Rassegna storica del Risorgimento

20
Howard R. Marraro
Walewski were addcd to Her Majesty's Privy Council. It is assorteti that the Emperor expressed unreservcdly the opinion that the war would not be of long duration, and it is stated that invitations have already heen given to pcrsons to spend some time in tlic autunni as guests of the Emperor at Compiègnc. Event-ful scenes must occur before it can he kiiowu whether he will he able to receive bis guest in the autuinn.
It is manifestly bis policy to localize the war, as the phrase goes, and while mucb oxeitcmcnt and apprehension exists in the German States, strenuous efforts are heing ni ade here to allay the apprehension of hostilc purposcs of Franco towards them. The articles of the Germanie Confederation do not impose on the confederate states the duty of giving military protection to the territorial possessions of Austria, situated out of Gcrmany. The Emperor Francis Joseph bas shown no iudisposition to make Italy the theatre of the war. In this he bas played the game of the Emperor Napoleon for him. In a few days I believe a great battle will be fought therc. If successful, I believe that the Emperor Napoleon will accept the mediation of England on the basis probably of the principles suggested by Lord Malmosbury and thus the war may soon end. It seems now most probable that England, Prussia, and Russia will reniain neutral, and as there will bc great difficulty in restricting the military operations so as not to touch the German possessions of Austria, the utinost caution will be observed by the Emperor Napoleon to avoid the contingency of the German States taking an active part. The temptation to blockade Trieste will be very great. But so strong are the considerations of poUcy with the French against it, that it is not improbable that even this annoyance will not be attempted. I am informed, from a reliable source, that the precautio-nary movements of troops to protect the Rhenish provinces of the several German States, will not be treated by the French Government as a casus belli. I will not be surprised, for the reasons suggested by thesc faets, to see the war ended by a short compaign...
John M. Daniel a Lewis Cass
Turin, May 15,1859. No. 106.
Sir: Botb the AUies and the Austrians preserve great secrecy as to the strengtb of their forces as well as the movements of tbeir armics. The press is sileneed and the telegraph taken from the public. Under such circumstances it is difficult to state faets with confidence. As nearly as I can asccrtain, however, the Piedmontesc regular army, exelusive of the volunteers, is 80,000 men in the field. The French have at least 150,000 of their best troops already here, with nearly 200 pieces of the new rifled cannon, and sixty thousand more on the way. The allied army will number three hundred thousand men. The Austrians bave, it is said, three hundred thousand at this moment in Lombardy, and rnany autlio-rities say lìfty thousand more. Gyulai [sic], a general who never commauded in chief during war, heads them stili; but it is expected that Hess, a mucb abler and more experieneed man, perhaps the best general in Europe, will sooncr or later supersede him. The French Emperor commands the Allies. He is now at Alexandria, where he has establisbcd bis head-quarters, and near which fortress the bulk of the allied army is encamped. His landing at Genoa two days ago was signalized by illuininations, festivals, and entbusiasm indescri-