The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-05-14

Now that VICTOR EMMANUEL, supported by
LOUIS NAPOLEON, is about to measure strength
with Austria, for the liberation Of Italy, it is per-
ccy natural that public curiosity should be far
excited as to desire to know something of the pedi
gree of this champion of Italian independence, and
how his ancestors became possessed of the little
Kingdom in the Northwest part of Italy, which
their latest descendant has governed with so much
wisdom that the fifteen millions of Italians, who
inhabit other portions of the peninsula are now
earnestly looking to him, and to his powerful
ay for that relief from the oppressive rule of Aus
tria, which they have vainly struggled to obtain
by means of local discretionary movements. |
Of the Kingdom of Sardinia ITSELF it may be suf-
ficent TO say that it comprises the Duchy of
Savoy, the Principally of Piedmont, the Duchy of
Genoa, the County of Nizza and the Island of Sar-
DINA. The aggregate population of the Kingdom |
may be roughly estimated at five millions, of
which four millions five hundred thousand occupy
the mainland. We have been frequently told that
the House of Savoy is one of the Oldest and most
distinguished in Europe and although TENNYsON
scornfully declares in his glorious but intensely
bitter, lyric of " Clara We're de Nere" that
1.-The gardener Adam and his wife
Smile at the claims OF long Descent"
the popular respect is heightened by knowing
that person, who, by superior ability, has won
for himself prominent position in history, is
member of an ancient family. 1t was not until
WASHINGTON and NAPOLEON BoNApARTE had dis
tinguished themselves in their respective spheres of
action, that men sought to trace back their lineage.
The history of the Kingdom of Sardinia is COM
prised in the history Of the House of Savoy The
ancestors of VICTOR EMMANUEL were feuda chief
tans and warriors of note long before HUMBERT,
Count of Maurienne, great vassal of RUDOLPH
Duke of Burgundy, in the year lO40 accepted from
CONRAD H., who had annexed Burgundy to the
German Empire military jurisdiction over Maui
rienne and other parts of Savoy, the lower Valais
and the valley of Aosta. AT the death of HUMBERT,
he was succeeded by his son. OHIO, who extended,
by marriage with the daughter of the Marques of
Lusa, the dominions of the House of Savoy to
the banks of the Pc. This rich inheritance
was enjoyed by his two sons, PETER and
AMADEUS H., who became successfully Counts
of Savoy; but in 1901 when the Papal authority,
at the height of its power, claimed supreme tempo
Christendom, and threw the German Empire into
commotion, the principal towns of Savoy threw
off their allegiance to HUMBERT ILL.,, and asserted
their independence Of all vassaage except the
nominal one to the Empire. His successor, AMADEUS,
re-conquered portion of the territorial possessions
of Savoy, but Turin and Asst continued indepen-
dent for nearly century and a-half. In l24l,
PETER, Count of Savoy, wise and chivalric
prince, whose sister HENRY III. of England had
married, visited London, where he was received
with great honors by the English King, who crea-
ted him Earl of Richmond, and assigned him for
his residence palace on the banks Of the Thames,
which for several centuries afterwards was known
as Savoy House. This Prince not only sue
ceeded in restoring the declining fortunes OF
his family, but added to Savoy the five
districts now belonging to Switzerland, and known
as the Canton de Vaud. During the following
century Savoy hourished under the equitable and
popular rule of succession of Princes, all of whom
bore the name of AMADEUS and under each of
whom, either by conquest or marriage, territorial
additions were made to the original domains
of the House. Victor AMADEUS VIII. united the
whole of Savoy under one sovereign and from his
time the House of Savoy has occupied prominent
place in the history of Europe. LUDoviC, who
reigned from l44O to l445, by his marriage with a
member of the royal family of Cyprus added to
his other titles that of King of Cyprus and Jerusa
lena title which is still assumed by the represen
tative of the dynasty of Savoy. In the sixteenth
century the reigning Prince in addition 10 assum.
ing ducal state, bore the title of Imperial Vical
81 ri tba of hot
EMMANUEL PHILLIBERT established the capital O
the Dukedom at Turin. From the great admins
trative ability displayed by the latter he has
usually been regarded as the real founder Of thu
monarchy of the House of Savoy but it was no
until after the close of the between France anC
Germany, when the limits of Savoy were extended
by the addition of the Valsesia, the territory O
Domena Monferrata and the Island of Sicily
that Savoy was erected into a Kingdom VICToI
AMADEUS II. being crowned King of Sicily a
Palermo in December, 1913. Subsequently h,
surrendered Sicily in exchange for the Island o
Sardinia, and the title was altered accordingly. Hi
son CHARLES EMMANUEL, whose reign extended
from 1870 to l773 first took up arms in favor O
France and Spain, in opposition to Austria; bu
in the war of the Spanish succession, fearing tina
the Bourbons were becoming too powerful il
Italy, he entered into an alliance with Austria
and by the treaty of AK la Chapelle in l748, hi
obtained the upper Novarese, where the decisive
battle of Novaro was subsequently fought
and the districts of Voghera and Vigera,
no, near the river Pc. During the
war of the French Revolution, his son, VICToR
AMADEUS I'LL, lost nearly the whole of his King
dom. Savoy and Nice were wrested from him in
1892, and 0neglia in 1894. He died in 1896,
leaving CHARLES EMMANUEL " to the mercy of the
French troops who held possession of the principal
fortresses. Savoy and Nice united to France,
and unable to restrain the excuses committed by
the French Generals, Commissaries and other
agents of the Directory, after BoNApARrE quilted
Italy, he retired to the Island of Sardinia and
finally abdicated in 1902 in favor of his brother
VIcToR EMMANUEL. 1t was not until NAPOLEON
had fallen before the armed coalition which wa!
arrayed against him, that VIoToR EMMANUEL re
turned TO Turin and took possession of his King
dom. to which the Congress of Vienna had added
the territory of Genoa. In 1921, he abdicated il
favor of his brother, CHARLES FELIX, who dying
in 1881 without issue, was succeeded by CHARLIE;
ALBERT. member of q collateral branch of tn
House of Savoy. Under the rule of the latter
Sardinia continued to prosper until lS4e, whel
he Joined the Italian insurrection against Austria
was defeated at Novara, and was forced to abdf
cate in favor of his son, the present King of Sar
DINA, VIcToR EMMANUEL
HE FRAUDS IN SALEM, MAss.-Dr George B. Lor
clarnad rafl L.