Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1860-06-15
NapoIe0nic and General Drift OF Affairs
In Europc.


the Emperor of France, and is but continue
ton, in an indirect manner, Of the warlikc
policy Of last year, when he took the field him
SELF at the head Of his legious Or, that the
same expedition, far from being the work o.
his plotting genius, proves now to him most
troublesome and unexpected occurrence
thwartins his plans for rcmodclling Europe, and
specially disturbing his whole scheme of policy
and French prcpondcrance in the Italian Pen.
insula.
1t was not necessary, i'll order to make the
lnsurrection Of Sicily and the landing of the
Garibaldlans one Of the important events nc.
complished, or to be accomplished this
year, TO consider it either as the nurse
ling or the bugbear of Napoleon ILL.,
The power of that ruler, great as it is, is moi
great enough to control everything. 1t is
however, too great to be shaken by any event
of the character Of that which has given occa
sion for so many sllriniscS. Many things must
occur, every day, on the old continent which
even the far.seeing politician Of the Tuil.
lcrics never thought Of We therefore dis,
card that single view Of political events
in Italy which points to tic great
ally Of Victor Emmanuel rs their abcttor.
Yet it would be another error, and Il greater
one, no doubt, to assert that he is perfect
stranger to Those events, whatever they may
be- and that che cares for none Of those things. "
But We believe that his true part may easily
he assigned to him, if we take into conSidcra-
tion the great characteristic Of the man, name,
ly, his wonderful ability to adap, himself to
circumstances. Thanks to this, he is so soon
enabled to take his position and play his part
in everything that happens that he appears to
have been at it from the very beginning
Therefore, as soon as the news of the cxpcdi
ton of Garibaldi,--that is Of the first noticea,
bic preparations for it, came to his knowledge
his task was not only TO find means not to lose
anything BY it, hut also TO put it to the best
account lie wonld lose something if the
Island was to pass under the patronage Of Eng
land and share the fate OF the Iocian Islands
He would gain something, if the Island was
annexed to the Kingdom Of Sardinia, lately SC
much enlarged. The first proposition is pal
pably evident, but mnch less the second,
although VIC think it to bo lis true as the for
mer. What, then, is his interest in increasing
the power of Sardinia, Is that increasing the
power Of France: 1t is so. 1t is her interest
that she should be surrounded by ncighbors
reliable and powerful enough, for the welfare
Of whom she would not bc obliged to fight
every now and then in order to prevent the
extension Of Northern influence to her very
borders
The natural equilibrium of Europe seems to be
understood to be that which tends 10 equipoise
not so much the power of the crowned heads
among themselves, rs the power Of the two
races whose peculiar genius has survived al
odd combinations-th0Se races which are usu
ally called the Latin and the Saxon races-de
nominations which are far from being correct
because Of their too much extended significa
cation, but which we use, in accordance with
usage, for the benefit Of clearncss. Great n:
has hcen the balderdash with which the ques
ton of races has been o[tcntimes treated, ant
even ridiculous US it has been made from being
appealed to in the most triAing or trivial o
circumstances, it is, notwithstanding, L grea
standing fact: and in the same manner thai
numberless volumes Of fiat and stale verses or
the beauty Of the stars have not robbed th'
armament of its splendor, the Importance o
the working of races in Europe is not lcssenet
from the fact that it has been made a meaning
less watchword. 1t is through that principle
however, that all the changes that have
happened in Europe since the beginning
of this century, were achieved. 1t took
the kingdom of Greece from the grasp of Tur
key; il allowed Belgium to begin separate
and, perhaps, transtory existence between
Holland and France; it permitted the unfortu
mite kingdom Of Poland to be carved ant
served out to its dcvourcrs, to be absorbed ant
assimilated by them at their ease, and did no
suffer the comparatively much more happy
Lombardy to remain the appanage of Scla
ronian or German ruler. When the Poles, II
their magnanimous and ill.rcquitcd belief II
the French people, accounted for their deiea
by the fact "that God was too high and France
too far of" they meant 'lar," geographically
whilst the true difference was in their ethnolo
gical dissimilitudc The Lombardians, on tht
contrary, who sneered at the French, did no
believe in them, and even now rail at them OF
account of the hlocks Of Savoy, for which
otherwise, they never cared straw, have beer
rescued; and so will be rescued Eenctla herself
as the work of establishing the nations
which have an origin somewhat in common
on footing of independent action, prosresse:
in conformity with the requirements OF the
age: for we lorft believe that there is anything
fictitious in the European crisis
The name Of Vcnetia carries us back
to the main idea which We had i'll begin
ming to write these lines How is the Ma
poleonic policy To he affected by the q
Gillian, Neapolitan and Roman instructions
1t follows, from the principle which We
have tried TO establish, that the national impulse
of italy towards unity will not he opposed; j
anything, it will be regulated for better sue
cess. as was the case with central Italy. \:
soon as Garibaldi, master of Palermo and Mes
sna declares motn pyoprio the Island .ot Sicily
annexed to Sardinia, Napoleon will play will
England diplomatic game somewhat slmla
in the end to that which illustrated the French
policy on the subject Of the annexation Of Ius
cany. 1t is not very likely that England ha'
any particular wish to see the Island pass init
the hands of King Victor Emmanuel, who, II h
continues to be carried Oh the wings oil hi
good fortune, and receives the spoils Of francl
II. of Naples, will rule over the whole kingdom
IF It,lv ncnipsular and inSIllar with q mari