Rassegna storica del Risorgimento

74 David H. Pinkney
the queslion some legai complicalion. So X thought it best not.to cali on the Min. F. A. bui to see officiusement [sic] Rattazzi and have a skirmishing talk, which I did. He seemed very ivilling to recognize Garibaldi as an American citizen and begged me to communicate officially his reclamation. I told him no. I had refused - and could not noie do so - and as he informed me Garibaldi had been taken to Caprera, 1 thought there was nofurther action fot me to take. Ga­ribaldi had grounded his reclamation on being domicilia dans un appariement immonde où ma sante s'est déjà alterée .
J thought this the only course to take as a friend of Garibaldi. If he stili insists upon renouncing Italian allegiance and wishes to resumé his American citisenship, I expressed my willingness to receive any further communication he might wish to moke in substantiation of this but that as an American citizen he would be held to respect the public order of Italy and his position would prob-ably be toorse than at present. Had we legai ground to stand upon I should lihe to see the Republic befriend Garibaldi bui the Ministry... would be glad of any opportunity to vent resentment against theforeigner .
As some of Garibaldi's friends, Crispi others, have already invoked in his favor theprivilege of a deputy one of which is a qualified immunity front arrest, I asked Mad. Mario, as agent of Garibaldi, ìf there was any objaction to my making known officiusement [sic] the facts of his appeal to us. She said no, and even wished me to do so - and added that he had not taken the oath of deputy and some other declarations I do not think it worth the while to repeat.
I have thus recounted somewhat at length the facts in order to profit by any suggestion that max occur to you.
Yours very truly, G. Clay.
Oli October 7, in order to counteract reports in the Italian and Frencb press, Clay issued a public denial that the legation had protested against Garibaldi's arrest. The legation's action, he said, had been limited to urg-ing the prime minister to better the couditions of the general's quarters at Alessandria. 2>
Garibaldi, having been rcturned to his island home on Caprera, shortly eluded the ships guarding the island and escaped to the mainland. "While in hiding in Florence he made an indirect appeal for American protection. Clay wrote to Marsh:
Oc*. 29. Dear Sir
... whtle Garibaldi was hid in Florence I was asked ifin a certain contin-gency I would skelter him at the Legation. I replied that I could not engagé to place the Legation between him and the Italian Government, bui hinted that
l) Clay to Seward, October 7, 1867, in the Clay lotterà; tute reperì is quote! io pari by GAY, loe. eie., p. 14.
*) H. R. MABUAMO, Unpublishad American documenta on Garlbaldi's mordi on Rome in 1867, in Journal of moiern klstoty, XVI (1944), 118 n.