Litchfield enquirer., 1867-10-03
Napoleon and Italy.

Napoleon and Italy
 Mir. Parton in the last of his spicy mag azine articles speaks of the French people as ''the victims of perjured Dutchman and his priests g They fell into his clutch es after manner peculiarly Frenchy. Half acentury since France was conquered, dy- nasty they detested imposed on the people, and they were given to understand that however else they might regulate their own affairs Europe would not permit Bona parte to govern them. Hence sentiment, pride, and spurious patriotism induced the French republic, after driving off the Bourbons, to make the most conspicuous of the Bonapartes their President. To the army and the church Napoleon owes the . rest
 The church he has repaid by giving them all the help the state could give them in France, and, above all, by defending Rome for the Pope.
 The army he repays by making the mil itary man of primary, the civilian of second ary importance throughout France. He has himself, we should judge, no great love of fighting for mere fghting's sake, there is next to nothing just now to be gained by fighting, yet Bonaparte must do some thing. Consequently there have been a series of European wars in which he has shown the cunning of Lewis XI, rather than the soldierly boldness of his tremendous uncle. Till Bismarcks exploit last sum- mer, however, his military reputation stood high-for the times. But in the light of that six weeks campaign Sebastopol and Solferino faded into very subdued spe- cies of glory-Wheu the genuine Napoleon ic was placed side by side with the sham Napoleonic there was no mistaking the diff ference. Then closely followed the aban- donment of Mexico and the killing of Max imilian, till it is not difficult to imagine how sore and how dangerous feeling pervades the French army. Napoleon cannot give up Rome to Italy, just now, and keep terms with either his soldiers or his priests.
 But to save himself at home, the Empe- TOT is compelled to sacrifice nearly all he has ever gained abroad. In the great trial of strength that seems almost inevitable between united Germany and France, the alliance of Italy may we'll decide the issue, as it did between France and Austria in 1859, and between Prussia and Austria in 1866. If, as has been alleged, there is an actual understanding between Garabaldi and Bismarck, the great Italian could not play into the hands of the great Prussian more adroitly than he has done. Not only has he made it impossible for an Italian ministry to ally itself with France against Prussia, but he has made it impossible for an Italian ministry not to join Prussia against France. It may be even a ques- tion whether the Italian government may not be forced into an immediate attack on. Rome, so bitterly do their people resent their humiliating dependence; so strong is the general impulse to strike the last blow for independence and an united Italy.
 It is consoling sight, that of the unto- ward result of Napoleon's most crooked and most selfish policy. He intended to convert the little states into which he found Italy divided, from dependents on Austria into dependents on France Successful at first, the game soon took an unexpected turn. Ceasing to be Austrian, the country became not French, but Italian-so unani- mously that the Emperor could only sul- lenly acquiesce. His true course under such circumstances was to welcome the new natlon to its just position among the inde- pendent powers of Europe, to give them up their natural capital, to expect the man. ly friendship of an equal rather than the obsequious gratitude of an inferior. from apeople of over twenty millions. He has. instead, made the most serious failure of his reign. He has earned the hatred of It. ally without gaining the friendship of the Pope. He has failed in short to recognize the great fact of his generation-that the will of the people is beginning to govern Europe. The secret of Bismark's success lies in the desire of the German people for unity. If Van Beust succeeds in Austria, it will be by a judicious deference to the wishes of the different peoples composing that empire. The time has gone by for