Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1860-03-29
THE ITALIAN QUESTION.

At the opening of the French Chambers in
Paris on the 1st of March, the emperor NAPo-
LEON, in his address to the Senators and Depu.
ties, devoted paragraph or two to very clear
and frank discussion of the French side Of the
Italian question. His expressed desire is that
Italy may be left to regulate freely her own af-
fairs. Yet he is unwilling to see the States of
Central Italy consolidated into one government,
without some security and protection to the
French frontier
The treaty of Vilafranca aimed chiefly to
establish the independence Of Venetia; and the
archdukes, as q compensation to Austria, were
to be restored to the rule of the revolted pro-
vinces. That project has failed through the
aversion of these provinces to the measure; and
growing willingness on the part of European
powers to listen to the voice Of the Italians in
behalf of their country.
NAPOLEON now proposes another plan. He
claims the right to hearing, as his army hos
protected Italy from foreign intervention. This
plan embraces the annexation to Sardinia of
those provinces which offer themselves to VICTOR
EMANUEL; the separate independence of Tuscany,
and the annexation of Savoy and Nice-the
French slope of the Alps-to France. His "6rst t
proposition is that Sardinia shall have Lombardy,
Parma, and Modena, with full power to WELD
them into one compact sovereignty, and to take
no note of any former political divisions. The
second proposition is, that the King of Sardinia
shall be the temporal administrator Of the Lega-
tions of the Romagna, Ferrara and Bologna, ex-
ercising his functions in the name of the Pope,
and respecting those municipa palinstitutions which
are traditionary in the Legations The third
proposition is, that Tuscany shall retain her
political and territorial individuality"
NApoLsoN says that this plan, although by it
he would acquire small quantity of territory,
Savoy and Nice should not alarm Europe and
does not belle the declared disinterestedness of
his policy. Nature herself, he says, points out
the summit of the Alps as the boundary-line Of
his country and if strong power be establish
ed in Central Italy, France will need this natur-
al guarantee for her protection. "France, how
ever, will not acquire this aggrandsement, small
as it is, either by military occupation, or by
exciting an insurrection, or by intrigues, but in
fairly stating the question to the Great Powers" :"
The announcement of this plan in Nice excl
ted the greatest enthusiasm. Austria is said
to be Indifferent on the annexation question, as
it will affect her interests neither way. All par
ties in England are opposed to the plan. Here
is the English view of the annexation:
France, possessing,36, 900, 900 population, ex-
elusive of colonies, could not possibly "be en-
dangered by the existence on the other side of
the Alps Of State of 100000 people lately
Joined by cement not yet dry; threatened on
the side of Lombardy by Austria, and not very
certain of its own independence" Again, if
the danger to France is anticipated from the pos
sible alliance of Sardinia with other Powers,
that danger is evidently the same whether Sar-
dina acquires Central Italy or not. The peril,
in fact, would accrue, not from Sardinia itself,
but from the powers in alliance with it, so that
whether Sardinia had 100000 or 10000, 900
of souls signifed nothing, and yet the Emperor
had himself admitted that in the former case he
has put in no claim to Savoy. But a still strong
er argument was drawn from the complexion
which the whole policy of France would evident
ly assume in the eyes of Europe, if the project of
annexation should be carried out. The Empe-
ror had loudly proclaimed the disinterested char
acter of his views in undertaking the war, and
by this avowal the misgivings of Europe had
been, though not without difficulty, appeased.-
If Savoy were annexed, petty as the aquisition
might be, the jcalousies and alarms of nations
would once more be reused, and other and more
serious objects would be attributed to the Empe
ror, who, Lord John writes on the 5th of July,
'would thus become an object of suspicion to
Europe, and kindle the hostility of which his
uncle was the victim" We cannot doubt either
the sincerity of this language or the cogency of
such arguments. The very insignifcance of Sa-
voy, on which the Emperor and his Ministers in
sist only aggravates the impolicy of ncurring
so much odium for such little gain. Granted,
that the addition Of Savoy to France would not
render France appreciably more powerful, the
fact still remains that the acquisition, however
small, would be held to characterize the policy
| of the Empire, and to damage it in that sphere
of opinion to which Louis Napoleon has more
than once paid homage. Setting aside all ques-
tious of European right, the prize is not worth
the COST"
From these statements it will be seen that the
Italian question is as far from adjustment now
as it was fifteen months ago, before the Franco
Sandman war. We doubt not that policy and
international justice both require that Italy be