Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1860-10-10
THE STATE OF EUROPE.

A great if not general European war seems
to be imminent and scarcely avoidable. The
Kingdom of the Two Sicilies is completely
in the hands of Garibaldi and the Sardinians,
and the States of the Church are fast follow
ing in the footsteps of their Southern neigh
Dor. The City of Rome and two or three
outposts are still held tor the Pope by a
French army; but the Papal host, under La
moriciere, has been utterly routed and is no
longer available for any military purpose. The
flight of the Pope of Spain to Austria is be-
lieved to be close at hand, upon which it is
supposed that the French will quietly abandon
the Eternal City itself to the victorious army,
which will then be master of all Italy but the
northeastern corner, strongly held by Aus
tria, studdeds with fortresses and bristling
bayonets. Against this iron wall, it may fair
ly be presumed that Victor Emanuel and Ca
vour will hesitate to precipate their legions;
but can Garibaldi and his flushed companions
be likewise restrained by the dictates of pru-
dence? Having liberated Southern Italy by
what every one would have branded as sheer
madness had they failed, will they begin now
to weigh probabilities and calculate chances
When the thousand who so nobly yet so rash
ly responded to the appeal of Sicily are swelled
to One Hundred Thousand, are they likely to
turn a deaf ear to the frantic outcrieS of Ven
etia2 We believe they will rush straightway
upon her oppressors-that Austria will there
upon declare war against Sardinia-that the
fleet of Young Italy will forthwith transport
revolutionary expedition to the coast of
Dalmatia, and that Kossuth will once more "a
rouse Hungary to a struggle for liberty and
nationality. Then if the Gear should once
more cast the heavy sword of Russia into the
Austrian scale, Louis Napoleon will be COM
PEELED to march to the defense of Italy, and
thus the flames of war will sweep from Etna to
the Caucasus.
Such is the prospect opened by the thrill
ing events which successive arrivals have dis
closed so rapidly that they seem rather like
the incident of some extravegant romance
than like those of sober history. The Italy
of few years since was but Gas Metternich
said) SEA geographical expression;" the Italy
of to-day is a nation of Twenty Millions, who
ask only of the rest of mankind to be allowed
to incorporate with themselves the Five Mil
lions still held in chains by Austria, while
frantically desirous of becoming an integral
part of the Italian nation. The Austrian and
the Gar may have power to defeat their ar
dent wishes, but not without fearful effuSion
of blood. Manifestly, the events of 1861 will
be more momentous than those of 1859 or of
1860. The elder Napoleon's prediction that
become Republican or Cossack," extrayagant
though it was, seems again in fair way to-
ward realization. Should Louis Napoleon
permit the Austrians to re-establish the abso-
lutte sway of the Pope and the King OF Naples
over the fairer half of Italy, his prestige is
gone for ever, and his throne will crumble at
the first breath of popular discomfort. But
ne cannot be SO shert-sighted as to premit this.