Rassegna storica del Risorgimento

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Nìck Carter
Malmesbury's suspicions regarding Azeglio and Cavour were, of course, not without basis. On March 30, Cavour had written to Azeglio criticising Malmesbury for his punitive action against Erskine, and observ-ing that the Tory government appeared no more disposed than had the Whigs to support Piedmont over the Cagliari affair. If such was the case, Cavour concluded, Piedmont had one la'st recourse: English public opinion. Malmesbury's disavowal of the contents of the note of 5 January, and Azeglio's response were destined, according to Cavour, à produire un grand effet. Ali honest opinion in England, he judged, would be outraged by Malmesbury's conduct. Cavour left it to Azeglio to assess whether it was worth the risk of irritating Malmesbury stili further by stirring up English opinion in Piedmont's favour.44)
In his reply, Azeglio warned against provoking an open quarrel with the Tory administration, since this would only be to the advantage of the Neapolitan government He also suggested Piedmont should, for the mo­ment, act as if England had never been involved in the affair. Nous som-mes en bonne position he told Cavour, ayant pour nous droit et opinion publique. A dignifled, moderate, but firm stance over the Cagliari, sans demander l'aurnóne à personne would guarantee public support in Eng­land, and would shame the government into giving its assistance.
Although Azeglio advised caution, it is clear from Malmesburv's corre-spondence that, through Aprii, Malmesbury remained deeply dissatisfied with Piedmont's and, in particular, Azeglio's attitude. Sardinia is trying with a somewhat unfriendly zeal to put the pressure of popular feeling upon us, Malmesbury complained to Lord Cowley, the English ambassa-dor at Paris, on 15 Aprii To Hudson on the same day, Malmesbury com-mented: Azeglio has been busy driving me into an alliance offensive and defensive with him on the case of the ship [...] he makes his friend Lord S(haftesbury] whip up orators in both Houses to get up a Sardìnian cry [...] I wish Cavour would telegraph to Azeglio to be quiet. News from Hudson in Turin that Piedmont appeared determined on hostilities with Naples if the Cagliari was not restored did nothing to lighten Malmesbury's ili-humour. Cavour ought to be shot if he goes to war , the Foreign Secre-tary declared in a private letter to Cowley of 16 Aprii.45)
The unappetising prospect of an Italian war, combined with the latest English legai judgement on the Cagliari affair,46) which ruled the capture of
*9 Cavour to E. d'Azelio, 30 March 1858, Cavour e l'Inghilterra cit, IT (i), p. 202. For Azeglio's reply, see: E. d'Azeglio to Cavour, 3 Aprii 1858, ivi, pp. 205-206.
*5) Malmesbury to Cowley, 15 Aprii 1858, HRO, MP, 9M73/53; Malmesbury to Hud­son, 15 Aprii 1858, HRO, MP, 9M73/54; Malmesbury to Cowley, 16 Aprii 1858, HRO, MP, 9M73/53.
<Q The Law Officerà reported on 12, 13 and 17 Aprii 1858. HEARDER, op. ci/., p. 229.