The weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1858-1860, 1859-05-24


From the NsW Yosk Evsning Post.
y. The first government overthro~n By the pre-
81 ens European convulsion u, singularly enough
= one Of the most liberal. Leopold H., Gran
e Duke Of Tuscany, has, We learn BY the latel
u intelligence, brought b. the Adelaide, fed frol
- Florence. No further particulars are given, an
% though It was to be naturally supposed that ID
>, expatriation Of the Grand Duke would be on
e Of the necessary results Of an Italian revolution
: the event has taken place sooner than We ha
: reason to expect As yet, until Ne have add
sional news it is almost impossible to speculat
e with propriety upon the causes which led to tn
y premature flight, but it certainly shows the i'm
y minence Of the great crisis 10 Italian affairs.
u Leopold H., Grand Duke of Tuscany, is TIL
i second son Of the Grand Duke Ferdinand iii.
e and was born ct Florence on the. third Of Octo
= Der, 1877. During his infancy his family SUIT
fered political reverses, being driven out Of thei
domi1ions by the French. Retiring to Germany
= his father caused the young Leopold to be edu
Gated, first at Salzburg, and Afterwards at Wurz
9 burg. In 1914, on the fall OF Napoleon, Flor
. ence was restored to the Grand Duke, and Leo
9 pold returned with the family to his native city
+ In 1917 he married . Saxon princess and TX
) 1924, on the death Of his father. succeeded u
the ducal chair. During the troubles Of l84s
! he was again expelled, but soon returned to biz
capital, and on the ed of June, 1850, Con-
, vention was signed by which ten thousand Aus
TRAN troops should occupy Tuscany and support
the authority of the sovereign.
Frequent yicissitudes proved to Leopold that
direct tyranny would endanger his government,
but as scion OF the house OF Hapsburgh, and
the grandson of German Emperor, his feelings
naturally inclined towards imperial rather than
republican traditions Indeed, whatever might
have been his incIinations, the influence of Aus
tria was so decided that he dared not be too
: liberal. Yet he has certainly done a great deal
for the moral and material improvement Of Tus.
cany, than which no Italian country now exhib-
its greater evidence of prosperity.
1t is chiefly to Leopold II. that the Tuscan
people owe their splendid roads, their substan-
tial stone bridges, their new railways, and many
OF their institutions Of education. The traveller
is at once struck with the contrast between
Tuscany and the Papal States, in regard to these
International improvements. In the former be
rides by easy paths, crosses magnificent stone
bridges, such as are never met in this country
passes by cultivated tields and through towns
where modern Improvements are CONSTANTLY
taking place, and where the monumental build
lngs OF medieval ages are preserved with
pious care. Crossing the boundary into the do
mains Of Plus TX, he finds the roads neglected.
the heldssuntilled, old cathedrals falling to de-
| cay, and the streams often impossible from want
has been projecting and carrying on improve
ments that reflect the highest credit on his Ilb-
eraI TASTE The great cathedral, perhaps next
to st. Peters, the most magnificent of Italy. and
which has been for centuries unfinished. he had
undertaken TO complete. The Church Of Santa
Croce-that Pantheon of Florence, wherein re.
pose the remains OF Michael Angelo, and other
great men whose genius has shed such lustre OF,
the name OF Italy-had long offended the eve
by its imperfect front, and Leopold H. had CON-
menced erecting facade that was worthy OF
the edltice. The "Lung 'Arno, the picturesque
promenade OF Florence, noble street bordering |
the east bank of the Arno, has been extended
and adorned with new palaces. Indeed. had he |
been allowed to perfect his plans, Leopold Ii. |
would have done for Florence what Napoleon
Ill. has already done for Paris
As patron of the Fine Arts, the Grand Duke |
OF Tuscany also deserves mention By his di-
rection the invaluable art treasures of Florence
were freely thrown open to public inspection
including the galleries OF his own palace. In
religion he has exhibited considerable tolerance
as the Protestant communities of Pisa, Leghorn,
ana the capital city, will confess; although the |
persecution, in his domnons, of the Madiai has |
preludced against him many Protestant coun- |
tries.
In person the Grand Duke is rather prepos-
looks much older. His hair is Of a light gray
color, and he stoops slightly while walking. -
dis countenance betfays certain marks of care
and suffering, which are attributed BY many OF |
ms people TO domestic trials, a cherished rela- |
tive being afflicted with insanity. In manners
he is affable and pleasant, and was accustomed |
to ride out daily in the Cascine, sometimes in A |
carriage, with the members of his family. and |
sometimes on horseback, his equipage being only
distinguished by the respect with which the |
bystanders gaze upon it, from the more dashinp
turnout of my Lord Noodle Of England. the
wealthy Mr.. Smith of the United States, or the
lesser lights OF the Florentine nobility. In the
more retired parts OF the Cascne-the beauti-
ius wooded park that lies upon the banks Of the
Arho, out short distance from the city-hei
was often fond of strolling alone, and many
strangers at Florence have passed him carelessly
by without a thought. Those who recognized
MN would raise their mats, to which the Grand
Duhe "ouid respond by similar salute, there |
oeihg no further formaty or etiquette in this
than what would mutually pass between the
President and citizen of the United States
But with all these excellent qualities. Leopold
Is not popular in Tuscany. The presence OF the
austrian troops constantly irritates the peopIe
VINO 90 not THINK the music they gratuitously
aHord the pubic, on the open space in front Of
the Ducal Palace and in the Cascne, a sufficient
reward Tor the unwelcome presence Of the
Sledeschs" Indeed, the presence Of these
troops can never be forgotten by the people,
LOT daiiy parade takes place in the PRINCIPAL
streets. 10 stranger 1t is very interesting to
listen to the music of the band and to see tho
we-trained file of soldiery passing along 81
tneir picturesque eostumes-some with helmets
ADORNED with waving plumes, others with ianntv
caps and feather OF the Savoyard mouptaineers
whe their well FURNISHED bayonets cast light
hing-hke flashes OF light upon the frowniap
walls OF the Palaces of the Strozzi and Medici |
10 stranger this is all delightful-but then
strangers do not have to pay for all this glitter
and parade.
lhs, with other causes, has combined to make
Leopold H. unpopular. He knew it, and was !
prepared Tor any coming political event. He
has Just returned from visit to the diving kim /
Of Naples, when he heard the rumble of the {
polltlcal earthquake, and timid and nervous as
ne Is, notwithstanding his refined tastes and his
oenevoence, he fled from Tuscany at the mo {
nent when she is in danger '
La this flight Leopold leaves the most beaut; .
ui City of Continental Europe, and the most 9
luxurious home that any living monarch has oc :
npied. windsor Castle is gr4ced with il bat. a
lements and towers-the Palace OF the Tuler |
es Is ricn In treasure and gorgeous with every- 9
hing wealth can command-the Car resides II Il
/
rn art-Pius TX. looks from the windows az 81
ne Vuir'nai or the Vatican upon the most clas- y
lc ground the earth knows-but none Of these G.
esai homes can equal in luxurious delight the >
I'LL F1lace OF Tuscany. Its massive walls its el
ocular architecture, its domestic convenien "
les, Its refined accessories, its superb position p
re all unsurpassed. 1t contains some Of the a:
chest art treasures in the world In its marble q
alleries are the peerless Madonna della See,ola h
Raphael, the Madonna OF Muril!o the richest re
lnllghts OF Salvador Rosa and Claude Lorraine y
le Venus OF Canoya, and the cherished snuye I'll
lrs OF many OF the greatest artists of Italy.- st
ehind the palace stretch the Boboli gardens 81
i'h their quantity trimmed foliage, their re- ra
eshlng fountains and their rare statuary, while 50
ON the higher terraces the now exied Dnke A
'uld enjoy the modest view the vicinity 81 IN
lorenzo affords. In the distance, boundin the b,
9r,zon, are the white peaks OF the Apprentices, 81
nile near by lies the 'farest CRY Of the earth &c
orence, with the Arno winding through /, VI
'anned by bridges tina. are themselves feast
the eye Rising from tho clustered houses