Rassegna storica del Risorgimento

Documenti omeri inni sul conflitto italo-austriaco HA 1859 37
hinisclf. For six months In- has beco, the slave oi' Louis Wapoleou. He has dono everything he bas becn ordered to do; persectrted everybody wbo was uot lovcd by bis master; ebanged everytliing tbat did uot picase him in Piedinont; he bas uot movcd a finger or wagged bis tongue once of bis own frec will. Yet ne fancied that in tbe inain it was hirnself tbat was managing Napolcon, and he that would be tbe grcat beneficiar)' of ali tbe traiisaetions between them. Naturally, bis dejection is great now tbat bis eyes are at last opened; and the conccit bas ali gone out of him io the presence of tbe buiniiiating certainty tbat be bas not only becn a dupe himself hot becn made tbe instrament of doping and deluding tbe nation tbat fancied him tbe most cunning of men. *)
The diploraatic position in which tbe war leaves this country is a very difficult one, and it will be hard for any Ministry to extricate it witb honour. It is kno vn tbat Tuscany, having driven awayits Grand Duke, is governed by a provisionai Committee presided over by Bonconijiagni, the Sardinian Minister at Florence, and tbat its army is in tbe bauds of a Piedmontose Commissioner. Parma and Modena bave been de facto annexed to Sardinia, are governed by Rovai inteudants, enforcing Piedmontese laws. Tbe Marcbes of Bologna and Ancona bave declared themselves parts of Picdmont and this Government sent a Commissioner tbere but. a short time sirice. But, according to tbe treaties, ali these countries are to be reduced with salutary reforms to the statu quo. Tbe Sardinian Government wiD tberefore be forced to withdraw its agents and desert tbese people who reclaim its protection. Further, in Bologna, in Parma, in Modena, in Tuscany, popular movements, protests, addresses to the King, etc, bave made wcll known since tbe announcement of the peacc the detcrmination of tbe inhabitants to bave no more to do witb tbeir former rulers. Tbey declare in every public manner tbat they will not again accept their dukes and tbeir Pope. Tbose rulers must therefore be reinstated by forcign force, if reinstated at ali. Who is to apply tbat force ? The Austrians ? The chief end of this war was to force tbem from these very principabties. Tbe Frencb ? The
!) Questo stato d'animo degli Italiani veniva confermato anche dal console americano a La Spezia (Robert H. Lecse), il quale nel suo dispaccio No. 14, del 15 luglio 1859, scri­veva al signor John Apple tori (1789-1864), Assistant Secretar y of State:
e... The ink in my despatch No. 13 was scarccly dry, when ali Europe was astouuded by the declaration of peace, and no person in it more so than one of its most astute states-mcn, the Ct. Cavour, and who has in consequcncc left the Ministry. Great constcrnation, exists in this part of Italy and lctters of condolence are l eing addressed the King. Every-thing of course is now a conjecture, but it does sccm by what is already known that Na­poleone iotention is not changed of freeing Italy to the Adriatic, but that bis purposes will be carried out in a different manner and with other ìntlucnccs. He has foreseen tbe danger likcly to arise to Franco in prosecntion of the war and retires leaving a confedera* tion of statcs under a nominai head whose annies are to be Italian. The Austrians will leave Italy, but the four fortresses will be beld as ineans of defence by ber, and the resto ration of the dukes of Parma, Modena, and Tuscany adrnitted. But it is certain, in a short tane revolution after revolution will break out in. these statcs, the armies will fraterni/c with their fcllow citizenB. The annoxation to Piedmont put to the vote, and the Kingdom of North Italy rea eh from Alpine mountain to the Adda tic sca. Thcre can be no other solution to this problem the recoguition of the treaty of peace will be scarccly made by the Europea n powers he foie organization coni meri cos for this rcsult and the prescnt excited state of public passion it alone can keep quict the assassin knife .