NAPLES FEELING ON THE ITALIAN CONVENTION.
[FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.]
Ministerial lirs which at the time I could not quite understand, not being gifted with second sight, but which might have enlightened me had I possessed that quality. This justice must be rendered on all hands to every one concerned in the transaction, that a more suc- cessful surprise could not have been contemplated than that which has attended the negotiation and the announcement of this im- portant transfer of the seat of Government from Turin.
I cannot pretend to send you anything which can bear upon the intrinsic value of the proposed measure. At the moment I write we are here in the receipt of far too imperfect knowledge of what is pasqing at Turin to be able to form a judgment of what is in- volved in the change of Ministry. All I can tell you about is
the impression which has been produced in Naples by the announce- ment of the French treaty, and its accompanying measure—an im- hression which is worthy of observation. Naples is a city of near six hundred thousand inhabitants. It is a city which has all the traditions of a Court and of a metropolitan existence. Other cities can vie with Naples in many respects, but avowedly on all sides none could boast of having sacrificed more of Court splendour and metropolitan magnificence on the altar of Italy than Naples in abdicating her position of capital. Naples was discrowned when she ceased to be a seat of govern- ment, and sank from the residence of a king into the chief town of a prefectoral district. That such a change should be free from some drawbacks—that it should have been borne without some grumbling and dissatisfaction—was impossible. Ala) during the last few years, when the question of moving the capital from Turin was discussed, Naples; was very freely advocated by many persons as the natural site for it as long as Rome was out of the question. I consider it therefore a very remarkable fact that the announce- ment of the intention to make Florence the capital has been pro- ductive of no irritation, of no jealousy, and no dissatisfaction. On the evening when the telegraph flashed the announcement, I happened to pay a visit in a Neapolitan house of high position. I was quite ignorant of what had occurred. In the room I found a number of men—some of them deputies—all of them of more or lees local influence, eagerly discussing the important news ; and I declare that not one expressed himself angry at the choice of Florence instead of Naples. From this saloon I went to the prin- cipal club. Everywhere the prevailing expression was that of sincere delight at a measure which was confidently interpreted to be pregnant with consequences, and an unmurmuring adhesion in the soundness of the grounds which induced Florence to be selected. Not one of the respectable papers in Naples has struck a note of local claims for the honour of being capital, although the Borsa, the organ of reaction, has vented its disgust at what has happened in daily articles ridiculing the supposed importance of the event. As for the feeling of the mercantile community, it has been shown by an immediate rise of Italian funds on the Exchange here, a rise which has continued in spite of the painful occurrences at Turin. Carpers may be ready with a sneer at what they may be pleased to call the momentary burst of an imaginative people ; but I think that the temper shown on this occasion, not by the mob but by all that is intelligent and alive to public interest in Naples, is a very remarkable and a very hopeful fact. It is not now the case of a hasty transport of popular emotions such as can move mobs into sudden flights of transcen- dent magnanimity, but it is the case of a dry political measure, calculated to elicit the exhibition of all those local feelings and local pretensions which in the opinion of many must make the city of Naples a thorn in the side of United Italy. What would seem more natural than that the society of Naples should consider itself entitled justly to a preference above that of all other Italian towns, when once it has been resolved to forsake Turin as capital ? Every merely personal feeling would tend to foment such a disposition, and yet nothing of the kind has occurred. An unanimity, not noisy and exuberantly vociferous, but calmly intelligent, has cor- dially concurred in the proposed measure from a conviction that it will prove an effective step to promoting the practical unification of Italy. Go where you will in Naples, except amongst those who are the sworn adherents of an overthrown regime, and on this head the expression you will meet will be one of general delight. The Neapolitans have enough faults to deserve that their merits should be recorded. I believe that the question of making Naples the capital was seriously entertained by some of the advisers of the Crown. I am positively assured on authority which I am disposed to rely on, that originally the Minister of the Interior especially advocated the choice of Naples, and that in the Military Council convoked to report on the strategical advantages of the different sites, General Della Marmora at first was of the same opinion, but that both assented to the force of argument.
If the delight at the announcement was universal; I must say that the painful feeling which has been produced by the occurrences at Turin has been as universally deep. We know too little of what has happened to know what to think. The telegraphic tidings of a change of Ministers and of Della Marmora's nomina- tion have produced something like consternation, for they are supposed to indicate a disposition not to carry out the measures which have excited the ill-will of the Turinese. I think it quite premature to form an opinion on the short scraps of telegrams which have come in, and besides to send you any conjectures based upon them would be sending coals to Newcastle, for long before my letter reaches you you will know all the facts, which at present we are guessing at. What I wish to draw your attention to is the public feeling at Naples. I feel convinced that if it should be really the case that the King means through Della Marmora to take. a step backwards, then all the Neapolitan deputies will vote against the Government. The universal exclamation is that after what has happened out of Turin the seat of Government must be carried if it is to be an Italian one. The feeling abroad is one of a deep sense that the cause of Italy is at this moment exposed to dangers of a most serious kind, and that the slightest concession to per- sonal jealousies may ruin it. I have watched for indications of an awakening desire to re-assert the local claims of Naples in the conversations of men angry at the conduct of the Turinese, but as yet I have been unable to perceive any departure -from that praiseworthy patriotism I have pointed out above. There is, how- ever, undeniably much irritation against the people of Turin, and this, I think, is likely to last. When all the capitals of Italy spontaneously dethroned themselves for the commen good, is it not justly a matter of grief to see Turin break out into such an exhibi- tion of local pretensions? On this topic men descant gloomily at Naples at present, but they descant with a certain gravity and sober earnestness of tone which to me appear certain pledges of the seriousness of their minds. I cannot resist the impression that Italy has never been open to more serious danger than she will be exposed to at present by weak concessions to the selfish clamours of a local party. I believe that the unitarian feeling of the country can be easily imperilled, and that if the humour of the Turinese be indulged it will be at the expense of Naples, for the exasperation will thus attain here proportions which may make parliamentary government impossible, and lead to internal dissensions ultimately subversive of Italian unity. These are very gloomy forecastings; they are made, however, exclusively in reference to the rumour of the hour about a retrograde movement at Turin on the part of the King ; a movement which for my part I see no ground for assum- ing from the slight facts we possess. But should they unfortunately be confirmed, then I am of opinion that there will have been done that which alone is capable of giving force to that bugbear, the autonomistic party in Naples, by reinforcing it with all the passion I see brewing against the Turinese.
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