Year: 1874

Franco and the Now GermAn Alliance.


The foreign newspapers announce that
there has been an interchange Of courtesies of
an unusual character between Germany and
Italy, and that there has been an alliance of q
closer nature. One of the results Of this alli-
ance will be the reduction of the Italian arma-
ments. The meaning of this is that Germany,
which already has an army SO large that it
makes the Emperor nervous about the peace
of Europe, virtually assumes . protectorate
over the Italian Kingdom by promising to
make common cause with her In any quarrel
which may ensue. The reduction OF tho
Italian armaments will give the kingdom
financial support of which she stands greatly
in need, and as the only countries with which
Italy can conveniently quarrel are Austria
and France, Germany virtually takes upon
herself the duty OF keeping them in order.


| The relations between France and Italy
have not been harmonious since the war with
Germany. Italy took advantage Of this war
to pounce upon Rome, and there y large
party in France that would regard the reoccu-
patton Of Rome in the interest Of the Pope as
almost sacred war. Then the annexation OF
Savoy and Nice, which was unwelcome to
the Italians at the time, has assumed new
! importance from an incident trivial in itself.
but calculated to produce important results. II
/ seems that at dinner recently given in Nice,
M. PIGEON, Deputy to the French Assembly,
made an address, in which he said that he
was confident that before long beautiful
Nice, this heroic Iphigenia, the victim Of
Italian independence, would be restored to her
true country" To that end he was prepared
to sacrifice all of his interests and those of
his beloved family. Furthermore, he added,
when that desired end came his electrified
ashes would rise and rejoice in the general
festivities: We DO not know that there is much
desire among the people Of Nice and Savoy
for reunion with Italy. These provinces were
always as much French as Italian, and when
the annexation to France took place there was
a plebiscit,m, the result Of which was favora-
BILE to the French union. This was under
stood to be the price paid by Cayour for the
aid given by Napoleon to Victor Emmanuel,
and without which there wonld have been no
Italian unity. During the French and Ger
man war Bismarck set on foot various schemes
for the recession of the provinces, and en-
coursged Switzerland with the idea of extend
ing her dominions at the expense Of France.
But Italy and Switzerland wisely declined
to have an Alsace and Lorraine question
with France. NJ PIGEON, however, was
not permitted to express his longings for
Italian reunion in peace. As soon as
the text of the speech came to Paris
there was an unusual uproar. So long as
Alsace and Lorraine members proclaimed
their affection for France in German Parlia-
ment it was patriotism. But for an Italian
who was annexed to France only few years
ago to express his love for Italy was treason.
The orator wrote letter saying that his
speech about the heroic Iphigenia was made
at private dinner-that it had been incor-
rectly reported, and he formally repudiated the
text and sense of the speech. But this was not
satisfactory. Gambetta's journal thinks he
has committed treason. The Temps, mod
crate journal, demands that the offending
Deputy tell France what he really did say,
that people might know what he thought
about lphigenia. Other journals demand
his prosecution, and q movement is made to
expel him from the Assembly. aN
What the result will be we cannot say.
There will, we fear, be some extreme action.
It would seem to us that if France is anything
of republic she could afford to overlook the
rhetoric Of an annexed Frenchman who
found himself dining on the beautiful shores
Of the Mediterranean and had uncontrol-
liable memories of the Italy of his youth and
his ancestors. Journals in Italy and Ger
many are giving the incident new life. The
Italians are susceptible over the idea of an
Italian, who was formerly a professor in an
Italian university, being punished for doing
what Frenchmen call patriotism in Alsace
and Lorraine namely, expressing his love for
the land which gave him birth, and from
which he was torn to satisfy political exigen-
cies. The official organ of the German gov
ernment makes an ominous comment upon
the incident sTrance, we are told, desires
to show by some act her friendly sentiments
for Italy. Those sentiments would be seri-
ously confirmed by the realization of the
hopes expressed by Deputy PIGEON ut the ban
quet" This threat is understood by the
French journals to mean that any war be-
tween France and Italy would result in the
further dismemberment of France by restor-
ing the two provinces surrendered to Napo-
leon by Count Cavour. p


The question is only shadowy one at pres
ent-simply cloud upon the horizon. But
this sky Of European politics has been COW
cred with SO many angry portents that we are
accustomed to watch every new appearance to
see whether it means peace or war.


THE SouABBLE Over THE SCRUB WOMEN
The act to consolidate the city and county of
New York was intended to secure greater