Neutrality of Switzerland and Part of Savoy.] To the Swiss Declaration of the 14th March, 1859 (page 1356), the French Government returned the following reply: (Translation as laid before Parliament.) "IN acknowledging the receipt of the communication which has been made to him, the Minister declares that he renders entire justice to the sentiments which have inspired this measure, and he cherishes the hope that the dispositions of the other Powers not being less favourable than those of the Government of His Majesty the Emperor, in regard to, respect for, and the maintenance of, Swiss Neutrality, the Public Law which consecrates it cannot in any case run any danger.” Passage of French Troops through the Neutralised portion of Savoy. On the 28th April, 1859, the British Government drew the attention of the French Government to the fact, that some portion of the force dispatched by France to the succour of Sardinia had been moved through Culoz, and over the Mont Cenis, and that this line of march had thus been through a portion of Savoy, the Neutrality of which, under similar circumstances, was distinctly provided for by the Treaties and other Acts of 1815, andspecifically by the Act of 20th November, 1815" (No. 43), and, it added, that although it appeared that the Swiss Government did not propose to offer any objection thereto, that nevertheless the British Government felt it to be their duty to place on record that the march of the French Troops through that District had been effected contrary to the Treaty engagements to which France, in common with other Powers, was a party. To this communication Count Walewski replied (29th April, 1859) as follows:-" We do not think that the Territory of Savoy which is traversed by the Railway, is comprised in the portion of Savoy which participates in the Neutrality of Switzerland. I think I can assure you that the Swiss Government is of the same opinion as ourselves on this subject. It results, on the other hand, from diplomatic Acts, that the application of the principle of Neutrality to the country north of Ugive, ought to be concerted between Sardinia and Switzerland, whose troops would have to occupy the Neutralised Territory." Lord Cowley, Her Majesty's Ambassador at Paris, however, reported (1st May, 1859) that the passage of Troops had been stopped by the French Government. [Austrian Ultimatum to Sardinia.] No. 291.-AUSTRIAN ULTIMATUM calling upon the Italian Government to Disarm, and demanding an Answer within 3 Days. Vienna, 19th April, 1859.* (Translation as laid before Parliament.) THE Imperial Government, as your Excellency is aware, has hastened to accede to the proposal of the Cabinet of St. Petersburg to assemble a Congress of the 5 Powers with the view to remove the complications which have arisen in Italy. Convinced, however, of the impossibility to enter, with any chance of success, upon pacific deliberations in the midst of the noise of arms, and of preparations for War carried on in a neighbouring Country, we have demanded the placing on a Peace Footing of the Sardinian Army, and the disbanding of the Free Corps, or Italian Volunteers, previously to the meeting of the Congress. Her Britannic Majesty's Government finds this condition so just, and so consonant with the exigencies of the situation, that it did not hesitate to adopt it, at the same time declaring itself to be ready, in conjunction with France, to insist on the immediate disarmament of Sardinia, and to offer her in return a Collective Guarantee against any attack on our part, to which, of course, Austria would have done honour. The Cabinet of Turin seems only to have answered, by a categorical refusal to the invitation to put her Army on a Peace Footing, and to accept the Collective Guarantee which was offered her. This refusal inspires us with regrets, so much the more deep, that if the Sardinian Government had consented to the testimony of pacific sentiments which was demanded of her, we should have accepted it as a first symptom of her intention to assist, on her side, in bringing about an improvement in the relations between the two countries which have unfortunately been in such a state of tension for some years past. In that case it would have been permitted us to furnish, by the breaking up of the Imperial troops stationed in the Lombardo-Venetian kingdom, another proof that * This Ultimatum was received by Sardinia on the 23rd April, 1859. [Austrian Ultimatum to Sardinia.] they were not assembled for the purpose of aggression against Sardinia. Our hope having been hitherto deceived, the Emperor, my august master, has ordered me to make directly a last effort to cause the Sardinian Government to reconsider the decision which it seems to have resolved on. Such is the object of this letter. I have the honour to entreat your Excellency to take its contents into your most serious consideration, and to let me know if the Royal Government consents, yes or no, to put its Army on a Peace Footing without delay, and to disband the Italian Volun teers. The bearer of this letter, to whom, M. le Comte, you will be so good as to give your answer, is ordered to hold himself at your disposition to this effect for 3 days. Should he receive no answer at the expiration of this term, or should this answer not be completely satisfactory, the responsibility of the grave events which this refusal would entail would fall entirely on His Sardinian Majesty's Government. After having exhausted in vain all conciliatory means to procure for these populations the guarantee of Peace, on which the Emperor has a righ to insist, His Majesty will be obliged, to his great regret, to have recourse to the force of Arms to obtain it. In the hope that the answer which I solicit of your Excellency will be congenial to our wishes for the maintenance of Peace, I seize, &c., C. CAVOUR. BUOL. [Sardinian reply to Austrian Ultimatum.] No. 292.-SARDINIAN REPLY to the Austrian Ultimatum. 26th April, 1859.* (Translation as laid before Parliament.) THE question of the Disarmament of Sardinia, which constitutes the basis of the demand which your Excellency addresses to me, has been the subject of numerous negotiations between the Great Powers and the Government of the King. These negotiations led to a proposition drawn up by England, to which France, Prussia, and Russia adhered. Sardinia, in a spirit of conciliation, accepted it without reserve or afterthought. Since your Excellency can neither be ignorant either of the proposition of England nor the answer, I could add nothing in order to make known the intentions of the Government of the King with regard to the difficulties which were opposed to the assembling of the Congress. The decided conduct of Sardinia has been appreciated by Europe. Whatever may be the consequences which it entails, the King, my august master, is convinced that the responsibility will devolve upon them who first armed, who have refused the propositions made by a great Power, and recognised as just and reasonable by the others, and who now substitute a menacing summons in its stead. An Austrian Army crossed the Ticino on the same day (26th April), and entered Sardinian Territory. [War. Austria and Sardinia.] No. 293.-AUSTRIAN MANIFESTO and DECLARATION OF WAR against Sardinia. Vienna, 28th April, 1859. sure. (Translation as laid before Parliament.) TO MY PEOPLE. I HAVE ordered my faithful and gallant Army to put a stop to the inimical acts ("anfeindungen ") which, for a series of years, have been committed by the neighbouring State of Sardinia against the indisputable rights of my Crown, and against the integrity of the realm placed by GOD under my care, which acts have lately attained the very highest point. By so doing I have fulfilled the painful but unavoidable duty of a Sovereign. My conscience being at rest, I can look up to an omnipotent God, and patiently await His award. With confidence I leave my decision to the impartial judgment of contemporaneous and future generations. Of the approbation of my faithful subjects I am When more than 10 years ago the same enemy, violating international law and the usages of war, and without any cause being given, invaded the Lombardo-Venetian territory with an army, with the intention of seizing upon it, although he was twice totally defeated by my gallant army, and at the mercy of the victor, I behaved generously, and held out my hand to a reconciliation (No. 215). I did not appropriate to myself one inch of his territory; I encroached on no right which belongs to the Crown of Sardinia, as one of the members of the European family of nations. I insisted on no guarantees against the recurrence of similar events. The hand of peace which I, in all sincerity, extended, and which was taken, appeared to me to be a sufficient guarantee. The blood which my army shed for the honour and right of Austria I sacrificed on the altar of peace ("dem frieden brachte Ich das blut meiner armee zum opfer"). The answer to this forbearance, which has hardly had an example in history, was a resumption of hostility, and an agitation carried on by all the expedients of perfidy, increasing from year to year, against the peace and welfare of my Lombardo-Venetian Kingdom. Well knowing how much I ought to value the priceless boon of peace for my people and for Europe, I patiently bore with these new |