Italy has become a standing subject in the newspapers, and
the interest in her position by no means diminishes. Austria seems to have reoccupied Ferrara ; an act of hostility for which the pretext does not yet appear.
In the provinces of Naples, there are immense military expedi- tions, professedly directed to quell banditti. It is reported that the excesses of the banditti have nothin,g to do with politics; but it is incrediblethat whole armies should- be directed against mere thieves. The military movement is conjecturally explained by two suppositions,-that the pretended robbers are really rebels; or that the banditti are a pretext for advancing troops to the Ro- man frontier in secret concert with Austria. There may be truth in both suppositions. In the capitala Naples the educated classes show an unmistakeable dispositliff to aymiathize with the cause of national freedom.
Meanwhile, the Pontiff, is strengthening his government by secularizing many of the officers ; he is replacing old effete in- triguers by honest and vigorous men ; and he has with him the very hearts of the people. We observe that in Switzerland, as it is stated, Lord Palmerston has sent a verbal message to the President, through the British re_presentative Mr. Peel, promising to respect the independence of the Swiss, and recognizing their right to modify their federal relations. But the terms are equivocal, and the actual note ad- dressed to Mr. Peel has not been published.
It is to be presumed that, is fortiori, Lord Palmerston must be prepared to make a similar declaration to the Italian powers. The case of the Italian states is very different from that of Switzer- land, and much more deserving of such support. There is no question of violating established sovereign rights—of deposing sovereign authority : no one state pretends to dictate to the rest. It would be a great mistake to suppose that Italy presents an ex- ample of mere revolt ; nothing can be more opposite. It is rather that she has regained her ancient strength, her ancient self-reli- ance, and knows that she has done so. She, once the mistress of the world, is about to put in her claim to take her place among the nations. It will probably be a consequence that she will shake off any alien rulers who may refuse to become thoroughly Italian, and continue to enforce their hold on Italian terri- tory by an oppressive grasp ; but that is not the object of the present movement in Italy: the object is, gradually to set free the intellect and independent powers of the people, and to endow them with institutions such as they have known before—institu- tions suited to a great people.
A suggestion often made has been revived by an intelligent Writer In the Time's, who lives at Rome—that the British Govern- ment should give an invaluable moral support to the noble efforts of the Italian patriots, simply by sending a representative to Rome. Even if he went without a formal diplomatic style and title, but were deputed notoriously "for a purpose," this writer,
Anglo-Romanus," thinks that the effect would be attained.
