The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-06-25

|
ANDY will proceed 10 bury Cesar.
| Not to praise him.
Several Of the traveesties in this amusing little
volume appeared in The SUN when first written.
A Life of Victor Emanuel.
The second series Of brief biographies pub
fishing by the Putnams. under the name OF
The New Plutarch" begins with volume en-
titled Victor Emanuel aud the Attainment OF
Italian Unity. by EDWARD DIcEY. Here in the
compass OF some 800 pages. we have clear.
effective. and reasonably full account of the re-
markable epoch in the history OF Italy which
began with the period of her deepest decline
and ended with her resurrection as a united
nation, and which was contemperaneous with
tho life of the prince. who was born the last
Duke of Savoy and died the first King OF Italy
The bioguphcpis not guilty Of the blunder Of
ascribng talents OF the highest order or great
virtues TO the subject OF his story but rightly
finds in Victor Emanuel's life the moral that
given great opportunity. common sense en-
ergy. and good faith are sufficient to enable n
man not great in himself to do great things and
leave behind him memorable name.
When Victor Emanuel. the son Of Charles
Albert Duke Of Savoy Carignan. a distant
cousin OF the reigning King of Sardinia. was
born. on March IA. 1920. there was not single
Italian capital from the Alps to the straits of
Messina. with the solitary exception Of Turin
whose state policy was not controlled by the
exigencics OF Austria. From 1915 to 1859 Italy
was practically governed by German admins
traitors and the Germans. who have always
proved unconciliatory and overbearing in the
rule Of alien races. showed to special disad-
vantage in the peninsula. whose inhabitants
had attained in respect OF manners and artistic
culture higher civilization than their German
magtnra Still N ial no hn pn,tb
was to the southern. the Italians might have
learned to acQuiesce in the domination of
Austria las they had acquiesced in that OF France
during the Napo!eonic epochl if that DONNA
ton had been conducted with an honest view
to the benefit Of Italy. As a matter of fact
however the rule OF Austria in the peninsula
had in view two objects only. viz, to extract as
much money as possible from the Italian PROV
inces and to suppress with an iron hand every
movement tending toward the recovery of
political freedom and national independence
Administered on such principles, the Austrian
government OF Italy was burden heavier than
her people could bear, and their history for
forty years is record of their efforts to throw
Off the incubus. 1t is curious circumstance
that they were to find their most powerful
champion in prince whose mother and whose
wife were Austrian princesses.
The first vigorous effort for political freedom
was the revolution which took place in Naples
some months after the birth of Victor Eman-
uei, and which was soon followed by popular
uprising in Sicily. Tho Manhattan cnnstItn.
ton was however. promptly abolished. and the
patriotic movement in the Kingdom of the Two
Sicilles put down by an Austrian army of occu-
patton. year aftcrward took place the abor-
tive rising in Piedmont. where also the Aus
TRANS appeared as the resolute opponents of
free institutions, and occupied the principal
fortrnsses OF tho country. Victor EmnnunI's
father Charles Albert had Mt ON, tina t,Lnu
part with the Sandman constitutional nn,.,
against the reigninr soyereion and had hn
boon childess he would almost cortninlv hnvo
been excluded from, succession TN tho tbror,
Thus by the mara flct of bis sxieton,o tn.,
infant prince unconsciouslv rcndcred n signal
service to the cause of Italian in1cpnrInpoo
Victor Emannels father succeedad 70 IN,
throne of Sardinia in 1891 but hi. nositjon
was singularly insecure ami No rsso,nto eCr,,,
for Italian indepondence was mazda in pio1
mont or anywhere in the peninsul, until thn
eventful year OF 1919 in the Nrst month -,
which an Instruction broke ONT 81, p,lor,,,
and an imposing populnr ACKNOWLEDGEMENT sno,,
taking place at Naples constitutionoI goyor,.
mont was again proclaimed in the kinyd,m ~
the Two Siui!ies. The action of NnpIes decid.J
Piedmont and in February Charles ,l,,rt
issued a proclamation announcing IN, in.
PRODUCTION of parliamentary institutions
Within few weeks afteryard he Jc-
clared war against Austria and nnnouro.I
that the Sandman armies would forth.
with cross the frontiers TO assist the I.op,hnrIs
and Yenctians in their struggle for judn-
pondence. AT this time Victor Emanuel wns
twenty-cght years old, yet but little was