The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-07-24

ABROAD. u promptly turneu INTO an OK
clusively French expedition and a war
Of aggression. Napoleon Ill. possessed
an imagination which was lively but
frequently unsound. superficial defective
and in this case he dreamed 81 "a new
Constantinopls' controlled by the French
which should arise on the canal between
the Atlantic and the Pacific. tho necessity
OF which he proclaimed
The King ~ Piedmont shdicated after
his defeat at Novara in 1919, and his son.
Victor Emmanuel II. came tn the throne
| He had gained an important moral victory
! nv twice risking his throne for the cause
! 81 Italian liberty and had granted his
people "A Constitution Austria offered
, his son, Victor Emmanuel, easy terms Of
pace IL he would abrogate this Consti-
tuition and prospects 81 ACKNOWLEDGMENT
were dangled before him He absolutely
refused This was the turning point in
his career. in the history Of Piedmont AMI
in that Of Italv. IL won him the popular
TILE Of the Honest King. II made Pied
mont the one hope ~ the Italian liberals
The King was a man not ~ brilliant mind
hut 81 sound. independent judgment. "
absolute loyalty tn his word, II intense
patriotism: and from 1850 on he had IN
his leading Minister. Count Camille d.
Cavour one ~ the creates, Statesmen
and diplomatists Of the nineteenth cen
tury CAvour's first care was 20 create
an ethcient army. and he soon had On. 900
well equipped men. a large force for a
country With only son. oOO inhabitants
This facilitated his next object. which
uas To secure for Piedmont an Allv among
the great Powers. as an absolutely indis-
pensable condition 20 her accomplishing
her high mission % forming united Italy
Piedmont had no quarrel with Russia.
The preservation or ACKNOWLEDGMENT Of
Turkey was a matter for IL 81 only the mos,
remote concern, but Cavour believed
that an offensive and defensive alliance
~ith France and England for the Crimsan
War would win the good will of the two
allies and secure Piedmont place ~ an
equal at the council board Of European
diplomacy lie could not give his reasons
publicly His plan was bitterly denounced
and generally condemned; hut his cs,lcu-
lations proved correct
When the congress Of Paris was called
in 1854 Cavour set out for Paris TO sniT
the air he sa:d: for he was by no means
sure that he would be admitted to Il: but
the two great Powers could not well ig-
more their ally and he was not only ~
ceived hut Napoleon Ill. caused the
question ~ Italy 10 I've brought before
the congress. though 1, was a question
foreign tot Cavour returned with moth
ing hut the moral victory OF having caused
Piedmont to participate in a council Of
a. ka1 -
himself. however. n great reputation as a
diplomatist. Metternich. now in retire
ment. In said To have remarked -Thrre
In only one diplomatist in Europe. hut
unfortunately he IL against IA; IL is VI
al Cavour- Next Napoleon appointed
a meeting with Cavour at PlombiSre-.
keeping his own Ministers in ignorance OF
Il. This interview Ii one Of tho most
famous in the history Of the century.
II was verbally agreed that France and
Piedmont should go 20 war with Austria
on some pretext that would make IL APP
pear an attempt to repel Austrian aR-
sression. Austria was to he ousted from
Italy. Piedmont was 20 receive Lombardy,
Veneta and much other territory. Ac-
cordingly Cavour set about the task Of
making Austria the aRgreSsor. weaving
marvellous wen OF tOftuOnS intrigue.
much a. Bismarck did TO provoke the I
war with Austria In is8s ead that with ,
France in 1870 Austria. gnaded to take /
the fatal step. made impossible deman ds |
Piedmont refused them. The battles Of ,
Magenta and Solferino were victories for |
France and Piedmont hut suddenly
Napoleon concluded an armistice with the /
Emperor 81 Austria without consulting
his ally, though the tide Of success was
at the full. He was actuated by several
motives. The French Catholics were
which menaced the Pope; Prussia was
troops on her western from
tier: a strong State on the eastern from
tier of France. such as Piedmont would
become, might prove dangerous But the
next year Victor Emmanuel conciliated
Napoleon by ceding Savoy and Nice. the
voting also In favor OF such
anne alton: and by a similar popular
vote he obtained Modena. Parma. Tuscany
and tho Romagna. having already re-
ceived Lombardy.
Thus a small State Of lers than S OO0 OOO
had grown to one of II 100 .OOo in "A year
This was the most important change in
the political system Of Europe since 1915.
and as far a. Italv was concerned II
naCi. waste paper % the treaties OF 1915
lanbaldi promptly conquered tn. king
ION 81 Naples and early in 1871 "A n.w
Parliament. representing all Italy except
Venstia aud Rome. met in Turin. The ,
kingd0m Of Sardinia gave way to the I