Although the letter from our usual correspondent is to a
great extent superseded by the stirring announcements which we have given above, much of it still possesses considerable interest, and will be useful as supplying some links in the chain- " Paris, Thursday Evening, April 21.
"The situation at the present moment is this ' • Austria will not send plenipotentiaries to a Congress unless Sardinia first disarm ; and at the same time she opposes the admission of Sardinia. On the other side Sardinia re- fuses to disband a single soldier unless her right to sit in the Congress be recognised ; these are the points awaiting settlement. The article in the Moniteur goes two steps further than the explanations of Ministers ; it ex- presses the willingness of France to urge Sardinia to disarm on the condition above stated, and to disarm herself even before the Congress meets. This difference is explained by the fact that the concession of France on these two points was only obtained on Monday afternoon. I have reason to believe that the question of the disarmament will be referred, as proposed by Lord Malmesbury, to a military commission. Will the remaining points be peaceably settled ? Austria will hardly be able to maintain her opposition against the demands of France, and the opinions put forth on Monday night in the House of Commons ; but will Sardinia be able to disarm, even if willing ? These are questions which time only can resolve; probably ex- traneous events, such as the death of the King of Naples, will help their so- lution. The question must be settled soon, one way or another ; Austria is sick of endless negotiations, and has been on the point, once or twice lately, of declaring war and marching on Turin ; they believe the French are not ready, and that they have at least a month's start."
Previous page
