THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1884.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 6949, 25 February 1884, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1884.

The attempt on the life .of the Italian monarch— a iuanpersonally well: liked, ■belonging to one of the .most ancient, illustrious,- and popular of ..Sovereign houses,':andi above all, the son of Victor ■Emmanuel,' the compatriot, of Oavour and Garibaldi—that attempt to slay King Humbert will knit the more closely the alliance of the Continental Sovereigns..., .which has been already openly, It is quite certain that; this orime, if not- exclusively the "attiempt of individuals,, could .only have, countenance; from thatsmall extreme party—small but exceedingly .violent— which' is to be found in constitutional Italy; as it equally, exists' under ~ the Russian despotism and the French Republic. ■. But, all the sam e, the Continental Sovereigns have. visibly come to-believe that their only safety lies in reliance on . each - other rather' than reliance on : their subjects; for,, while the fury of the Socialists, threatens their lives, they , are- suspicious of the spread also of moderate Republican doctrines, which threaten their dynasties.- .Any such dynastic, league,, howr ever, recalls the memory of the Holy . Alliance a couple of -generations back, which was instituted and named by certain - Emperors and Kings to uphold what ..they considered their Divine right, and to mutually |

assist each other to hindnVTZr all change or reforms both within s®? own dominions and in Euron» beir as the thin edge JtTSZg*# revival of any such league in w haJ degree, or on whatever pretext ** <1«, a„ y di subjects is a perilous thine for a* position of a monarch nowadays r as difficulties may be of princes, ...they can henceforward no other substantial reliance P xcm ? the loyalty of their people, i Ust h ?' ° n all over the Continent 5,J n are transformed into soldiery ' n? * been the main effort of the Crmr;„ ' Governments, during th P years, to render their armies arr populations. And what h t| l( > ™ ed of all the electoral, rep rts ; n £j; r legislative privileges which , nanv . ; ; thope. Governments are afraid to >' compared with that iniliiarv ■which they have been at pauls to into the people's hands, and ofo forced into their hands against their ■ Of course Prince Bismarck saw --i that,, when to crush France he , yoing the new league of Emperors &h Kings; but he doubtless likened, or any rate hoped, that, in such a W4!i the-Princes would have-.the" operation,of. .their subjects, ! becauie r« the exasperating foreign policy insanely : pursued,in,.France for sonie tune Va>'Ancl. that, therein he tSjs, btivond a eer' - tain, point mistaken, there "have , many evidences. . Statesmen. liave of;i. a to do things; on aud if, i n .j tangled web he: is obliged, to weave, the great Ghancellor should be found in tl e long run to make any big blunder, ve suppose, he l will be.set down as : ohlv V sham statesman, after all— exactly a? Louis Napoleon :seems to he now pop a larly considered, although he wac-eV cepting one or t.wo;of. hi:- coteinporariv the ablest of. his day, aud wis racknowledged during, .the greater' uit of his career. The foreign action* 0 ; all recent .French Ministers presented i an, opportunity of which Bismarck of course availed. The French proceedings in. Barbary:, alienated Italy- and irritated., Spain, aud thereupon Kic? Humbert, first, andjKing .Alfonso afterwards, hastened, to throw theniseivei into the arms of the new alliance at the; same time: anti-French arid dv nas tic. They "were two impetuous'' they did,not wait for the endorsement of the step by their public; Indeed King.Alfonso had a quarrel with' his Ministry on the point, and as was we!! known acted against their wish; Italy in particular has been alarmed bv'the ,doings of ■ the Frencli, and there is jittle question : : that- in;,.case/of a European : war .: France - would .have to purchase her neutrality by extensive concessions —not only by withdrawing from Tunis • about which the , breach between tliem was made, but perhaps also the resto- , ration of Nice . and even Savoy, if' the Savoyards . should- be, willing, .But though Italy : certainly, and Spain possiblyj would desire, to: clip the. wings of France,. they .do not wish to pay too high a price for it. They would not • think itiwise to: assist. ,an alliance to crush her, or so aggrandise some other State as to upset the balance of power; and they have likewise a suspicion of the alliance because of the dynastic aspect ;it bears, and the'idea , that it might, eventually undertake a compulsory part in their own internal 'affairs. This public feeling is significantly shown in the.extremely guarded tone of ' the i official in. the two countries. . King Humbert has a far firmer, seat on his throne than King Alfonso possesses," and has stronger claims on the attactment, of ■ his people; and in Italy, that part of Europe where the: Republican sentiment is most widespread, the ■ same reasons which made , them' choose a King for theirs united country still operate to make tliem keep one. The Italians, it is unnecessary to say, are • as; they always have been, a people of great intellectual, gifts; common senseincluded;. . That | was seen in the first Parliament, after. the ; unification., * When .- Gari-; baldi—whose sword precipitated the. successful movement ;for which: Mai;, zini's teaching prepared .the wayentered and took the seat to which h# • had been elected, the Assembly-rose in mass with an I outbreak, of. that passionate enthusiasm characteristic of:;a southern people; It was a proud. moment—it expressed a nation's gratitude. Nevertheless, in an hour after, when he. brought' forward, a,resolution which, : they saw;, was injudicious, they unam- . uiously voted against it. So, on a I larger subject, 'Mazzini; with .ali bis; I. well-earned influence, 1 could , not per-,; I suade v them; to establish.-;a>:Republic,; I although his sentiment in, the abstract; they widely'shared; Bosides gratitude: to "Victor Emmanuel, who. aided the; cause with the Piedmontese array, i'; was universally: felt that a monarchy was the,. safest, and >. fi ttost;, form. of government in- the condition of the peninsula, : witii - her different partiM and the now condition of her dissimilar, provinces,- and also because of licr re-' lafcions with the other States of Europe, And those various potent motives holdgood still. The sceptre is not at all likely to depart from the. House of Savoy unless there should- be some egregious royal blundering. Perhans the recent step taken by King ; Humbnrt was not exactly wise.' By all appearances Ttaly. in a E'uropean war, is ready to co-ope-rate up to a certain - point . \y itli, &&. many; but the King s rather too precipitate entrance into the new ..Imperialand Royal leagues has been, coldly re garded, producing much, discontent among the Republicans,, who of ■ th® moderate >and - theoretical school are numerous in Italy.; -,and. it looks as ithe. extreme andsviolent party, thinking, such discontent gives . violent ..oppoftunity for a change, ha,ye tliereupoo proceeded to strike down their ru erBut it the-crime really. :-be. their?!, quite sure to frustrate the objoct. indignation aud disgust it mus'» ar o " s " will- simply rally the nation to. ' ! ' a and strengthen the position of l vin S Humbert,