New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-04-14
EUROPEAN AFFAIRS.

EVERYBODY recoects the alarm and distrust oc-
casioned in England by the armed Intervention Of
France in Italian affairs, as dangerous to the
balance of power in Europe and indicative of de-
sign on the part of Napoleon III. to renew that
policy of Territorial ACKNOWLEDGEMENT and external
influence which had made the 6rst Napoleon 80
much an object Of terror. 1t was difficult to be-
lieye that the French Emperor had involved him
self in war with Austria purely out of sympathy
with the constitutional system of government as
established in Sardinia, or that the sntpathy Of the
Italians TO Austrian rule, or to the dominion of
princes wbo acted in the interest of Austria and in
accordance with her principles Of government, was
the sole motive by which Napoleon was Influenced.
After the war had been suddenly ended, it WAS
firmly believed in England and on very plausible
grounds that the opposition of France to the annex
alton to Sardinia of the duchies to the south Of
her, was Influenced by the double motive Of keep
ing Sardinia comparatively weak and dependent
and of oblgng the inhabitants of those Prncipaties
to choose between the restoration of their old princes
"a result which they utterly abhOrred-or their
organization into new kingdom, to be ruled BY q
scion of the Imperial house of France. So far was
tie idea carried of the probabilities Of general
war in Europe, and Of the attempted invasion Of
England as one Of its consequences, as TO lead TO
the organization in that country of near hundred
thousand volunteer riHemen to back up the opposi-
ton which the regular army might be able to offer
to such movement.
The constant protestaions Of the French En-
peror that he had no designs Of territorial aggrau-
dizenest, and no wish nor intention that the Italian
war should haze any results exterior to Italy, and
his Lal acquiescence in allowing the inhabitants OF
the feyoed Italian duchies to decide for themselves
the question Of annexation to Sardinia, gradually
reassured the English mind. Then cane the late
commercial treaty, opening France to great
many English products hitherto substantially
prohibited-an arrangement which seemed to
90 a great ways toward the complete re-
establishment of that good understanding and
cooperation between the two countries which
existed at the time OF the late Crimean war.
The discovery, however, that Napoleon has con-
scented to the annexation of the Italian ducbies to
Sardinia only in consideration of the cessOn of Sa,
yoy to France, ard that not content as it had been
at first supposed he would be, with that portion OF
Savoy which has no strategetcal Importance he in
lists upon the whole Of it, including Chsltais aud
Faueieny, which command the entrance into Swift.
zerland, and which, on that account, had been neu.
trazed and placed under the guardianship of Swiss
gairsons in case Of European war-this extern.
sion of the consequences Of the war in Italy
to the territory beyond the Alps, seems Ia
have revived in full vigor the alarms and sus-
picions Of the Esglish as to the designs Of
Napoleon in respect to territorial expansion
The principal reasons siysn for the annexation Of
Savoy are that this territory Is exceedingly de-
sirable toward giving to francea strongly defsnsbl'
frontier; End secondly, that the Inhabitants ar,
! French In origin and lars uage, hut both thea'