The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-03-09

The calm expectant attitude assumed and per-
sistently maintained by the provinces of Central
Italy, ever since the PRONUNCIATION of the terms of
the Convention at Villa Franco, has won the re-
spect and admiration of the whole civilized world
The Italians, who have usually been regarded as
wanting in moral stamina have suddenly display
ed an ability for self-government, and quiet de-
termination to assert their right TO choose their
own form of government, which have baffled every
movement that has been made with the design of
effectng the return of the Grand Dukes, and
which, in spite of European Congresses and the
nsidious Vaccinations of Austria Rome
and Naples, can have no other result than the
establishment of strong Central Italian king
dom under the rule of VICToR EMMANUEL
The new aspect in which the people Of
that peninsula are presented TO US is not a
little remarkable. Those civil dissensions
those provincial rivalries, those mpracticabIe the
cries, the feuds between various factions, the
dscordant views of their leaders, the rash impul-
siveness of some and the shameful timidity of
others, all in brief that formerly distinguished
them in their vain efforts to liberate themselves
from Austrian domination, have been subdued
to harmony and unity by wise counsels
and by that experience which, though
dearly bought at the time, is now bearing its
richest fruits Even the Tuscans-the soft silken
FIorentines-whO, in lS49, shrank from the conse-
quences of one bold movement and received back
with humility the sovereign whom they had but a
few months previously driven from his Capital in
ignominious fight-even this people, upon whom
ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING, in her grand poem
of Casa Guidi Windows" lavished words of
scorn that bstered where they fell, have evinced
a resolute irmness and consistent adherence to
the common cause which have surprised those who
thought they knew them best The development of
this phase in Italian character is due to NAPOLEON
ILL., without whose aid the Austrians could not have
been driven across the Mncio; to Count CAvoUR,
whose statesmanlike qualities had inspired perfect
confdencein the wisdom of his advice, and to CARR
BALDI, whose chivalric devotion to the new move
ment broke down the Republican elements that
were at work in the various provinces and
turned them into channel where they could be
utilized. MAzzINIs maniiestoes, which once sound
ed like clarion calls to battle, had longer power
to rally his scattered adherent>, to prevent
their union with the friends Of Constitutional
Monarchy. The Italian idea triumphed. Victor
EMMANUEL and Count CAvoUR were the watch
words of the new army of Independence; and
when the first French soldier left Grenoble en-
route for Alessandria, the limits of Austrian rule
in the peninsula determined NAPoLEoN's
promise that Italy should be free from the Alps TO
the Adriatic sn process of ful6ment. The qualified
consent which he gave at Villafranca 10 favor the
restoration of the fugitive princes, while it led
him TO seek to attain that end by diplomacy
has only resulted in producing a closer adhesion
TO VICToR EMMANUEL. He has been chosen for
their ruler by the united voices of the Italian
people, but prudently refrains from the full
exercise of sovereign powers until this extern
sion of territory is sanctioned by majority of
those governments which are most nearly infer
ested in sitting this question The new phase
upon which it hasS now entered can scarcely fail
to secure to the Italians the accomplishment Of
the ir desires, and although in proposing as Lord
JOHN RUSSELL has recently done-to set all
doubts at rest respecting their views with regard
to the organization Of new Italian kingdom
a new election shall be held to decide between
constitutional monarchy, the restoration OF
the Grand Dukes, or the separate indepen-
dence of the liberated provinces, a suspicion
of their loyalty toward VIcToR EMMANUEL is i'm
Piled which has naturally been received with
some slight feeling of indignation, yet the fear
lessness with which Sardinia has put forth coun-
ter proposition, by which the same end can
be attained indicates the confidence that
government reposes in the result of any
appeal that may be made to the popular voice.
1t is probably quite as well that an opportunity
should be given to the provinces to re-afirm their
previous decision, as it would effectuallys pre-
cludc all further discussion upon that point and
disspale any hopes which the exiled Dukes
may entertain OF being renstaed in their respective
sovereignties. That they will never regain pos
session Of their former domains by the free sura-