Rassegna storica del Risorgimento

22
Howard R. Marraro
if he had to deal with soldiers or brigauds; and ibis is absolutcly the only ad* vantage they have gaioed from the movemcnt. On the other band, they have sovra little hatreds in the population, bave dispirited their troops by their want of energctic action, lost their confidcnee by plana so oftcn changcd, and, worst of ali, given the French Einperor rime to bring over bis army. The Austriau General excuses himseif on the pica of bad weathcr and inundated ficlds. But the weathcr on the Mt. Ccnis was worse than on the plains of the Po, and nei the r SHOW nor torrents prevented or delayed the french from coming. rI myself saw thirty thousand puahiug on over that pass, white with snow, but in the highest spirits, only a few days ago; and cannot but give credit to theni for the goodhumour and energy which prevailed amoug them.
Ali the French officerà think the campaign will be short. The whole will be over by September, if they are to be belicved, at which tirnc there will not be au Austriau in Italy. The Einperor, it is said, openly expresses the sanie opinion, and invitcs pcople to hunt with bini at Compiègnc in October. If the Austriau army is handled throughout as at presene., this belief may be casily realized. But it may be reasonably expected that the Austriaus will nght and fight obstiuately when they fall back on their own lines. They have in Lombardy a positura of great military strength the famous triangle formed by the three great fortified cities of Mantua, Verona, and Peschiera. Ensconced in this retreat, it will be very dimeult, and perhaps take a longer time than the French think, to drive them out.
Tuscany is now governed by a Sardinian Coinmissioncr, who is no other than the Sardinian Minister Resident at Florence when the revolution took place. The disturbances in Parma aud Modena have been quieted, and the ancieut rulers stili hold their places. The Allies are far from desiring revolution?, in the Italian states. It would at present only be embarrassment to the organized action of their arruies. The event which they most fear, indeed, is a revolution in their favour at Rome. Should the great question of Papal authority be brought on the stage at this juncture, it could not fail to do them the greatest injury.
Meanwhile a system of considerable repression is exercised here in Piedmont. It will be recollected that power to control the liberty of the person and of the press was given to Government by Parliament on the opening of the war, and it is not slack in using that power. Scveral arbitrary arrests bave been ma de, the press is absolutely silenced on politicai and warlike topies, and the only information aliowed the public is to be found in a meagre officiai bulletin . I append two Communications made to myself by the Foreigu Office in illustra-tion. The first, which was sent to this Legatura and the British Embassy, I do not think to others, declares the intention of the Government to admit no correspoudents of newspapers abroad to enter their lines, and was induced by the apparition of scveral attachés of the English and American press of late at Turbi. '> The second communieation, sent to ali the legations alike, cutts [ sic] the diplomatic corps from the use of the tclcgraph. Even Communications in cipher, direct to the sovercigns represented here, are not aliowed.2)
' ) La prima comazdcasdone, in francese, datata, Torino, 30 aprile 1859, fa firmata da M. 'Minghetti, in qualità di segretario generale del Ministero.
a) La seconda comunicazione, sempre in francese, datata Torino, 4 maggio 1859, fu anche firmata dal Minghetti.