Rassegna storica del Risorgimento

162
Ronald E. Coons
No. 20 Legation of the U. States
Vienna, November 26th, 1847
Sir
The excitement existing here a short time since, and occasioned by the anticipateci rupture between this govemment, and that of the Pontificai States, seeirts to bave passed entirely away.
Despite the mutuai threats, which at one rime gave to the affair an aspect rather alarming, viz that of the Pontificai govemment, that it would not negociate untili the Imperiai troops had evacuated Ferrara, and on the other band that of Austria, that she was determined not to relinquish any of the rights guaranteed to ber by the treaty of Vienna; after one or two interviews between the Pope's Nuncio here and Prince Metternich, and a joint letter from the Emperor and Empress to the Holy Father, the whole matter has been committed, to the charge of the Austrian Ambassador at Rome and the officerà of the Pontificai govemment, and will be by them arranged, it is supposed, to the satisfaetion of the respective parties.
Other difficulties bave arisen in the same direction, though at a different point, from an event scarcely antioipated, viz that of the abdications of the Duke Charles Louis of Ferdinand Charles, hereditary Prince of Lucca. The following provision, you will recollect, was made in the treaty of Vienna in anticipation of such an occurrence.
The Duchy of Lucca shall revert to the Grand Duchy of Tuscany either in case of its becomìag vacant by the death of her Majesty the Infanta Maria Louisa or of her son Don Carlos, or of bis descendants without leaving male heirs, or in the case of the Infanta Maria Louisa or her direct heirs obtaining another establishment, or succeeding any other branch of the dynasty. Neverthe-less in case of which revision, the Grand Duke of Tuscany engages to cede, immediately on entering into possession of the princìpality of Lucca, to the Duke of Modena, the following territories viz lst The Tuscan districts of Fiviz-zano, Pietra-Santa and Barga. 2nd The Lucca districts of Castiglione and Gal­licano, surrounded by the stat.es of Modena as weil as those of Monte Ignose, contiguous to the country of Massa .17)
The Duke of Lucca, from poverty and want of popularity among his subjects, as it is aHeged, having abdicated, the Grand Duke of Tuscany proceeded at once to take possession of the Duchy of Lucca, at the same rime yielding up, to the Duke of Modena, those districts which by the treaty were to be transferred to him, on that event. But the citizens of Fmzzano and Pietra-Santa, unwilling to be exchanged, or rather delivered over from one master to another, like so much stock upon a farai, with no more voice in the matter that the dumb beaste to whom their treatment eeemed to resemble them, resisted the movement, and upon the Modanese [.sic] attempting to carry the treaty into effect, and to take possession of the districts above mentioned, the inhabitants flew to arma, and
tó) Per l'articolo 120 del Trattato di Vienna, citato da Stiles, vedi Aoten dea Wiener Congresses, voi. VI, pp. 85-86. Dalla sua versione di questo problema, è evidente che Stiles ignorava il patto segreto di Firenze, concluso il 28 novembre 1844, e accettato da Parma, da Modena e dalla Toscana. Secondo questo accordo, la Toscana non era più obbli­gata a cedere a Modena i distretti di Barga e Pietrasanta.