Rassegna storica del Risorgimento

Documenti americani sul conflitto italo-austriaco del 1859 41
for some days, the troops were massed on the morning of the 14th at the Place Bastille. and t hence, with the Emperor at their head, marched by the Boulevard to the Piace Vcndome. His Majesty took bis station opposite the coluiun made of cannon taken firom the Austrians in former wars, and surrnounted by a co-lossal statue of the First Napoleon, in bronze. The crowd whieh witnesscd the spectacle was cnormously large and everything passcd off without any serious accident, It was, however, observed by many of those present that the force of police was greatly increased, and there were no manifestations of extraordi-nary enthusiasm in the popular reception given to the Emperor. On the 15th the Emperor's fèto day passcd off with brilliant displays of fireworks ...
In the meantime the Congress of Ministers charged with the duty of com-pleting the Treaty of Peace on the bases agreed on at Villafranca proceed very slowly with their business. The people of Tuscany and Modena have elected representatives to parliaments, and it is reported, apparently authoritatively, that by unanimous votes of those bodies, it has been resolvcd lst that the exiled sovereigns shall not be admitted to resumé the Grand Ducal power and, 2nd, that these duchies will unite themselves with Picdmont. It appears to be the settled policy of the Emperor Napoleon not to use force in effecting the restoration against the will of the people. I think that His Majesty is with-drawing himself, at the moment, from affaire, with two objects: first, to leave the peoples of Italy to act for themselves in the formation of theit respective go-vernments, for the future; and, second, to abide a Congress of the Great Powers, to adjust territorial questions involved in the changes which will thus arise.
There does not appear to be immediate danger of a general war.
John Y. Mason to Lewis Cass
Legation of the United States, Paris, Sept. 12, 1859. No. 410.
Sir: The Italian question has presented reccntly the appearance of serious complication. Prince Mettermeli has appeared in Paris, as the Diplomatic Re presentati ve of Austria, but he has not publicly presented his credentials, or been received as the accredited representative of the Austrian Emperor. The Em­peror Napoleon, with the Empress has left Paris, spent some time at St. Sauveur, for the baths, and has gone to Biarritz. Prince Metternich went from Paris to St. Sauveur and thence to Vienna. Events in Italy, since the date of the meeting of the Emperors Napoleon and Francis Joseph, at Villafranca, have manifested great unanimity of the populations, in the determined purpose not to permit the return to power of the Grand Ducal sovereigns in Tuscany, Mo­dena and Parma. Offers on the part of the chosen representatives of the people of those several states for annexation to Sardinia and the acceptance of Victor Emmanuel aB their sovcreign, have been made at Turin. They were declined, and it has been understood that while Austria insisted pertinacionaly on the restoration of the Grand Dukes, it was the policy of France to use no force to compel thcrn to the submission of an unwilling people. On the principio of successful popular revolution the institutiene of France now rcst, while Austria denies altogether the prinoiple, as applied to Italy - and henec serious anxicty has arisen and prevailed in the public uiind, that peace does not promise to