Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian., 1859-05-14
The War I'm Europe..The Italian Ques.
ton which Causes 1ts

The War I'm Europe..The Italian Ques.
tion which Causes II.
The news from Europe, brought by the
Niagara steamship to Halifax on the 9th inst.
shows the imminent probability of war be-
tween Austria on the one side, and France
and Sardinia on the other, which in its pro-
gress would not improbably involve all Eu-
rope.
Since the reception Of the Niagara's news,
rumors have been received from below, that
another steamship had arrived, and that
declarations of war had positively been issued
by the contending parties, and that the bloody
combat was actually begun.
We pray that further advices may dissi-
pate this rumor as unfounded. But we fear
it is too true; and it will not be amiss, there
fore, to remind our readers of some of the
facts which account for such catastrophe,
though in our view, at this distance from the
scene of operations, they can hardly justify
the immense and fearful consequences which
the war will occasion.
When Napoleon the Great fell, the great
powers of Europe met in Congress of Ma
tons at Vienna, the capital of Austria, in 1873
IA, and then and there dismembered his en-
pire; rewarding their friends and Furnishing
his friends. France was reduced to her an
cient limits many of the smaller German
principalities were mediatised or merged in
others the Bourbons were restored to Spain
and Naples as we'll as France and Nations
and Peoples and Rulers were parcelled out,
divided and moved around just as suited the
diplomats of that Congress, who had million
of bayonets behind them, and who treated
Men, Nationalities and Kings, as of no more
consequence, as to power Of will, than the
mock men of board possess as to voli-
ton in the hands of their players.
Amongst other arrangements of this Con-
gress of the Holy Alliance of 1894, Lom-
hardy, in Northern Italy and Venice, were
assigned to Austria as her share of the spols.
About this matter, the Italians residing in
these Lombardo- Venetian provinces were
never consulted, nor their consent that Aus.
tria should rule over them, asked even. They
were transferred to her dominion, as cattle are
sold with farm to its purchaser.
With this transfer, however, the Lombardo
Venetian Italians have never been content
nor has Austria sought much to concilliate
them. Her rule has been an unmitigatcd des
potism. Fortresses-gens d'arms-spy po
lice-passports-fore governors-foreigr
soldery-repression of everything like free
dom of thought or expresson-the gibbet, thu
bullet or the dungeon the punishments for po
litical offences these all have been character
istics of the Austrian government over Italy
1t is hardly necessary to to say, therefore
that the Italians hate their foreign rulers, witt
all the intensity and bitterness of Italian ma
ture-a hate which is not INDUCED in merel..
by the people of the provinces in question
but extends and is felt over all Italy
But these feelings, for many years after tn
Congress of Vienna, were smothered in tn
hearts of the people. They had no leader
no rallying polnt-Italy was dead and poison
: ed with despotism, all over. But the progres
, of liberal ideas during the few years past
Italy, has at length given hopers for Italia
Liberty and Independence, and haters I
Austria, point cfraUy. The small kingdol
of Sardinia, comprising the Island Of tn;
t name, but with its chief seat in Italy amongs
: the mountains of Piedmont and embracin
a the limits of the old Dukedom of Savoy, SUE
denly advanced into unexpected prominenc
Her former despotic government became lii
> eralized "a free legslature-a free press
y free church-toleration and liberty Of speet
II became features of her national characte
ID and novelty in Italian history. Her peop
- contented, prospered. Her statesmen begs
to be prominent in the eyes of Europe: ar
10 one of them, the Chief Minister, Count G.
n YOUR, has become eminent alike for his ell
le quence, his talent, his conservative liberalisr
and for his prudent thought and bold state
manship.
On Sardinia or Piedmont, therefore, lii
: mediately centered the hopes of revolutiona
n and liberal Italy. To take the lead in t
le cause of Italian independence was the pa
,e assigned her on all hands-a part which S
appears to have at once accepted. The Q
a. pressed Lombardo-I Italians turned their ey
'e with longing, towards her for relief; and on,
~ a few years ago, Sardinia, under her King
re BERT EMMANUEL, sought to bestow this rel
le with arms; but Austria, with RADETsKY
s. the head of her armies, was to strong for t
~ feebler power of Piedmont and she W
u compelled to accept peace not credital
4. though not dishonorablc while her King a
re dicated, to die subsequently Of broken hea
y. .e But though checked, neither the idea
ol Italian liberty nor the progress of Piedmo1
so were arrested seriously. They both ha
all continued to gain Roadway. The latter h
u persisted in Gberalizing her government,
g g educating and organizing her people. L
at erection of Notifications at every weak POI
c. of her territory; and the creation of TIN
oughly disciplined army became features
> her policy, in preparation for the future.
); Under the lead Of Count CAvoUR she beg
ig also to claim voice in the policies of t
c. great powers. When the Crimean war bro
out, she participated in the Anglo French a
e. ance against Russia; and sent her Gene
n, Maramora, with a contingent army of 300
D, men, to aid in the capture of Sevastopol-
I'll army sent not so much that Sardinia cared
l. do aught against Russia, but that she want
to gain help and friends for her mission again
Austria, to unite Italy as nation, and sha
r. off the yoke Of the foreigner. We all rene
D. Der how gallantly the Sardinians behaved
n- the seige-proving that the old Italian brave
is that once conquered the world was again
d cending to zenith after an obscuration