Rensselaer Union, Volume 10, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 January 1878 — Death of Victor Emmanuel. [ARTICLE]

Death of Victor Emmanuel.

Victor Emmanuel, late King of Italy, and formerly King of Sardinia, was born at Turin March 14, 1820, and early entered political life. After distinguishing himself in the war of 1848, he was made King of Sardinia in 1849. He reorganized the Cabinet, making the distinguished statesman, Cavour, his chief adviser. He became a party to the Anglo-French alliance against Russia in 1855 that he might advance Sardinia as a political power. The result was as he anticipated, and important events followed in quick succession. In 1859, with France as an ally, he took the field against Austria in the war for Italian independence. The King was a good soldier, and Cavour was a master in diplomacy; and while the King won distinguished honors at Palestro, Magenta and Solferino, the Minister took good care that the results of good fighting should not be lost. N apoleon 111. made the peace of Villa Franca to suit himself, holding out to the Italians the promise of an Italian confederation under the honorary Presidency of the Pope. The stipulations dictated by Napoleon caused great discontent in Italy, and m any of the States transferred their allegiance I to the King of Sardinia. In May, 1860, | GaribaTdf assumed the leadership of the insurrectionists in Sicily, and, supported by Victor Emmanuel’s army and navy, secured a triumph that virtually settled the question of Italian unity. ■ The first Italian Parliament assembled at Turin, Feb. 13, 1861. Eight days later the DeputicWecreed to Victor Emmanuel the title King of Italy. The decree was officially promulgated March 17, 1861, was recognized by England March 30 and by France June 15. In 1866 the King entered into the alliance with Prussia that ended, after the wax hetween Prussia and Austria, in Austria ceding Venetia to Italy. Taking advantage of the Franco-Prussian War, in 1870, Victor Emmanuel took possession of Rome, and in December of that year Rome was declared the capital of Italy. In May, 1871, the Italian Parliament, sitting'at Florence, passed the bill of the Papal guarantees which regulated the relations of Church and State. The first Italian Parliament held in Rome was opened by the King, Nov. 27, 1861. Since that date Victor Emmanuel had devoted himself to perfecting the unity of the Kingdom, avoiding complications with the Church without making any concessions, and avoiding complications with other European States, while raising the position of Italy as a political power. The King’s oldest daughter, Clotilde, was married to Prince Napoleon Jerome Bonaparte, in 1859. His second daughter is the present Queen of Portugal. His second son, Amadeus, was for three years King of Spain. Prince Humbert, or Umberto, the successor to the throne, is now thirty-four years of age. He was with his father through the war for Italian independence in 1859, and is supposed to be thoroughly in love with the principles that made his father so SC a favorite in Italy— Chicago Inter,n.

Here is a Baltimore tramp's tale: “ At-Perryville I went to a house With a brick in my hand, and asked the . lady if she would please be so kind as to put some butter on it. The request excited her curiosity, and she asked: * Why do you want to put butter on a brick?’ I told her I was going to eat it. ‘ Surely, she satd, • you. are not so hungry’ as to eat a buttered brick? Come into the house and I will give you 15337 T bagged a square meal, for which I { had set so slick a trap. In , the western section of the State 1 asked ■ for something to ea| at a house and I was refused. I then pegged for A looks : ing-glass, which aroused Curiosity* to , know what I would do with the mirror. 1 replied, * I want to see myself starving to death.’ Then they gave-jne h'hat I wanted.” , - ' ■ ' i