The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-02-03

| pendent party; but 1t may operate Indirectly
as balance of power, by taking off so many
votes from one of the two parties now engaged
| in mortal combat as may give decisive
| victory to its antagonist. In this point of view
the new movement may turn out to be one Of
great practical importance.
The sslf-ssttlement Of ItaIy-Tbc Latssez
Fafre Policy or Louis Napoleon,
In the adyices brought by the City Of Man
chester We notice rumor that the European
Congress was to meet on the 10th of this month.
We do not attach any value to the report.
Without formal disavowal of the views put
forth in the Laguerroniere pamphlet it is not
possible for Austria and the Pope to send rep
resentatives to that body. That there is no
disposition on the part of the French Emperor
20 recede from the principles laid down in that
brochure is manifest from the resignation Of
Count Walewski Compromised as was the
latter by his declarations In favor Of the main.
tenance Of the Pope's temporal authority, his
longer continuance in the French Cabinet be-
came glaringly Incompatible with the Imperial
programme. The world was, therefore, right
in concluding that his retirement was death
blow to any hopes that the partisans of Rome
and Austria might have entertained from the
moderation of the Congress, and was, 10 fact,
an iDsnperable obstacle to the assembling Of
that body at all.
made use Of this proposition of convention OF
The European Powers in order to SQUAD more
efectualy the views of the latter on the
tSo points which constituted the main
embarressments Of the Italian ques-
ton. Having gained the adhesion of
England ard the qualified assent of the
Northern Powers to the general details of bis
plan, be has cast upon Austria and Rome the
responsibility of rejecting a. diplomatic ar.
rar cement of these difficulties. It they refuse
to go into a Congress, upon them, and not upon
him, will rest the responsibility of the failure
Of the stipnlations Of the treaty Of villafranca
and of such events as their obstinacy may pro-
woke. What simpler or more practical solu
ton of these complications can be presented
The French Emperor re-enters within the
policy of nonintervention, at the same time
declaring to Austria that she must also adhere
to it. The people of Central Italy aud the
Romaena desire no better consummation of
their aspirations than this. It enables them to
settle at once their accounts with tie expelled
dynasties and the Pontifical government, and
even to furnish aid to their compatriots in
Naples, should events call for their assistance.
That the Pope is at last convinced his case
is hopeless, in diplomatic point Of view, may
be assumed from the resignation of Cardinal
Antonelli. Were Congress called upon to
decide on the fate Of the Pontifcate as poll
teal institution, he undoubtedly could have no
more valuable or efficient representative. An.
toHelli is man of great ability, great force of
character and astuteness. That he should
retire at the present difficult conjunc-
ture Of affairs is proof at once that
the Congress is no longer possible, and that
the PontiG is persuaded that the question will
have to be settled directly with his own SUBJ
jects. Of course, in such an event, the reten-
ton Of man so detested and so universally
unpopular would be fatal mistake. The
Holy Father is no longer in condition to
crafty his inclinations at the expense of his
interests, and he therefore wisely lets Anto-
nelli 60 by the board.
Whether the PontiF will get better terms
from his people than the programme of the
Imperial pamphlet accorded him, is very
doubtful. We believe that settlement was the
most liberal, the most consonant to the inte
rests and dignity of the Papacy, and the most
satisfactory to the Catholic world that could
have been proposed. 1t is not likely that, hav-
ing themselves the decision of the question, the
people Of Rome will accept the condition of
political mutism and isolation to which the I'm
perial plan consigned them Neither is it pro-
bable that the people Of the Romagna will modi-
fy the solemn vote at which their representa-
tives arrived in September last, and which pro-
nounced the complete political destruction of
the Pope. Never was the sense of people
more fully or fairly expressed than on
that occasion. The basis of representa-
ton in the assembly was as one to eight
thousand Of the population-the vote
was taken by ballot, and out of 124 members
121 took part in it. That all classes of the
population were fully represented is evidenced
by the following classification Of the dele
gates:-2 princes, 7 marquises, 2s counts, s
chevaliers, 4 officers, IA professors and scienti-
&c men, 9 judges, "a advocates and doctors in
law, 10 doctors in medicine, and % landed
proprietors, merchants and men in business
Thus it will be seen the rank, the wealth,
the intellect and the landed and commercial
influence Of the provinces all concurred in de-
claring ''the cessation Of the temporal govern
ment of the Pope, and their firm resolution
never again to accept it"
In the face of such declaration we do not
see that the PontiF has more to hope from the
generosity Of his quondam subjects than he
would have gained from the acceptance Of the