THE New Zealand Herald. AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1878.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XV, Issue 5309, 21 November 1878, Page 2

THE New Zealand Herald. AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1878.

The Native Minister, Mr. Shcehan, loaves Wellington for Taranaki to-day. Ho will first visit Rewi at Waitara, and thereafter, with the support of liewi, and possibly with the company of that chief, he will go to Parihaka, and make a demand that Iliroki should bo delivered up to justice. This is a journey upon which the eye 3 of the whole colony will bo fixed. If the natives frankly recognise the strength of the law, and givi- up Hiioki, who is now sheltered at Parihaka, the act will prove several things. Ii must bo remembered that Hiroki has told a plausible talo as to the murder, —one which must strongly tempt the natives to shelter liim from punishment. If, therefore, he is given up to be tried by the law, it will bo shewn that Mr.

Sheelian has greater power and influence than any Native Minister who has been in office, and alao that the largest community of former rebels in the Island do not care to take the responsibility of sheltering a criminal. It comes fo tha% after all, for if the natives do yield up Hiroki, it will be more from wholesome fear than from any other motive. On the other hand, suppose they refuao ! We cannot leave this contingency out of the calculation, and must remember that the native custom has been to shelter those of their, race who have taken refuge with them, —that all thoir associations, habits, and prejudices tend to causo them to do so. If they refuse Mr. Shcehan's demand, we see no other course than to attempt to take Hiroki by force, and this, even if successful, might involve very awkward consequences at present. If only tho natives at Parikaka wero to turn out against us, a powerful force would be required to deal with tliem, the survey of the Waimate plains would have to be abandoned, and a largo and populous district would be rendered insecure for life and property. Then, even if we had no active hostility from tho Kingitc, there would be so much agitation and disquiet that any idea of having the country opened lip would be out of the question. Every department of the Government would be affected, for the money expected to be receired for the sale of the Waimate plains is already appropriated. It is to bo hoped that the tact with which Mr. Sheehan is justly credited will prova equal to the emergency, and will obtain a peaceful surrender of tho sulprit.

In" the interpretation of the cablegrams from Europe that come to us from day to day, it is needful to exercise discrimination and caution, in order to avoid erroneous conclusions. The contents of those telegrams may be distinguished into two elements, which are of very diverse characters. First, statements of palpable matters of fact ; and, secondly, the expression of mere opinions or inferences. The former are almost always authentic ; the latter are unreliable, and arc iu many cases utterly worthless. When a cablegram announces the death of a distinguished individual, or the resignation of a Cabinet Minister, or a Parliamentary division, or even the fact that a definite diplomatic undertaking had been given by one European Government to another, in such eases we have something substantial to rest upon. But when we uro told, for example, as recently, that tho Earl of Beaconsiiuld said so and so at Guildhall, to wit, that England would compel Russia to observe tho Treaty of Berlin, both ill its letter and in its spirit, we cannot safely infer much from this without knowing the context of what was so uttered by the noble Earl. In this instance, accordingly, subsequent information has given us to know, that his Lordship had just previously expressed his confidence that the Russian Government intended to give elleet to the engagements into which they had entered. And then the speaker naturally added, that England would accept no less, which intimation he expressed iu the manner habitual to him when alluding to Russia, and which Russia well deserves. That country has been in the habit of making, at tile last moment, pacific concessions ; but wo can attribute such concessions only to the firm front maintained by the British Government. Again, the cablegrams have recently informed us that the relations at present existing between tho Governments of Austria and Italy are critical, and that, as a measure of menace or precaution, nearly two hundred thousand Austrian troops have been massed on the I talian frontier. With reference to this intelligence wo must take leave to be incredulous, for reasons to which we shall presently advert. In fact, tho European cablegrams appear to us to be manifestly, in many instances, framed by persons the reverse of well-informed.

''Italia Irridenta," which, being interpreted, signitieth Unredeemed Italy, is an expression that lias boen current for somo time past ill European publications. It is the watchword adopted by a small but violent party of extreme democracy in Italy, who have been madly agitating for an immediate annexation to that country of thoso districts of the Austrian Empire of which the inhabitants ;iro an Italian-speaking population. The districts in question are tho city of Triest with its neighbourhood, aiul Trent, on tho southern portion of Tyrol. So far as tho agitators have promulgated any intelligible policy, it would appear to bo that, having been disappointed in their unauthorised hopes from the Congress of Berlin, they now demand that the inhabitants of the districts referred to should rise in insurrection against the Austrian Government, and should be supported by tho whole power of the Italian nation. Tho scheme is, in every point of view, absurdly impracticable ; and the agitation on the subject has received no encouragement whatever from the Italian Government. They have done no more than wisely refraining from putting down the meetings by force ; and by this means they have shewn the comparatively small dimensions of tho disturbance, and have prevented the agitators from gaining the sympathy that high-handed repression would have elicited. At the time of the departure of tho last mail from Europe the relations between the two Governments of Austria and Italy were of (lie most friendly description. Austria was perfectly aware that the Italian Government was not in accord with the party of the agitators, who are not only insanely anti-Austrian, but also vehemently republican. It was evident, moreover, that tho vast majority of tho Italian people disapproved of the agitation. Even the veteran revolutionist Garibaldi, extreme in liis opinions as he is, aud not particularly prono to weigh immediate consequences, had written letters tending to allay the commotion, and urging that nothing should bo done to embarrass the present Administration of Italy, which is liberal. The excessive agitation on the subject of Italia Irridenta began when the Berlin Congress separated. Tho "Mitingai," as they are called, that is, tho party of Italia Irridenta, had chosen to suppose that, as the claims of nationalities were to be adjusted by that potent assemblage of plenipotentiaries, the Italian nationality would be duly attended to. But of course any rearrangement of boundaries between Austria and Italy was a subject with which the Berlin Congress had nothing to do ; and certainly these distinguished personages had quite enough of matter in hand without casting about for any such gratuitous addition.

The designation "Mitingai" is a word of peculiar origin. It lias been recently formed from t.lie English word meeting, just as many words havo been introduced into tho vocabulary of our Maori friends. Thu appellation " Mitingai" is employed to characterise that political sect, as being persons who have resorted to holding attempted monster meetings for the purpose of popular agitation. Tho holding of public meetings for political purposes is of course a novel tiling in Italy. The pcoplo of that country, as of other continental lands, have been acquiring, during tho last twenty or thirty years, constitutions and customs of popular freedom ; aud in doing so they have derived their models of these, as of their steamships, railways and telegraphs, from tho native land of modern liberty and progress, Britain— with which wo must down c>up!e America. As in tho steamers oil the Mediterranean, the British traveller hears from foreign tongues the familiar sounds " back her," " stop her," and tho like, so now the Italians do us thu "honour of calling tho agitators of Italia Irridouta, whether iu compliment or in satire, "Mitingai." But tho Italian democrats have yet to learn that frothy declamation and impassioned gesticulation, even if practised by as many myraids of men as they can count thousands, would be futile weapons against tho legions of Austria. It was not by means sucli as these that the respected little realm of Piedmont was ,

amplified into taking a place among the Great Powers of Europe, when expanded into the Kingdom of Italy. The case of Trie3fc, and even that of Trent, differs widely from the circumstances that pertained to Lombardy, and still more from those of Venetia. Lombardy was violently subjugated by Austria in the earlier part of the last century, was separated from that country by the French before the eighteenth century came to a close, was restored to Austria after the downfall of Napoleon, and was finally emancipated by tho victorious French under the late Emperor Napoleon tho Third. The famous republic of "Venice was never under Austrian dominion, until it was most unrighteously and dishonourably made a province of that Empire by tho First Napoleon. Its final liberation also was accomplished by foreign power twelve years ago, as a result of tho Prussian victories. Triest and Tyrol, on the contrary, have been uninterruptedly a portion of the Austrian dominions during the last five hundred years. Deprived of Triest, the Auatrians would lack an outlet to tho sea. That flourishing city, which has a population of more than a hundred thousand, owes its original prosperity to tho privileges conferred by Austrian monarchs. The population is a very diversified one, the Italian language prevailing ; but we have no evidence that the poople desire to be • transferred to Italy. Indeed, the change would be an unhappy one for them, as it respects their commercial interests, by which they subsist and flourish. The circumstances of the Trent district, or Italian Tyrol, of which tho population is about a quarter-of-a million, are different. The Italian Tyroleso are separated from the rest of the Empiro by the Alps; their valley opens into Italy, with which alone they have commerce ; tliey dislike ■the preponderance of German Tyrol, with which they are politically united, and they would prefer annexation to tho Italian Kingdom. This result will probably after a time bo brought about, though ii3t to bo effected by the meetings of Italia Irridenta. With reference to this agitation, the sarcasm of tho Hungarian Press is not amiss : —" Why should Italy expect any further annexation at present ; she lias not recently lost any battles V When Lombardy was annexed, Italj' would have been crushed by the Austrians, but for tho intervention of the French. When Venetia was added, the Italians had been again defeated, lint were shielded and strengthened by Prussia. Italy, however, like Greece, has not only a glorious past, but a future of high promise. She requires less than Greece is seeking ; and, like her, she can afford to wait. And all this both Italy aiul the Italian Government well know.