Polynesian. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu], Hawaii) 1844-1864, 1859-10-15
Ghe 4olpnesian,
The Foreign Press on Prominent Sub
jectS.
CAUSE OF THE PEACE OF VLLAFRANCA.-The New
York Herald of the 18th Aug. says:


! CAUSE OF THE PEACE OF VILLAFRANCA-The New
York Herald of the 18th Aug. says:
| Contemplating the conference at Villafranca
and the events that led to it, from this side of the
Atlantic, the veil that shrouded it from the iu,-
mediate observers seems lifted, and we can see
what it was that made the Emperors pale. and so
suddenly stopped the war in Italy. As they sat
there, those two alone, contemplating the mighty
events in which they were the actors, that con-
slant fear that haunts every crowned head-the
spirit of revoluton-rose before them in all it's
bloody and terrific aspect, and OvershadOwed each
and all of their schemes On going into the war
Louis Napoleon had appealed to the dissatisfied
nationalities of Italy. They responded to his
call as If by magic, and to an extent of which
even he, perhaps, little dreamed. Piedmont was
reused ut once to n furor of patriotism LOmbardy
blazed with the fires Of revolution Tuscany Par
ma and MOdena drove forth their rulers the Ro-
man States were on the verge of rebellion the
throne of Naples trembled; from every city, town,
village and hamlet Italy poured forth her volun-
teerS to drive out the sbirri of Austrian despOt-
ism ; CavOur and the National Committee pro-
claimed Louis Napoleon as the savior of Italy :;
Garibaldi and his fiery legion took service under
him Kossuth, Klapka and many other popular
leaders reused themselves at his call.
Louis Napoleon had broken the hardened sur
beneath, and he saw that the torrent was about
to break forth, probably to consume every throne
in Europe. So, too, with Austria. Francis JO-
seph already felt the soil of Hungary trembling
beneath the feet of his armed legions. Galicia
was dscontented. the Croats and BOhemians de-
sired change, and nearly every portoin of his mot
ley empire felt the shock of the revolutionary
idea. As the two EmperOrs contemplated this
state of things they to what it was tending.
Louis Napoleon felt that in letting revolution loose
he himself was becoming its plnything, and crea-
ture in the hands of Cavour, Garibaldi, Kossuth,
and the other leaders of the people. Francis Jo-
seph saw that instead of crowning with triumph
the obsolete ideas Of the Middle Ages, he was
plunging them into the revolutionary abyss there
to sink forever. 1t to the verge Of this abyss
that Louis Napoleon conducted the young Emper
or. and together they contemplated the terrific
spectre which hovered over its unseen and dark
some depths. Drawing back from the fearful
sight, they casped hands. the peace of Vllafranca
was made, and the two Emperors went forth with
blanched cheeks to announce it to the world.
1t is this vision which still haunts every Court
in Europe, and fills them all with dread The
ruling classes well know the fierce popular fires
that dwell beneath their feet, and tremble at the
slightest prospect of their breaking forth. Hence
the fears of the stability of peace, and of the
coming Congress at Zurich. Hence the diplomatic
assurances from Court to Court. Hence the sooth-
ing royal words, and specious palaverings of the
class-suppOrted journalism of Europe. The spirit
of revolution that has been reused to such an
expected degree in Italy must not only be prevented
from spreading, but it must be alayed there. The
crowned kings are willing to make any sacrifice to
each other, that they shall not have to bow down
before the sovereign people. Here, then, Is the
crisis that now attends on Europe.
REFORMS IN EuRoPE-The Boston Journal of
Aug 20, says:
Four weeks ago it was all fight in Europe, and
now it is all reform. The sword has not only
been beaten into plow-shares, but into steel pens
paper-cutters and all manner of pacific and prOmis
ing utensils. England begins to shake off the
nightmare of invasion, and we should not be sur
prised if that household ghost of parliamentary
reform should again come to the tireside OF every
British politician. Even Austria, the hardest
shelled Of the great European despotisms, which
seems capable of taking reform only as Sydney
Smith says Il Scotchman can take joke, through
Il surgical operation, even Austria reverberates
with the sound of different political parties dis
cussing the reformatory measures demanded by
the present exgencies of the empire. The Emper-
or so far Yields to the new state of things as to
eonvoke all the Provincial Councils, that they
may state their views on the necessary measures of
amelioration. The several provinces of Germany
and Italy are busy with projects of interest to their
no discouragement from the crowned heads that
generally mOnopolize the superintendent of the
peace of Europe. One of these, indeed the En-
perOr Napoleon, takes the boldest step of all, and
demands that the incorrigible Government of the
Roman States shall introduce certain reforms,
which, If introduced, will surely split the temporal
power of the Pope, clean and entire, from his
spiritual sway. At the same time, all these move
ments are going forward in the light of publicity
as if acknowledging the power of opinion and
craving its sanction. "What change is this !"
exclaims many reader of hopeful instincts.
The change is good one while it lasts. But it
is against the grain of that policy which dominates
Europe to this day, and it will, therefore, be tempo
rary in its outward progress, only to be saved from
retrogression by the wise and persistent attitude
of the people.
AMERICAN SLAVE TRADE.-Of the actual reopen
ing of the African slave trade in the Southern
States of N America the New York Herald ex-
presses itself:
We publish to-day another letter from Wash
ington on the practical revival of the African
slave trade in the South, in which our Intelligent
correspondent, in the premises, earnestly main
tains the authenticity of his startling information
upon the subject through these columns few
weeks ago. We are thus assured that "every
syllable of that information 81 IN relation to the
landing of large cargOes of imported saVages on
the coast of Florida was strictly true" and that
this contraband business along the Florida coast
is carried on very extensively. We are further
informed that there depots for the reception
of these {" savages" in over twenty Southern
cities and towns ; and that in three of these de-
pots one gentlemen had seen altogether some nine
hundred Africans. Another gentleman, interested
in the business, estimates the number OF cargOes
successfully dispersed into the Southern interior,
within eighteen months. as high as between sixty
and seventy, including aggregate of |" sayages'
of perhaps over fifteen thousand.
This is the Southern side of this alarming
but it has also q northern exposure
1t appears that most of the vessels engaged in
this nefarious traffic not only built at the NOrth
but are fitted out at the North, "with foil know
ledge of the use to which they are destined, and
with an eve To a share of the profts" We are