New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-02-25
AFFAIRS IN FRANCE.
From Our Owr Correspondent.

PARIS Feb. 9, 1860.
II is hard 10 tell whether the political horizon
southyard-thst is, toward Italy-is clearing up or
getting more clouded and befogged than ever
Your English files viii give you the English prOpo-
sitiOns for the settlement of part of the italian
question They are supposed to be accepted, IN
the main, BY Napoleon, and are said to DC approved
already By Prussia. Russia, it is thought will not
object 10 them, and Austria will at most protest
against SO much Of them as relates to the annex
alton Of Central Italy TO PiedmOnt-tbe only part
Of them directly practical and practicable. Aud
this connects intimately viii what has rapidly
grown, in these last two weeks, to be one of the
foremost questions ofthe dsythe annexation Of the
province Savoy and Ofthe county Nice TO France
This question has been talked Of ever since the open
ingof the late italian campaign. i. was hardly writ
ten about ill aflertbe close Of tina, campaign. With
in the past two months it has been taking even
larger and larger space in the columns of the
French journals, especially in the columns of French
Government journals, all Of which argue in favor OF
annexation on the grounds Of natural bounda-
res" PiedmOntese indebtedness to French generOs-
ity "principlc of natiOnahties," &c. Officially,
the French Government says nothing. The sub
semi OfhclOus, pr0stltut0na
Constitutional (langHage does not furnish eplthets
low enough TO reach the degradation of French
sem-ofciOus editOrship) the other day stated that
this suspicious unison Of the Ofcious press was not
owing TO Government INSPIRATION, WnereupOn
,yery one logically concluded that it was.
Whether there was any formal treaty or intorma-
understanding between CayOur and Napoleon
year ago, that if Italy were freed from Austrans
from the Alps TO the Adratic-i e., LOmbardO-
Vepetia annexed to PiedmOnt-Savoy should be
annexed TO France, there is no present means OF
knowing. What is certain is, that to-day the an
nexation doctrine has taken pretty strong hold OF
the French mind that the present English Minis
try, if they can have their own way will do nothing
to practically oppose its being reduced to practice,
and that they have received much clearer lntma-
lions than they are willing TO dvuge that ITS reah-
zatiOn occupies prominent place IN the purposes
Of Louis Napoleon. Not TO 90 over the whole OIL
the beaten but tangled ground Of the Italian ques'
hon, thls seems not an improbable particular con-
lecture: AT Villafranca, when Cavonr threw up Ms
tuteiary charge Of Victor Emanuel and Italian
anairs, and so on up to the treaty OF Lunch,
ana lOr some time after Napoleon had
renowned the idea Of expelng the Austrians from
Italy; be held If not 10 a restoration of all the
dukes, at least to the construction of some central
Italian Power independent Of Piedmont: at later
date the cause of the Tuscan duke and of central
Papal States equally hopeless, consequent and com.
mensurate territorial aggrsndizement of Sardinia
nearly certain, be presses for the annexation of
Savoy as a sort Of cOunterpoise to that aggrandze-
ment. II is hardly necessary TO point out the mo-
tiyes TO this policy which he finds in the natural
radical popularity of it in France. If its pursuance
be crowned with success, it will give him larger
claim on the national applause than the glOries of
the Crimea and the Italian campaign combined. 1t
r. tbe general impression that more or less formal
negotiations with Sardinia have been conducted
9Th this result in view. 1t is supposed that
liz demand for Savoy has been made as an
D.et TO Eapoleons assent to the annexation Of the
renter. But CayOur, who is as strong in brain, #
not in material backing, as Napoleon, is niagueu
? hardy and the Center are doubtless broader,
!. r;chcr. more populOus thcn that rugged province
. 90 SAVOY with It's hafmiIion OF poor inhabitants;
but o. yet we hold LombarGy only at the suffer.
sDce of Austria, our frontier against her Is utterly