Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1896-03-12
ITALY,S DARK DAYS.

Dark days have fallen upon
Italy. She is in the midst Of a
momentous crisis, the o1tcome
Of which no one can safely pres
dict. The last disaster 10 Italian
arms in Abyssinia is the most
crushing that any European ma
ton has suffered in years, and
that disaster grows as the details
are allowed to leak out. The Re
publican and Radical elements at
home have seized upon the oc :
casion to make riotous demon
strations Of disapproval of the
governments policy, in some Of
the cities d condition of affairs
little short Of anarchical obtains;
the ministry has resigned, and il
may not be going too far to say
that even the dynasty is N dams
ger.
And the most ciscouraging
of the situ;ttion-the phase that
initiates most strongly against
the probabilities Of dire and far
reaching consequences being
avoided-is that it threatens to
crush and utterly undo the ablest,
the cleanest, and hitherto the
most influential public man in the
kingdom Grispi has up to this
time been the main-say Of Italy
in the hour of peril. He has
done more than any other
man to raise his country to the
position Of a great power, cause
her friendship to be coveted by
other nations, and prevent ner
from being posled aS absolutely
bankrupt. More than once he
has been called 80 the helm in
the height of a storm that was
strainirg the ship Of State to the
utmost point Of its resistance,
and in each instance he has
brought his charge through safe>
ly. But in this case it is he who
has sent the ship upon the
breakers, and on his shoulders
is placed the responsibility of
the Abyssinian disaster and its
train Of other woes.
In steering Italy away from
|Scylla, Crispi has brought her
face to face with Charybdis.
When he last came into power
Italy was again ia a state of tur-
moii. The situation at home was
such as to render it vital that the
public mind should be directed
from internal affairs, Ery threa,
the Italian territory on the Red
Sea littoral, and which is the de-
veIopment Of a Colonial venture
dating back TO 1870, afforded the
only medium through which to
accomplish this diversion, and
Crispi resorted TO a vigorous efs
fort at Colonial expansion in that
quarter. The rest we know from
the advices received from both
Massowah and Italy during the
last few months For a time
there were encouraging re
ports of Italian progress
against the Abyssinians. and the
governments policy had a strong
backing. Then came the news
of disaster following disaster,
and finally the bitter story Of the
terrible Gefeat Of Sunday, which
may put an end to Italy'a coloni-
zation schemes in Africa for
many years to come.
But even should this last men
toned humiliation not result,
and even should the upheaval at
home that threatens Italy not
prove as serious as is feared.
there can hardly be a question
that the nation has lost ground
in Europe that it will be hard to
recover. It is even thought by
some that now that Italian arms
have SO greatly disappointed ex-
pectations, Italy will not only no
longer be a very welcome mem>
Der of the Drpibund, but will res
ceive the cold shoulder from
Great Britain, The latter, as is
well known. encouraged the
Massowan venture in order that
she and Italy might engage in
parallel operations when the op>
perfume occarion arrived for the
e-conquest of the Soudan.