Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-07-02
Death OF Count Cavour---Sketch OF His
Life md Public Career.

Y " lutO ~ llSit
but Cavour shall think for her no more. IL II
the past complications Of the italian question
our American instincts have attached US to IN
side Of the faithful executive and the fearless
military founders Of the young kingdom. rath
er than to the maa whose diplomacy too often
apLeared blocking the wheels Of unity anc
empire. let us now do justice to Cavour. 1t
the caution Of Il Fabius and the policy of
R;cheli.u he added q third element most rare
Nv found in combination with these traits;
Wash,ngton's u~nseltsh love Of country.
We cannot doubt that the three representa-
tiy. men of modern Italy have always held ont
common object in their deepest hearts. Tc
Victor Emmanuel, GaribaldI and Cavour exist
ed but a single AMOUNTED Italy. To reach
that aim a long and %perilous journey was de
manded-a Journey through the cavern of Ole
tradition, grim despotic power, ana popuia'
IGNORANCE, still dark with The longest settled
night Of medieval times. How 70 reach lt wa:
the question. milne the cavern-blo% II ii
-open il from end to end to the daylight
and rour aim will be visible" said Garibaldi
Shall we quarrel with Cavour if he preferred
10 take Up, like Il new iheseuS' ''e cue %
patient negotiation, to follow 1t with rue ane
delicate handling, step by step, through DARK
ness into night? Let US do, as nearly Us pos,
sibIe, the impartial Justice Of history to a m'nc
which succeeded in keeping on his country :
side, in her scvcrcSt struggle, the greatest, per,
haps the least ideally unseldsh OF continental
monarchs, albeit he could not strike with the
sword of a Gariballi, nor rule the popular
heart with the prestige Of q Victor Emanuel
Camille di Cayour was born in Turin, on Tie
18th day of July, 1909. Ills father was
largo merchant, cnnoblcd By Carlo Alberto,
and left the young Cavour an ample fortune
About his twenty. fifth year Camille paid a Wis
it to England, whose prominent men and III
stitutions proved So strong an attraction 10 Il
mind always active and investigating, that he
remained in the country for several years
During this period he pushed his researches
in all directions. He Sas q constant and eager
visitor at the debates in Parliament, 4 close
observer of the more sparkling currents o!
English social life, with whose leaders his fine
presence and genius Immediately made him a
great i~avoritc; yet, unaltered by the bIand'sh
ments Of gay society, An equally dIIlsent stu
dent OF those manufactures and that cnmnerce
which are the true subStatum OF EnglsEdS
greatness.
In the agriculture Of England he took the
deepest interest, and many OF The hints whlcn
he derived from British farmers were treasured!
up to bear seed hereafter in the improvement;
Of Italian husbandry, through the Agricultural
Association Which, he founded in Sardinia on
his return. Already, in his youth and among
foreigners, h. began TO be- regarded as an en-.
cYcLOp9Iic man-9ne WHO cultivated himself
in all possible ard valuable directionS-onc
destined to become in all Of them al authority
for reference.
In 1912 Cavour returned to Turin. lie was
now in his opening prime thirty two Years Of
age-gifted with the Strongest natural powers
OF conception, Judgment and execution; dc.
vrloped to their utmost by his English train
inv and enriched br the stores OF fact and con-
clusion brought back with him FROM the land
of his %sojourn. He possessed, moreover, one
element Of SUCCESS without which these men.
tai riches, as we sadly see every day" in other
men of genius, would have been uf hale use
to him. He was healthy. -
Up to the period Of his last illness he had
hardly known Il days indiSpoSition. His fu.
gality was almost as famous a. that Of Carl
baldi, and his capacity for Sleepless work
worthy to be compared with that of Napoleon
the ! lISl Ut IdIIllCl 5luI. llS ollu IIhh'
tum of sleep was but four hours n day. We
may understand the strength Of his constitu.
ton when We learn that. after six successive
bleedings for the removal Of the congestion
which finally proved fatal, he bad so little idea
Of his peril as TO call his ministerial colleagues
to his bed and hold with them a conference Of
several hours upon the matters OF the realm.
With such n constitution, Cavour. in 1912.
commenced that great Italian work which
ceased its activities eleven days agr-which
shall never cease in its fruits. His ruling
grand idea vas the acclitnation Of free inS.itu.
tons OH the English model in an Italian Al
moSphcrc.
Almost Immediately after Inc founded the az
ricultural society, of which we have spoken,
its membership rose to two thousand. Not
only did this society afford a nucleus for the
researches Of all minds interested in the spe.
ciality after which it was named, but a home
and q debating school for the Italian friends of
liberal government, otherwise without 4 rally.
ing point.
With the crisis OF lS47 both absolutiSm and
of all kinds were threatened with
destruction. Cayour, q foe alike TO anarchy
and ~desrotism, in conjunction with other pro-
Italian liberals, nov established II Ris.
Drgimcnto, (the Resurreclion,) a Journal expo.
lent of these principles To which he and his
party have always been pledged. As I'll: storm
grew thicker ie became the mouth-picce Of all
liberals, and was the first to proclaim
Sardinia's great want-a constitution. Cavour
wrote to the King. strongly urging the
necessity of that mea! urc, and within a week at.
Ter wards Carlo Alberto, US we know, granted it.
Cavour entered the S,rdinian Chamber Of
Deputies in 1919, aud seated himself among
he moderate opposition. Soon after the Mn
Of Agriculture and Commerce was con
upon him, TO which, in 1851, was aided
that Of France. In 1852 he became Presiden.
Of the Council, and, with the exception Of a
short retirement, in 1855, has filled that place
ever since. In the Crimean war he took sides
,gIinst Russia. lie signed the manifesto Of
Sardinia dnTira the latter period, and was one
her two representatives al the Peace Congress
If Paris, in 1856.
From that time his ministry has uniformly
supported France, and set itself against the
policy Of Austria His Strung support Of M
ideas, hardly less than the urequ,vn
al indications of selfish interest, have prncui ed
md continued the powerful aid Of the French
INNS in the struggle Of united Italy; while his
policy of caution in the matter of ROME and
Venice may have been the reflex Of Il Napolc-
onic mind, no less than his strong natural
proclivity to the use of diplomatic means.
Cavour's part in the last Italian struggle is
100 fresh in every mind TO need re writing
His record is especially memorable in a single
ooint-hc did no: hesitate to dissent from that
sr parte settlement cfa great question involved
n the peace Of VIllafranca. Napoleon was the
Of Cavour, but Cavour Indignantly re.
signed the day after the treaty was signed.
lie dies at n strange time. Italy needed
more than ever ~be(ore-unless, perhaps,
t be within the plans Of Providence that the
results expressed in Italian unity are to
De attained by the rude sword of the soldier
ather than the subtle pen Of the ~diplomatist.
Z this be so, he died opportunely. But be-
his as it may, his country mourns the noblrst
iLalrsnan she has known stree tire Dl Me iicr.
From the New Orleans Delta