting to lead and to OvershadOw
partial Greek confederation. Confederation OF
clans, tribes districts, cities, nations, was at
tempted and concluded in antiquity as well as among
the barbarian godfathers of the early periods of the
medieval era However, they were all for warlike,
offensive, and defensive purposes; not as an ever
lasting, always active agency to regulate vexed
questions or asperties, AT the utmost, the prece-
dent considerations in and out of Italy, were
crude outlines Of what time and progress have per-
fected, both as a conception and as fact. From
the most distant times, the political fate of Italy
has been always to be subdivded into social, dis
tinct members; ut times disoined and then con-
Federated as the Latns, the VOlscans, and the
Samnites, against Rome. Such as they were, il
took Rome about two centuries to OverpOwer and
fuse them into the Roman unity. The Roman Elm.
pure in its last centuries was kind of liberalization
mot federation) of various provinces, and Italy
formed a part--a principal one-of the whole.
From the ruins of the Roman world, from the me-
dieysl night Italy issued again cut up into vari-
0ns larger or smaller members. The four
hundred cities of Italy, representing al
most as many Municipalities, could not ever
by material force be comprised in and bound by one
political formula. Proud and isolated the Italian
cities and Republics never formed federation and
the absence of such political combination the
cardinal source of all their misfOrtunes The Lom-
bard league was only made for the purpose of re-
xisting the Germans. Less than the cities and
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