Rassegna storica del Risorgimento

Documenti americani sul conflitto italo-austriaco del 1859 7
grcat country bordering on the dominion* of despotism, will Le alinosi as dau-gcrons to Louis Napoleon as to Francis Joseph. Italy must he organized difFc-rently. Ali parties indeed seem to admit that the Gonstitution must undcrgo alteration if Lombardy, Piedmont, Modena, ctc. are to he fused into one, and that, if the new Parliament meets in Milan, it will be a different body from that which has hitherto held its frac sessions in Turin. Hence thoughtful pereons are generally of opinion that Sardinia in gainmg an empire has lost its liberty.
John M. Daniel a Lewis Case
Turin, June 28, 1859. No. 113.
Sir: [Riferisce i dettagli della battaglia del 24 giugno]... In the order of the day the Eraperor complimenta the Piedmontese troops, but they appear to have gained no great honor. They were indeed forced back to the river Chiese. Indeed the Piedmontese, though they have proved themselves good troops, have not added to their ancient laurels in this war. Both at Montebello and Palestro they were saved only by the timely arrivai of the Freneh. At Magenta three divisions of Piedmontese were intended to have taken part in the fight, but it is said that they stopped on the way for two hours to cook their soup and did not get into that battle at ali...
Judging by the laws of nations it is dimcult to justify France and Sardinia. They are the real authors of this war. At the opening of this year, Austria was standing on her own unquestioned ground, her conduct in perfect accord with her treaties, goveming her people by their own laws. France and Sardinia chose to say that her laws were bad laws, that she must change the ni or they would make her, and hence the war. It is impossible to justify it by interna-tional right or legai logie. It is also dimcult to believe in the disinterested and newborn zeal for liberty and humanity proclaimed by some of her assailants. But it is impossible not to witness with sincere pleasure the punishment of that bad power and the defeat of the detestable system that has so long rendered wretched many millions of men. It is necessary to live near to Austria some tiine to know how perfectly founded in truth are ali the charges which history has brought against her; to witness the cynical reliance on pure force and fraud, which her politicai men xegard as the sole motors of the world, her settled de* termination to oppose every thing like advancement or freedom, either among the individuata or communities, and especially her presumptuous arrogance and perfect confidence in her strength to defy the hatred and do without the respect and confidence of ali mankind. Her vast inilitary organization is full of this spirit; the cruelty and brutality of her soldiery is only cquallcd by the cold re-pellant pride and ill-hred swagger of her officerà. To support their pretentions they should have had a great deal of skill, a great deal of oourage; the world gave them credit for its possession; but the gleam of the Frcnch bayonet has li t up their true character in a way not soon to be forgotten.
Grave events in the States of the Ghurch have lately transpired. From the heginning of the war the Emperor Napoleon III seems to have desired to keep the Romana quict. Knowing the great hold which the Papal power has on the lower classes in ali southern Europe, he has avoided everytbing resembl-