New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-02-21
With Nice the case is different. The people Of

but here the written language, the education, the
national spirit, everything is Italian. The relation
between the Northern Italian and the Southern
patos is 80 close that it is almost impossible TO say
where one ends and the other begins. Even the
patois of Piedmont and Lombsrdy is, in its inhec-
tons, thoroughly Provenca while the way in which
the words are formed from the Latin, is essentially
Italian. To claim Nice on the strength Of this
patois would nevor do; consequently, it is now
claimed on the ground Of supposed sympathies for
France, the existence of which, however, is more
than problematical. That Nice, in spite Of these
sympathiss and Of its patois, is thoroughly italian,
there can be no better proof than that it produced
the soldier par excellence, of Italy Giuseppe Gar
ibald The notion of Garibaldi becoming French
man, is ludicrous enough.
The cesson Of both these Provinces would no
much weaken Piedmont in merely financial poin
of view. Savoy is poor country, which, althoug it
produces the best soldiers in the Sandman army
vet never pays the expense Of its own administration
Nice is not much better off, and, besides, is but
small strip of land. Apparently the loss would no
be great. Nice, though Italian, might be sa,rifce
to the consolidation of Northern and Central Italy;
and the loss of foreign province Like Savoy might
even be considered an advantage, so long as the
chances of italian unity are thereby promoted.
But things take far different aspect when exam
ined from military point of view.
From Geneva to Nice, the present frontier between
France and Sardinia forms almost o straight line.
On the south, the sea, on the north, neutrai
Sy itzerand, cut off all communication 30 far,
the postOn Of the parties in war between Italy
and France would appear equal But both Savoy
ard Nice are situated beyond the main ridge Oh tne
Alps. which surround Piedmont proper in vast
nrc and both are open toward France While,
therefore on the frontier Of Piedmont and France,
each party holds one side of the Alpine chain, Italy
holds. on the northern and southern parts of the
fro ntier, both sides, and thereby completely COM
mands the passes.
Moreover while from want of traffic all the roads
across the Alps leading from Piedmont into France
have become quite neglected, the road over Mont
Gents from Piedmont to Savoy, and that over
the Col d Tenda from Piedmont to Nice, are
main roads of European traffic, and in capital
order. The consequence is, that In all wars be-
tween France and Italy, both Nice and Savoy, when
the attack came from the italian side, have formed
natural bases Of operation for invasion of France;
ard when France attacked, she had to conquer
these two provinces before she could assai trans
alpine Italy. And although neither Nice nor Savoy
could be held by the Italians against superior
army, they have still afforded time for concentra
ton of the italian forces in the plains of Piedmont
and thus served as a safeguard against surprise.
Ifthemilitary advantages resulting Italy fromthe
possession of Savoy and Nice were confined to these
positive ones they might still be sacrificed without
any severe inconvenience. But the negative ad
yantaees are by far the greatest Let us imagine
Mont Blanc Mont IseIan, Mont Gents, aud the
Col di Tenda, to be gigantic stone pillars marking
thefronter of France. The frontier instead of being
a straightlne asnOw would sweep around Piedmont
in an immense arc. Chambery, Mbertvilla, Mon
tiers, the points where the chief roads converge,
would be turned into French depots The northern
slope of the Mont Gents would be guarded and forti
fed by the French; the outposts of the two ma
tons would meet on its hight, two marches from
Turin On the south, Nice would be the center OF
TIC ttuCu ucpOlo, nLQ tuClL OutPOolo nOuiu osouu
at Oneglia, four marches from Genoa. Thus,
the French would be, even in time of peace, a
the very gates CT the two largest towns Of North
western Italy, and as their territory would slmOs
surround Piedmont on three sides, they could rem
der impossible the concentration of italian army
in the plain of the Upper Po Any attempt TO
the Italian forces west of Aessandria
would be exposed to an attack before the con-
was complete-in other words to a
series of defeats in detail. Thus, the center of de-
tense of Piedmont would at once be removed from
Turin to AlessaLdra; in other words, Piedmont
proper would become incapable of seIous de-
fer se ard would be at the mercy of the French.
ibis is what Louis Napoleon calls "a free and
g grateful Italy, which, to France alone, will owe
60 her independence
If we turn TO the Nor b. what is a standing men,
ace to Italy would Re death blow to Switzerland.
Savoy becoming French, the whole of Western
Switzerland, from Basel to the Great st. Bernard,
would be hemmed in BY French territory, aud un-
terable fer day in case of war. This is so con-
spicuous, tat the Vienna Congress resolved to
neutrslize Northern Savoy as much as Switzerland,
and in case of war to give the Swiss the right to
occupy aud defend that district. Sardinia, paltry
{ late Of four millions, could not object to such
regulation: But could or would France allow part
Of her territory TO be thus p.'ced IN mlntarg SUD-
lection to another and smaller Stasss Gould
Switzerland attempt, in the event of war; to occti-
py ard take under her military control French
province! Certainly lot. And then, wheneveritmight
suit France, the whole of French Switzerland, the
D..uooo To-. No,cobotI Uo,J Honara