NEWS OF THE WEEK.
while King Fran* is still in Gaeta. •
Theaetual opinions and positions of Sovereigns and Govern- ments in' this conjuncture it is very hard to make out. Very. few things are clear. The Emperor Napoleon is acting under that cloud of reserve which has favoured him so often before. His Italian projects, if he has any, are absolutely inscrutable. The Austrian -offieiarjournals regard the invasion of the Papal terri- tory and of Naples as the answer . of the -Emperor to the regal meeting at Warsaw. The French journals profess great moderation and labour zealously to prove what no one disputes, that the. Emperor has not acted . either with the dynasties .or the revolution. "'lament and England, that is official Prussia and official England, have met at Coblentz and come to an under- standing, 'but we cannot believe that Lord 'John Russell has ac- cepted the proposition which, formed the basis of the TOplitz arrangement between the Austrian Emperor. and the Prince Re- gent of Prussia, that Austria is .fixed in Venetia with an in- defeasible title. Unofficial England will certainly not sanctiOn any such guarantee.. .After this comes the meeting. at Warsaw, of which we absolutely know nothing but ..that the sovereigns and their Ministers have formally conferred. Yet werniay note that. Austrian semi-official jai-finalists hope nothing from this Northern fete except a personal reconciliation between Alexander end Francis Joseph. .Prussia and Austria are committed to a nan-reyision of the treaty of 1856, 'and one is at a loss to see what .could tempt Russia to run the hazards of war unless it were the chance of a' restoration of her naval supremacy in the Euxine. Into the midst of this confusion of uncertainties comes - the treacherous suggestions of .a Congress ; treacherous, for.no one can imagine that any possible EtiroPean Congress could de- cide on measurei beneficial to Italy, or calculatedto develop the growth of Unity.- ' • • The only Certain fact is the steady march of Victor Emmanuel. Moving down from Ancona by the coast road, • and turning inland at Pescara, his soldiers formed themselves in front of the .eneniy, for the first time at Isernia... Here. Cialdini gained a -victory, over the outpost he encountered, which opened the road to Venafro, and brought him within striking distance of the -army-of King Francis. The' occupation Of .Venafro in force, • .aonabined with the pressure maintained by Garibaldi in front of Capita, placed the King between two fires ;- and the telegram reports- the natural consequence; the abandonment Of Cajazzo, and the' withdrawal of -the troops posted on the left of the line of the Volturno. If Victor. Emmanuel, . who _ joined his arniy at TenafrO, is Strong enough to march by. the- Main road thence to :Carta, .King 'Frauds must 'retire behind the Garigliano, 'leaving a garrisonleXapua or not,-as he ma.y:deem it expedient. In thia face of the .gatherings ....Kings it would seem desirable 'that the _Campaign shoidd be finished: : by vigorous . aetiOtt at Gaeta. _Until the King- is expelled annexation cannot be an accomplished fact,, though sanctioned by a vote. Austrian' bitt- talions are massed upon the right bank of the Po, and the Quadrilateral and Venice, full of troops, are stronger than ever. France extends the ,boundary of her occupitiOn in Roman terri- tory, in spite of 'the prayers of the people. The Pope is still, if not a power in himself, a power in the hands of other's, and that they are willing -to use him .was shown the Other day by the recall of the Papal NIM0i0 ;from - It' is- not likely -that Austria willlaunch. her legit:I-nil inte'MOdena or' Ltnnbardy,'since she must know that France would f011o*-imit by Genoa, Civita Vecchia, and Leghorn ; but Victor Enimanuel and Count Cavour will do well tO take. time by the forelock, and, expelling King Francis, employ their utmost energies in consolidating and arm- ing Italy with a view to all eventualities: When Italy is united she will- be able to make her own terms with Emperors. and. Popes.
