Rassegna storica del Risorgimento

La vigìlia del '48 175
The population of the province of Lombary is now about five millions. They have among them many well organized and well disciplined troops, and this force, when assisted by Sardinia, as it assuredly would be, in the event of a general rising, would be able to secure the separation of the province from Austria or to exact from the Imperiai government a satisfactory constitution, and in one of these modes, according to my opinion, will the dafficulty be settled. Independantly of the difficulty, the Italiana and Germans are possessed of characteristies too discordant ever to amalgamiate but besides this, the Lom-bardians are too much committed ever to retreat, and were it otherwise they are too greatly influenced by the example of Italy, and encouraged by the success of Sicily and Naples now to desisi. Besides what at present rendere the prospect of pacification stili more hopeless, are the two important events which have occnrred since the affair in Sicily, and the intelligence of which has just arrived bere viz that both the Grand Duke of Tnscany and the king of Sardinia have given consti tutions to their respective people. The Pope will probably soon follow the example of his neighbours, and there will be left to the Emperor of Austria, no other alternative, tban to pursue the sante course, or to submit to the dismemberment of his empire.
Ali these remarkable demonstrations from every quarter create, as you may readily conceive, a vast deal of uneasiness in the minds of European statesmen. Prince Metternich preserves externally his accustomed calmness and serenity, but he was heard a few days ago to remark to one of his family that since his entrance into public life, he had never before beheld the prospect of such troublous times f or Europe , as now threaten. Among the dàplomatists of the continent, I find that Lord Pahnerston is blamed as the cause of ali these difficulties. His course they say, will lead to a general war in Europe and farther, as an able minister at this court remarked to me last evetning (whilst conversaig upon the subject of the Guatamala colony) that be would not be surprised if Palmerston should get England into a war with the United States in less tban two years.49) They begin at length to look upon England as a dictatorial and grasping nation, they are unable to cope with her tbemselves, and they would gladly see her engaged with any power that would be able to humble her, and this opinion they now entertain of the United States, not only for our great strength in war as recently exhibited in Mexico, but from the power which we hold over her in being her only furnisher of cotton and principali furnisher of food....
**) Questa cifra citata da Stiles comprende l'intero Regno Lombardo-Veneto e non la
sola Lombardia.
40) per l'attività dell'Inghilterra in Belize, le Islas di Bahia, e lungo la Costa dei Mosquito, cioè nel già Capitanato generale spagnolo del Guatemala, vedi: RICHARD W. VAW ALSTYNE, The Central American Policy of Lord Palmerston, in The Hispanic American Bistorieal Iieview, a. XVI (1936), pp. 348-357; ROBERT A. NAYLOR, The British Rote in Central America Prior to the Clayton-Bulwar Treaty of 1850, ivi, a. XL (1960), pp. 361-382; e MARK J. VAN AJCEN, British Policy Considerations in Central America before 1850, ivi, a, XLn (1962), pp. 54-59.