Rassegna storica del Risorgimento

Bngland, "Piedmont, and the Cagliati affair 153
nótres et les appuiera par des arguments plus énergiques que ceux que nous som-mes dans les cas d'employer.20)
Hudson, at least, was prepared to give every encouragement to Ca­vour. Commenting on the report of the Piedmontese Commission, Hudson observed:
I think it veiy good as fai as it goes [...] but the naturai consequence is that the Neapolitan Government are responsible for the damage done to the Cagliari, her crew, cargo and passengers, and ought to pay for it. I do not see that your Commission authorises you to demand damages. Perhaps they left it to you f..].21)
No doubt heartened by Hudson's support, Cavour optirnistically pre-dicted to Azeglio (1 February):
Si nous parvenons à faire partager notre opinion au Gouvemement anglais, nous aurons obtenu un immense resultat Le Roi de Naples recevra un coup dont ìl lui sera bien difficile de se relever. Et nous nous rapprocherons ostensiblement de l'Angleterre, que je persiste à considérer, malgré les boutades de Clarendon, comme notre meilleure alliée.22)
Unfortunately for Cavour, however, Clarendon having suggested the course of action that Piedmont was now following did seem ready to bow at last to the pressure of English legai opinion.23) This was given its defini­tive airing on 11 February. The Queen's Advocate, Sir John Harding, hav­ing exarnined the Piedmontese Commissione report and Cavour's despatch to the Neapolitan govemment of 16 January, concluded that Piedmont had no legai right to demand the liberation of the Cag/iari's crew. In addition, Harding stressed that England did not possess the right to make, or to formally support, such a demand when that demand rested solely on the assumption that the capture was illegai because it had taken place on the high seas.
When Emanuele d'Azeglio met with Harding shordy after to discuss the verdict, Harding repeated that if Piedmont solicited the intervention of England and his legai opinion was sought, he would advise against it
2*9 Cavour to Gropello (Chargé d'Affaires of the Piedmontese govemment at Naples), 16 January 1858, Correspondena respectìng the Cagliari pp. 92-96; Hudson to Clarendon, 17 January 1858, ivi, pp. 76-79; Cavour to Emanuele d'Azeglio, 17 January 1858, Cavour e l'Inghilterra: Carteggio con V.E. d'Azeglio, Bologna, 1961, Voi. II (i), p. 172.
20 Hudson to Cavour, 18 January 1858, ivi, p. 173.
225 Cavour to E. d'AzegJio, 1 February 1858, ivi, p. 183.
) E. d'Azeglio to Cavour, 26 January 1858, ivi, n. 2, pp. 177-178.