Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-07-30
The Peace Qusstion-Napolsors Address to
his Army


to sraut Austria the just accomplished peace.
1t is il document which requires frequent
reperusal, and which invites unceasing con
lecture The princi pal aim Of the war was.
ii seems, to render Italy nation, and this
principal aim, it also seems. has been oh,
tanned 1T is true" says Napoleon Ill
illustrating the proverb, Qai s'ercmSe sac
cnSe that Nenetia remains u AUSTRIA;
but he explains that this exception IL lmini-
terial, because Neneta will continue I" he
an Italian province, forming part OF the lla-
liam Confederation. We confess we do not
follow the Emperor in this explanation
That Venice will remain Italian We clear
ly see; We should have more difficulty IN un-
derstanding how it could become Bohemian
or Hungarian: but how this fact renders It's
possession by Austria of less Importance, We
cannot pretend IL explain. Ii Is one Of
those logical sequences which none but al
Emperor ut the head OF many legons can
announce with effect.
10 the eye of common understanding this
Possession Of Nenetia by Austria would
seem to give Austria L right which she
never before had t. uterIneddle in the poll
ties of all Italy. Austria, II great military
monarchy, Is. 10y this possession, member
of i Coniederacy which is made up of Aus
tra and few insignificant and unwarlike
states. In this Coniedcracy who will in
huence and who will obey! Austria is
right i'll buastng that it matters not to her
what may be- the fortune of arms; for. bea
ten ur victorious, she always gains the prize
in the contest That which was limited il
now IL become universal; that which was
an encroachment Is now 10 become II right.
We have nothing to say when the French
army is told that the union of Lombardy
and Piedmont creates for France powerful
ally. 1t is undoubtedly true. But France
has bought this alliance at Il frighttul cost,
and the independence of Lombardy Is not
that independence for which the LpmbardS
sighed.
1t is VIGOROUSLY very difficult t" get at the
meaning Of Louis Napoleon. He is the
great modern Sphynx, and his very exis-
tence depends upon his not being found out.
But Of all the riddles he has proposed To
Europe none is more puzzling and intricate
than this treaty of Vilalranca, the sense Of
which We have attempted to read in the de-
srriptiun he has himself given. 1t is usual
when we doubt IA t. the authorship Of an
act to ;isk--for whose benefit was it done?
Here however. we ask this question in vain.
The treasure il spent and the blood is shed,
the war is ended. and the peace is made: but
no one, so far IN We can Sre Is the better for
the fight. Sardinia is not quite happy III
her new possessions, and even Victor En-
manuel will find in Lombardy Il poor sub
stitute for the enthusiastic affection of all
Italy.
France has gained no accession to her ter.
ritory, aud no friendship from the oppressed
populations of the earth She has gained
nothing but the knowledge that her Emper-
or is able to manTuvre an army. She has
not, even ut this moment, the conviction that
his sparing Austria was an act Of unmixed
generosity. The Emperor now says that he
stayed his hand under an apprehension that
the struggle was likely to assume larger
proportions than he desired. 1t is not II
very chivalrous reason to give to IN army
which had ust fought II campaign and lost
thousands of its comrades for no result
which any one of them would have desired.
These soldiers want work and glory and pro-
motion. 1" tell them he made peace for
fear the war would spread could only be to
set them guessing who it was who had thus
stayed them in their full march of conquest.
IL was not England. Was it Prussia: 1t
is not very probable. unless this pause in
fighting should be rather Il diversion than Il
cessation. Was it Russia? Did Russia
think Austria had been beaten enough?
Was Russia acting all the time as the sur
gron. with his finger upon the pulse of the
patient, and did she give the signal To cease
when that symptom of Hungarian fever de
veloped itself: All or any of these reasons
may have operated. Or the Emperor Napo-
leon might have known the state at his own
army best There is. indeed, last suppn-
Sition, which we offer to the consideration ot
those who were not long ago 50 tiercely
scolding Us because we doubted that Napo-
leon wuS about to set up free consttu-
ti"nal government in ltaly-perhaps the
French Emperor has imposed some secret
obligation upon Austria never again to IN
tcriere in the affairs of Italy. If this should
he so, then all is right The Pope aud the
Grand Dukes are put up in pride Of place
merely to give Napoleon's great principle.
''the sovereignty Of Ike people"-a clear
stage. If they can hold their own. good
~ lhtN CiuH'l, tlel uo"h tol'Ii' ! 'po ''"'
Kaiser. and Italy, left to herself, works out
her own regeneration.
There is no limit to human credulity, and
there may be credulous idulators of Chaos
who, even at this thirteenth hour, may be- |
lievc in such impossibilties as these. The
sane men Of the age, however, know better.
They recognize in this new settlement moth
ing but an universal and irresistible despn- /
tism. We yesterday announced that Ca !
YOUR, disguised by the disappointment of
all his hopes, had thrown up his employ I,
m-nt The telegram of to-day confirms our
previous information, and announces that :
the King of Sardinia has accepted Count !
Cayour's resignation, and has replaced HIM
by Count Arese This event determines the /
nature of the peace. Cavour was IN earn
est man. He believed in Italian indepen- |
lence "a future work Of Napoleon Ill |
IL was bv means of the confidence he telt IN |
himself and inspired in others that Mazzlnl !
and his emissarieS were discredited through !
Iut Italy.
1t was Cavour who gave the signal for the |
successive risings in the smaller Italian /
states. 1t was by means OF his influence !
that the revolutions at Florence, Parma, and ,
Modena were bloodless and that Rome re- |
manned tranquil Cavuur believed in Il con
Italian unity, aud unfortunately |
he believed that the Emperor Napoleon Ell (
tertained the same views AZ lmset. Warn |
ngs were thrown AWAY upon him. Pa /
trolS and young ladies have u faith in men ) |
premises which no e1positl"ns can shake.