The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1859-05-31

Of Piedmont.
Ii is again remarkable, as an untoward
result Of our present ministers necessities,
that while the youngest constitutional mon
archy in Europe is ready at a great crisis TO
speak by the voice of its Parliament, and
to resolve upon acts Of devoted patriotism,
the eldest Of all constitutional thrones is
|, # without Parliament, and the English
people have representatives to prompt a na-
tional policy, or to control the course which
may be taken by the ministry Of a minori-
ty. We believe that if English opinion
could now make itself known through the
usual Parliamentary medium, it would
speak SO loudly to Austria that even at this
last moment her enterprise would be stay
ed. All that Lord Derby said to France,
and much more than Lord Derby vcntured
say to France. the voice of the country
would now say to Austria. Has she yet
ears to listen Or is she even now about
in few hours to demonstrate to the world
how hollow were her pretences Of fearing
the Sandman levies by driving them be
fore her in hopeless rout Is she even
now showing how much more she was in.
censed than endangered by the handful of
refugees who were gathered under the Sar
dinian colors, l. she about to prove 70
Europe the necessity Of her offensive move
ments. and the formidable nature of the
attitude of Sardinia, by annihllating at one
blow the army She affected to dread, and
by moving upon Turin by rapid marches
But Austria has outstripped her enemies.
She has surprised France as she was leis
urely putting on her armor, and she has
come upon Sardinia like strong man upon
a small noisy rioter shouting defiance to an
adversary whom he believed to be at a dis
tance. 1t is clever, and it is promptly done.
Austria has the opening of the game in her
own hands; her forces may swarm across
the frontier river; she may destroy or dis
perse the Italian army she may drive
the broken remnants into the three great
Sandman fortresses. or up into the passes
of the Western Alps; she may cover the
open country she may infict upon Sardi-
MIA the modification of occupying her cap
ital and she may teach the inhabitants of
Turin what are the habitual sufierings of
the inhabitants of Lombardy. But is this
all ! Is this all that is necessary for Aus.
tria to accomplish ! Not so. She will,
when all this has been done, have only Civ.
en- the signal for the real conflict She
will have done an act of stupid force. She
will not only have put herself in the wrong
with the conservative powers of Europe,
but she will have destroyed the only grounds
upon which they could have given her as
sistance. With General Gyulai at Turin,
where then are the treties of ISll, With
Austria in possession OK Sardinia, the Bo-
napartes who even now positively repubiatc
the Congress of Vienna will re-enter into
the full rights Of bclligerents. What right
shall We then have to say to Sardinia and
her allies, "Thus far shall ye 90 and no
further" The first Austrian picket that
passes the Ticoni will tear the seals from
all those treaties under which Austria now
holds her Italian provinces; the first Aus
tran cannon that booms upon Sardinian
soil will salute the freedom of the Italian
Peninsula. Ties is not war that can BE-
decided by haSty march, however prima-
rily successful, What Austria holds in IT.
ally she owes to the mutual jealOusies ot
European Powers operating at Vienna in
1915; by crossing the I'icino she Will de-
stroy this her only title, and throw all
chances Of Austrian power in Italy upon
the fortune Of arms.
Surely this cannot Be the policy Of a
prudent powe., Builtup by alliances, by
marriages, and by treaties, she scizes a mo
mcnt OF quite exceptional military prepon.
derancc to throw up all her acknowledged
rights, and to trust all to the power oftorcC
and to a right by conquest yet TO be ac
quired. This seems to us 50 much NOR,
ike an act Of desperation thon a policy
based upon sound counsil that we canno
even yet abandon the hope that she NAY
stay her hand before She casts this terrlbl,
die. If. however, this hope should be Dis
appoited, then We can see but one ultlmat,
consequence Europe which was ready, NJ
to the time of this fatal invasion, 10 make
hard bargain, perhaps too hard bargain
for Italy, will thereafter be content wit
nothing less than the retreat Of the Au>tri
aas behind the Alps
Col LANDER's SrRvEY.-The advanc
party Of Col. Lander's company, for tlr
further prosecution of the survey and con