Rassegna storica del Risorgimento

26
Howard R. Marraro
Emmanuel. Tho Duke of Modena and the Duchess of Parma have fled and their domiuions are governed by Piedmontese coinuiissioners with full power*. Lom-baxdy is also ruled by a si milar agent. The Duchess of Parma excites syni patby. She was no Austrian tyraut, but a ròse and amiable lady wbo sought the wclfare of her subjects. They werc well governed and but. little taxed. Her subjects have now the glory of forming part of the new Italiau. Empire, hnt they will also have to bear a burden of expense four tùnes what they have hitherto known.
John M. Dania a Lewis Cass
Turin, June 20, 1859. No. 111.
Sir. ... [Riferisce sull'evacuazione di molti paesi e città da parte delle truppe austriache], That they bave been evacuated like so tnany open towns, as well as the extraordinary preci pitation of the retreàt, proves that the Austrian army was demoralized by the defeat at Magenta to an extent neither anticipated, nor provided for, nor yet acknowledged. The Austrian party explaius the retreat by a change of coraniauders and a consequent change of earapaign. But no strategica! reasons can explain a s'arrender so hasty and shameful of ground and position earcfully prepared and arranged during ten years of peace for long and deliberate resistanee. Panie among the men, despair among the commanders, and a general conviction of their inability to withstand the charges of Frencb bay onets and the ravage of the new camion, are the only means to my mind that will satisfactorily account for such a deplorable flight... People are already beginuing to think and ask what will come out after ali this ? Is France going to pour out these floods of gold and blood for nothing ? Is the French Eraperor's proclamation to be literally received ? Are we truly to regard him only as the honest watebdog wbo comes to drive away the Austrian wolf that bas broken in the Sardinian sheepfold ? Shall bis sole reward be to read bis history in a nation's eyes ?
There are many competent persons who do not hesistate to answer these questions in the negative. That Napoleon IH does not scek in this quarter a territorial aggrandizement, and that he will, after assisting the Picdmontese Government in forming an empire out of Northern Italy, withdraw to bis own confines perbaps taking Savoy with him is what ali admit to be probable. Should he appropriate the Italy he bas conquered, he could inevitably draw down on himself a European coalition, and he is too well read in bis predecessor's history to risk that contingency. But that French iniluence will le ave Italy with the French soldiers is not to be expected. The new Italy will be the crea-tion of France and every stallie government which it can hope to have must necessarily be the creature of the House of Bonapartc. For the elements of discord and jealousy are so irradicable in the ltalian nature and the country itself so little adapted to eentralization, that no such government can stand withouth foreign assistance. For this support ìt must look either to France or to Austria, and in such a choice there can be but onc rcsult. Thus the King-doni of Italy will bc goveraed by French iniluence, and conseqnently on the French system. It bas hitherto been ruled on the English pian. But a free press, a free parliament, and constititional ministry, and popular electiou, in a