ITALIAN UNITY.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXVI, Issue 13338, 29 March 1911, Page 5

ITALIAN UNITY.

A PANEGYRIC, ON ITALY. Press Association .—Telegraph .—Copyright. Received March 29, 8.15 a.m. ROME, March 28. King Emanuel has received most cordial a panegyric on Italy as a free nation. He emphasised the liberty and independence of the Vatican on matters of religion. King Emanuel has received mos cordial congratulations from the Emperors of Germany and Austria. FIFTY YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE. The year 1911 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the foundation of the kingdom of Italy. On March 14, 1861, it was proclaimed to the world by the Parliament assembled at Turin that Italy, after 1400 years of disunion, had become a united and sovereign Power. Venice, to be sure, though she had given richly of her blood and treasure to bring about the consummation, was still under the Austrian yoke, and the Roman States, politically in the last stages of decrepitude, were to be upheld by French bayonets for nine more years. But every true patriot knew that Rome and Venice could not long remain unnaturally outside the union.

These fifty years or independence and union, now to be commemorated, were preceded by another 50 years of self-sacri-fice and devotion, of struggle, and seeming failure. Until within a few years of final victory, says a recent writer, even the most sanguine hardly dared to hope for success. These efforts were seconded and illuminated by ’ the Genius of great men. Mazzini, Gioberti, Garibaldi, d’Azeglio, and Victor Emmanuel 11. were in the front rank of their times; while Cavour, the author of Italian unity, ; was. according to some authoritative historians’ and publicists, the greatest constructive' statesman of the nineteenth century. No country, therefore, nas a better reason than Italy for celebrating her birth, and certainly none ,is so well provided with means for making such a celebration memorable. There is shortly to be opened a great international exhibition, which will be in two parts, one mod-' ern and industrial, at Turin, for,- 300 years the seats of the dukes of Savoy And kings of Sardinia, and from 1861 to 1864 the first capital of the kingdom of Italy: the other part, artistic, historical, and archaeological, will be held at Rome, which has been since 1870 the capital.