Richmond Enquirer

RICHMOND. MARCH 27. 1821

FOREIGN NEWS.

The Ann Maria brings us accounts from London two days later. The die is not cast in Europe. The Congress at Laybach had not yet convened. The King of Prussia was reported to have declined an attendance, upon the ground that "the popular feeling in his own country would require his personal presence." "The sovereigns of Europe had indeed best take some counsel from their prudence. If they do take up arms against Naples—if they do interfere in her internal organization, with the view of arresting the progress of liberty in that country, are they absolutely certain that the popular sentiment of their own subjects will not react upon them at home? that they themselves are not trending upon a slumbering volcano? that the spirit of the age will not develope itself in Austria and in Prussia? that the elements of Revolution are not at work at their own threshold? The influence of the press and of commerce; the example of the United States, that glorious monument by which the theory of a free constitution is every day reduced to practice—must have infused a large portion of liberal sentiment throughout the people, and inclined them towards representative government. May they not imitate the example of Spain, and Portugal and Naples? May they not prematurely bring on the very innovation which they seek to prevent? Bell's Weekly Messenger warns them against this. They are walking over the embers, and not the ashes, of the recent revolutionary system of France and Germany: they are carrying a torch over a surface of gunpowder, and the least false motion will revive every thing around them into general conflagration."

Mean time Naples is not slumbering. She is fortifying the passes of the Appenines, organizing the peasantry into guerillas, distributing arms among them—appointing a military committee to obtain other arms, inspect the condition of the troops and fortresses, and dispatching troops to the frontiers. The Prince Regent has formed a junta of general officers around his person: and has pledged himself on the firing of the first cannon to repair to the head of his army.—It is sufficiently obvious, from the clandestine manner in which the king sneaked on board the British 74, that his people have little confidence in him, or he in them.

It seems yet uncertain whether the Spanish Cortes have been assembled to deliberate upon the King's repairing to Laybach—The probability at present is, that no such invitation has been given or will be accepted.

In the British Parliament the ministers have in a certain extent disclosed their plans. They will not stir the subject of the Queen, unless it be to form for her a permanent establishment.—They avow that in the affairs of Italy they will labor so to steer the vessel of state as to preserve the strictest neutrality. The following is given as a part of Lord Liverpool's speech in the House of Peers:

"As to the affairs of Italy, he never had heard a speech more explicit—for it said, that whatever the determination of the allied sovereigns might be as to the south of Italy, the resolution of this country had been already taken. Independent of our resolution to remain at peace, he would maintain that the most unjustifiable species of war would be to interfere with the internal policy and regulations of any country. It might be necessary at some future period for this country to speak out—but he differed with the noble Earl (Grey) in thinking that it would have been a fit line of policy for this country to have interfered in the first instance with the determination of the allies."

The Opposition were not satisfied with this neutrality. Lord Holland especially contended that "ministers ought to have remonstrated against any interference of the holy alliance with the affairs of Naples." On this point, ministers declined saying whether they had or had not interfered—“in due time the proposed information will be laid before parliament." They will find it difficult in the progress of the drama to preserve their neutral relation. The British people may probably goad them into the war. At all events it is presumed a squadron will hover upon the coast, and transport whatever of the sovereignty, resources and wealth of Naples it is possible to remove to Sicily, as soon as the Allies are about to overrun Naples itself. We can easily conceive several ways in which an ill blood may be generated between the Allies and England.