Johannes Mattern

The Employment of the Plebiscite in the Determination of Sovereignty Johannes Mattern

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1920. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER V. The Plebiscite From The Middle Of The 19TH Century To The Beginning Of The World War The plebiscites held in the Italian principalities were clearly of a revolutionary nature in so far as they served as the means of carrying into effect the revolutionary movements against the established governments in those provinces in favor of the new allegiances to the Kingdom of Sardinia. That Cavour realized the probability of European opposition to his contemplated annexations on the basis of a revolutionary principle, seems to follow from his attempt to gain the consent of the Emperor of the French by the reminder that it was through the plebiscite that Napoleon had won the imperial crown.1 However, in this process of reasoning, Cavour failed to distinguish between the plebiscite in matters internal and in affairs of an international character. It was of this failure that he in turn was reminded by an officially inspired article of the Constitutionnel, of March 30, 1860, in which it was made clear that the principle of popular sovereignty could, by false extension, become for Europe the cause of troubles and incessant dangers, that " universal suffrage can be applied only in the interior of a country," and that "it can not serve to modify the exercise of sovereignty in the relations with the outside, nor for an extension of territory."2 But Napoleon's opposition was not entirely, nor probably even primarily, prompted by an aversion to the principle involved. With him it was a question of practical politics. Savoy and probably Nice had been the price promised Napoleon by Cavour at Plombieres in 1858 for French 1 Orsi, p. 266. 2 Quoted by Soliere, p. 5. assistance, if out of the impending Austrian settlement, the war of 1859, a united Italy of eleven million inh...