Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-05-09
Orlsln of the Wnr in Enrone

government,
Origin Of the War in Europe.
OF the Austrian rule aud pretensions in Italy,
and why France in especial is called upon to in
sist that they shall be summarily and decisiyely
dealt with, the N Y. Times thus discourses
The Italian Peninsula. with an area about
equal to that Of New York aud New England
combined, and population of nearly twenty.
five millions, occupies such position in Europe
that were it united under one authority. OF
leagued in one interest it must carry with it the
command of the Mediterranean, and balance in
the South the power of Germany in the North
| Were the Italian States free aud independent
no Power could successfully undertake TO ara
gate to itself the dominion of Southern Europe
Were the Italian States subject to any one of
the great Powers, that Power might undertake
the accomplishment Of the dream of universal
European dominion, at least as safely as France
IN the time OF Napoleon l., or Spain in the days
of Charles V.
When exhausted Europe fell back in 1915
from its victory over Napoleon upon the recon-
struction Of the "principalites and powers,
1t was felt to be imperatively necessary not only
that Italy should be put beyond the reach OF
any OF the parties to the Holy Alliance, but
also that she should be prevented from aspiring
to any unity Of her own, No ruler could trust
his brother ruler with what Rchelieu called the
Key Of the World" and all the rulers were re
solved that the Italian people should not hold
1t. Italy was, therefore, divided as follows -
10 the restored King Of Naples was given his
old realm, the Italian inheritance of the Spanish
BouT6ons. Upon an area nearly equal to that
OF New York this sovereign was to rule
over ten millions of subjects, and the whole
Southern region of the Peninsula. To the
Pope was cOnGded an area equal to that of
Maryland aud Massachusetts, with three mill.
ions OF people, in the centre of Italy, and
! stretching from sea to sea. An Austrian prince.
Of the young branch of the House on Haps.
burgh, held Tuscany, with two millions of pco.
piui and fertile region on the west fully ss
large as Massachusetts, locked in upon its
northeastern borders Of the smaller States of
Parma and Modena also ruled by princes of
Austrian extraction and alliance, and with a
combined population O. about million souls. -
Northern Italy was finally divided by the river
Iicino and the Lago Magqiore between the
Houses of Savoy and Hapsburg, the former as
KING OF Sardinia, possessing dominion to the
West about as large as South Carolina, with "A
population twice as large as that OF New York;
the latter as klngfof LOmbardo Nenetia, hold.
ing region half as large as Maine, with Don.
ulatOn OF abouttive millions. In these arrange
ments it pleased the Congress of Vienna to sec
a sure guarantee Of the impotence of Italy to
menace the peace OF the world
But the House Of Hapsburg had not forgot.
ten its ancient motto, aud was determined not
only to retain Lombardy, which had descended
to 1t from the Inheritance of CHARLES w. aud
Venice, which had fallen into lbs hands in
the chances of the last Napoleonic war, but
also to use Northern Italy as its lever for
making all the Peninsula its own It los. no
time in beginning operations Il has never
ceased to prosecute them. The most formd-
able engines Of Austrian influence have been
the systematic attempts of the Italian sove-
rcigns to crush their people back into the
recognition Of "Diyine Right" aud to kill the
hydras Of liberty and law" throughout their
States The ink was hardly dry on the Con.
ventiOns OF Paris, when in July l2, 1915. Aus.
tria signed secret trenty" with Naples.
binding the King of Naples to "rule his do
| mlnlons IN accordance with the views of tho
Austrian Government" Five years later in
1920, Naples forced her King to grant her a
Constitution Austria then appealed to this
secret treaty and by virtue of il marched an
army into " independent Naples, suppressed
the Constitution, and established that Austrian
tutelage which has endured with the brief in.
terval Of a few months in ls4S, up to this time.
In 1921, Sordinia demanded a Constitution
Into Sardinia, likewise, Austria marched ioith
Out a secret treaty, aud restored despotsm there
also. An outbreak at Bologna brought Austria
| into the Papal States, one or another point of
which sho has never since ceased 10 occupy
| The Grand Duke of Tuscany is strictly Aus.
tran by family, and has therefore been left
comparatively uncOmplimented by the armed
presence Of his kinsmen. With Parma and
Modena, in lS47, Austria concluded treaties al.
lowing her to take armed possession Of these
States whenever military prudence should
| require it. Within the last forty years, there.
| fore, Austria, from ruling five millions Of Ital.
ians in one corner of the Peninsula has ad.
vanced to practical control over the whole
Peninsula, with the single exception Of Sardin-
ia in which State Liberty has established itself,
and has held its own with incompatible spirit
and good sense.
| On formal grounds, then, Napoleon Ill has
clearly been right us a European sovereign in
protesting against the steady inlraoions OF the
balance Of power in Italy Of which Austria has
been guilty. In these protests he has simply
echoed the less determined language held from
time to time by his predecessor Louis Philippe,
and by the English Government His right to
! project Sardinia from any invasion of Austria
is demonstrable on these overt grounds alone.
As French so FeTeign. Napoleon, however,
has other and even stronger reasons for his
present acuOni not the less respectable that
they need not be automatically put forward.
The course Of Austria in Italy, while it threat.
ems all the powers concerned in the freedom Of
the Mediterranean, bears directly upon the
future welfare Of France France has nothing
| to fear from Italy, IL the Italian States defined
! by the treaties Of Vienna be really independent
From Italy, as fef Of Austria, France has
everything to fear; and the French monarch
would be recreant to his trust who could suffer
the process begun in 1918 with Naples to be
consummated with Sardinia in 1859 Should
Austria in the war which she now incitos, be
wholly driven beyond the Alps it is idle to sup
pose that Italy would DO transferred to the de-
mnion ofFrance. The same reasons which forbid
! Italy TO be Austrian forbid her TO be French,
and Napoleon III. is not the man 70 throw him
self mady against the combined feeling Of
| Europe. IL would be rash indeed now TO spec
ulate upon the consequences Of such a strife as
impends 10 Europe; but we may feel more con-
| fdent that the result of a thorough humiliation
Of Austria in Italy must be the inauguration Of
such a career Of independence and nationality
for tho rest of Italy as has been so glorouslv
begun by the gallant people Of Sardinia aud
| Piedmont.
NEW MERCHA MI rAILDK ES