, 1866-05-02
From TAT~
our Florence Letter.

The Impending CssalA-recullnz Posi-
ton OF 1taly-WAr PreparAtlons-
ktase Of Public Op1nion-A ma0tfesto
I'm EnVor n( (AustrlA-Pr1Aee Hambefa
"A Wife WanIed-The Government
OF tho Wolyea-Ffnsnces, Etc.
IFrotn Our Own Correspondent1
FLoaEscx, april 7th, 1866,
The war rumoss have obtained more force
and consistency siucs last wrote. The pzin-
clpal new facts are that Austria Is concen-
trat,ng troops in Venetia, and that, by me2ns
OF semi.of1ciAl organs, ouz ministry denies Its
bellicose attitude. However, as stated in
my last, the ministry could not neglect to
prepare for the contingencies Of the Getmanic
dispute, and 1t is very difficult for 1t to balance
between the state Of preparation and the
menacing attitude: We must be ready On the
line of the Po for IN Austrian advance, what
ever that state of readiness may cost us. We
haye courted Berlin, we must expect the rage
of Vienna. That Austria would carry her re-
sentiment 80 far as to attack Lombardy IL
hardly. credible; but II ene kuowa TINT France
will not help us she may seize the moment
Of compromise in Berlin for q reyengeful
raid here to compensate her pride for diplo-
matte check1nate On one eide, and military
threat on the other.
On the whole, the public approves the pre-
partitions made by the ministry, and attaches
10 special Importance to the semi official de-
ninl. It is understood TINT, even In such a
case as ours, 1t is not wise to assume the re-
sponstbi1ity Of bloodshcd, and II Is allowed to
the best Of ministries to pay homage to di.
certainly considerable. 1t Is BOW said that
Isl, 600 men are being concentrated on the line
Of Bologna and Ferrara, and the papers
abound with details Of military movements,
and most Of them must be really going On.
Public opinion can hardly be said to be de-
clded on either the probabilities Of war or the
prospects for our success. We are so expert
cnced In diplomatic games, and the expert
cnce is 80 painful, that we arc ready to leanl
my morning that the whcle German quarrel
has turned out a delusise bubble, and tnat nc
have some millions to Pay Tor 1t. Besides,
said to exist. The people are liberals,
verify believe a clear majority Of them to be
liberal to the extreme Of repnbljcanisu !; and
this ministry Is oafy not retrograde. There
| Is, too, q conviction that Franco has hor
| hands in the broil, and since 1850 We have
| French friend. His continued occupationi OF
Rome aud the terms he made for
| cvacuating the Eternal City, rs we'll rs the
marked occupation by volunteers which Is to
take The place Of the present one-all con.
below zero good ways. NE cannot sea
What special business he has |. h,rnfsh The
Pope a volunteer army, and sore a60u. 4h.t.
We do not indulge much faith III his helping
us to Venice. :!
sort Of conservative manifest IN favor Of Aus
| tria. The argument is something like this
a Let US ally with Austria and France-a
/ triple alliance of South Europe against North
Europe. Austria viii give US Venice ; she
does not need 1t. We will help her to get her
compensation on the Rhine. This plan will
hold Russia In check. stide that noisy prowl-
CT, Prussia, and SECURE the peace Of Eueope.''
confess that at first thought this feeler
for public sentiment, thrown out to prepare
the way for IN alliance with Austria. But
the military p1eparation on both sides u too
sisteut with that theory. The value Of the
manifest lies In indicating either that Austria
Is eudcayoriD- to corrupt public opinion
among ns, or that the priests are at their old
work of creating discord. The last theory l.
manifest on the fact that Prussla is Protes-
isn't power. On the whole, think the week
has pretty we'll settled that the 'strade-all
round " scheme which has been manipulated
by the Emperor tentatively for some months
has failed, and Austria and Italy are not rec
| Quciled or fec0ncLnbies we Snail see mort
clearly ten days hence; that Is the psesen
seeming
do not know whether told you that th'
single blesscdness of Prince Humbert has bee'
one of the elements in the calculations Of tb
qtld nuaes Of diplomacy. We waut vile 70
him, Of course and as We caDaot afford t
let him marry some italian girl, we are no
very fnstidions about the nation from whic1
he selects. An Austrian wife would be vel
| enough provided We had venetia-indeed,
might be some security for future quiet.
, The people here are so fully aware that Ell
rope Is governed by three or four Ee1-a., II
that the. small powers -. regarded ~ In
wolves "a lauoa made to be eaten BY then
! selves. that we arc not very scrupulous aboh
the means by which ws shall continue to on
Wit, satisiy or gorge the Austrian wolf.,
We can but kcep his teeth Of Italy, we aha
j., ,e content. It ts not pleasant to think
1t weak nations II Europe feel no sense
:uritY arising fFera tns right and justice
" saa.o. q The wolves will eat us Il v
=. not shrewd," Is the principle upon whic
! !. J. -racefn1 historic precedents hare taugt
/ t.:pressed In governmental action, u
:! : stiea ffom the devs-sara Of the STE,