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x- o 404. Sept. 10, 1859.] THE LEADER. '...
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LITERATURE.
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LITERARY NOTES OF THE WEEK.
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MR R PANIZZI, of the British Museum, lia...
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for unobserved escape to some still more...
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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X- O 404. Sept. 10, 1859.] The Leader. '...
x- o 404 . Sept . 10 , 1859 . ] THE LEADER . ' . ^_— ^^ JSSL .
Literature.
LITERATURE .
Literary Notes Of The Week.
LITERARY NOTES OF THE WEEK .
Mr R Panizzi, Of The British Museum, Lia...
MR R PANIZZI , of the British Museum , lias just ' passed through Turin on his way to Parma and Modena . Mr . Panizzi is a native of Brescello , in Modena , and his fellow-countrymen proposed to elect him as a deputy to the National Assembly of Modena , but he refused . His object in coming to Italv was to visit his native place and to thank his fellow-countrymen ; but some of the Turin papers ascribe his visit to another cause , and say that he is an agent of the British Government , Mr W . Dyce , R . A ., has received the first prize of £ 50 at the Liverpool Academy Exhibition , for his picture of " The Good Shepherd . " New York papers mention the report that Alfred Tennyson contemplates a tour in the United States during the approaching autumn . Tom Taylor , the dramatist , it is also said , will favour the Americans with his presence about the same time . , His play of the " American Cousin" gained him a reputation at New York which will ensure him a hearty
welcome . . The chroniclers of non-political events at Pans are loud in their praises of Victor Hugo ' s forthcoming work , -with the sight of which , as the saying is , they have been favoured . It is called " L . a licgende des Siecles , " arid is described as the . first complete series of an immense work which may be continued as long as the poet lives . It begins with"Iie Sacre de la Femme ; " in other words , the " Maternity of Eve . " In the course of the poem the reader is carried through the leading epochs of the world ' s history up to the seventeenth century . The style and colouring are greatly applauded .
The good will of the Bengal HuVktiru newspaper and of the New Era and Press , also the presses , types , & c , connected with the above papers , the outstanding bills , the books comprising the late Hurharu library , and the Bengal Hurkaru premises , are to be sold by public auction , on an early day . There is also a rumour current that the Englishman newspaper is to be sold to another party . Mr . Hurry still continues the latter journal , and the Hur / iaru has fallen into the hands of a barrister . The Phcenix has very much improved of late , and has a large circulation .
Under the name of the " London Arabic Literary Fund , " an undertaking of an educational and civilising tendency for the many millions speaking the Arabic tongue is being started in London by a Syrian gentlemen named Antonius Ameuney . Mr . Ameuney will make an appeal to the British public for the means of establishing an Arabic newspaper in London , which will be sent to every country where the Arabic language is spoken , and there gratuitously distributed amongst all classes . The objects which are to be promoted are to neutralise the great efforts made by France for the aggrandisement of her influence in the East , by means of the clerical , scholastic , and journalistic machinations which she has set on foot ; and , to infuse as much as . possible into the Arabian mind the ideas and sentiments which generally prevail among the Anglo-Saxon race . Mr . Ameuney was educated at King ' s College , London . '
For Unobserved Escape To Some Still More...
for unobserved escape to some still more secure and distant asylum . But why dwell on this ? On 23 rd March , the battle of Novara was lost , and the history of the last ten years then commenced . Ten years ! The fortresses of despotism , like the walls of Troy , have endured even so long a siege . These ten years , says Mr . Trollope , have done the ¦ work of half a century . " The men of ' 59 look back on the men of ' 48 with the feeling and ideas of a posterity enriched and matured by the life and experience of more than a generation .
" Both . men and nations live fast in these latter days . And truly in the history , of mankind it would be difficult to find a period of ten years , which had produced by its lapse changes in the feelings , opinions , ami sentiments—it mighf almost be said , in the character—of a nation , so notable and" so important . No more childish braggadocio of " Italia / ard da se ! " Italy knows that she is weak , and she knows why she is so , and intends that the knowledge should turn to means of future strength . No more insane rejoicings , with perpetual '' Te Deums " to serve the childish crowds for a gratuitous theatrical exhibition ; no more rioting , threatening , speechifying , and- scrawling on the walls J But united effort , directed knowingly , and with
intelligent , unbending purpose , to one great end ; unanimous postponement of all differences and jninor questions whatsoever to the achievement of this ; an amount of personal and national self-denial worthy of all praise ; above all , an amended conception of the mutual relative position of the Papacy , and the nation , a total and final awakening from all dreams of basing ah Italian nationality , or basing anything whatever , on that quicksand , ever shifting , yet ever unvaryingly fatal to everything approaching it ; and withal a , wise determination , despite all strong temptations to the contrary , to defer all consideration of this hideous internal gangrene , till liberation from external oppression shall have been attained . "
It is really wonderful . Little , at the beginning of this year when all was fear and doubt , did men expect that events would' travel so fast ; nay , even the peace of Villafranca gave no assurance that so much had been done , that so little remained to do ; yet it is quite evident that the game was then won , " though the chessboard was not cleared . The skilful victor would not trouble himself about needless moves ; but pointing to the inevitable , the fatal result , closed the contention , which had ceased to be doubtful , and therefore to
be amusing . . Mr . Trollope gives the passages from " Toscana e Austria , " which to Lord Normandy were so " tedious " as well as " treasonable . " lie charges his lordship with accepting , for his client the Grand-Duke , the acts of the Austrian invaders . Reproaches must therefore fall on him . Leopold the Second , and his Austrian relatives , are so bound up together that to reject and protest against the interference of the latter is treason against the former . On the other point he savs : —
" As for the tediousness of the unquestionably long account , one can on that score more readily sympathise with the feelings of Austria ' s advocate . A long long bill , rigidly scored n . ' p , every one of the numerous articles in which must bo paid for , is , it must be owned , a very tedious' document to the debtor , when the day of payment has come . But now that that day—long waited for and patientlyhas arrived at last ; now that Austria must balance her accounts with long-suffering humanity ; now that Nemesis will wait no longor ; it is idlo to talk of the disagrcoableness of the articles in the long indictment against her , if the truth of them cannot be denied .
" Can it be wondered at that when thoro camo a chance for a blow at this insolent oppressor , who had added contumely to 'injury , and the most cynically arrogant assertion of might against right , to the haughtiest assumption of superiority—can ifc be wondored at that the Tuscan youths rushed to the yoluntccring rolls , to secure the chance of im opportunity of laying one of those insolent heads low ? Can it seem surprising that a government , which was known to sympathise with the foroign
oppressor instead of with the nation , should luivc been swept out of the way by the current of the national wrath ? Of what use could it bo suppose *! to be for the diplomatists and public writers of other countries to prouch to tho Italians of the possibility , that Jfrcnch intervention might porliap » end by making itself onerous and oppressive before it could bo got rid of ? 'Away with siioh n . ra ^ ing-1 would have boon tho unanimous Italian reply t away with prating about tho contingencies oi possible evils to one smarting under intolerable ills
present . He that will help me to strike down the Austrian is my friend—he , and none other ! For the rest , change , be it what it may , can but benefit me . I may defy him to make my lot worse than
it is . ' " For had not Austria assiduously employed the ten years of hard schooling that hud to intervene between the revolution , which was a failure , and the revolution , which ought to bs a success , in teaching Italy where to strike the only blow that could break her chain ?—in making it evident even to the artisan in the workshop and to the peasant'in the vineyard , how grievously they had erred in suffering jealousy of royalty , or any other dividing feeling , or trust in the dream of a regenerated Papacy or in the promises of their o sovereigns , to weaken the national effort by misdirecting any portion of it to any other object , than the one primal need of freeing Italy from the gripe of Austria ? Austria has taught the lesson well . She has preached unity in winch
to the Italians in perhaps the only manner it could have been made thoroug hly a part of the national mind in the short space of ten years . This time there was no mistake , and no doubting , no disputations , and no division . Italy delivered from the Austrian . This was the programme . It was the condition of allegiance to the actual sovereigns ; the sole test of friendship or hostility to Italy Artfully has it been endeavoured to divert the Italians from their scope by raising questions respecting the ulterior fortunes of Italy ; questions which are felt there to be subordinate in interest only to the all-absorbing one of freedom from Austria . But they have been felt to be subordinate . With rare prudence and self-restraint , the Italians have refused to be led away from the great object . Afterwards ! is the only answer to all invitations to
discuss such matters . " The schooling has been a rough one ; but the lesson has been learnt ; and the reward , it is hardly too soon to say—( July 12 th , 1859 )— has been won . " Mr . Trollope prints documents to prove what Lord Norman by denied , that scaled instructions for firing , on the people were opened , though they were not obeyed . The troops had previously come to an understanding with the pebple , therefore the documents referred too were dead letters , though they had been carefully preserved "in the care of the commandant of the fort , to be read in case of alarm . " Atrocious papers , these ! Oh Italy ! from what sanguinary tyrants hast thou been delivered !
" It is proved , therefore , beyond the possibility of doubt or denial , nob only that ' the Grand-Duke had organised a plan of firing on his subjects , ' bait that it was his wish and intention : —or at least that of his son—to put that plan into execution . The military organisation of this plan in its details ; the position to be taken up by the batteries ; the calmness and regularity enjoined on the soldiers token firing , one file on each side of a street , into the opposite windows , on the fumilics of the citizens , for fear of wasting their ammunition ; tho orders to
afford all respectable inhabitants , " such as functionaries and place-holders under Government , " an opportunity of retiring with them to a place of safety ; all this may be read in tho documents Nos . 1 , 2 , 3 of the Appendix . Further , if m » y doubt remain on the mind of any person whether , it were really the intention of the Arch-Duke , that the orders for firing on tho people should be forthwith put in execution , the reply made by Lieutenant Angiolini to his Highness , and the rejoinder of the latter , are on record to prove tho fact beyond the
possibility of crtvil : " « I answered him , Highness , permit me to speak to you frankly ami loyally . The measures which have just been read , cannot ho carried into effect , because the troops will not fire on tho people . Highness , you and all tlio royal family have been decoi-ved hitherto by those who . have "iado you believe tho contrary . ' . . tl , -T ... " To which the Archduke rejoins— I * ISoi . — ' And what is to become of us ! ' . " Organised a plan of firing on his subjects ! why it was tho trust in which they had . lived ! ' You had been made to believe all this time , ' says tho officer , driven by tho extraordinary stress of circumstances into speaking truth to an Imperial Highness , that your troops would on command lire on tho nnnule . You have been deceived , fbr thoy will not
do it . ' And tho . young prince , though not arrived at adult years , yet having learned among tho first and most unchangeably normal of . tho laws surrounding him , tho position of an Austrian Arch-Duke among Italian subjects , and tho conditions of such an existence , cxohiims , ' What then is to become » f us ! ' , _ . "What Indeed could become of Imperial Grand-Dukes and other Highnesses , when troops would 10 longer fire on their subjects ? Ono thing only ,
TUSCANY IN 1810 AND IN 1850 . By T . Adolphus TroUopc— Chapman and Hall . Countless are the books that accumulate on the subject of Italy , but among them one more valuable than the present cannot be found . Mr . Trollope , by his intelligence and long residence in Italy , has thoroughly qualified himself to speak with authority . lie has also been present lately at those quiet manifestations in Tuscany which are likely to result in its union with Piedmont . It is to lna latter oxperienpes that wo shall chiefly direct attention . The story of 1849 fs sufficiently known . Lord Normanby falld very deservedly under Mr . Trollono ' s lush , for luivintr denouncedin his place
, in Parliament , the little work entitled " Toscana o Austria , " as " very treasonable , but also as very tedious . " 1 ho draft of a letter from RadeUki to the Grand - Duko , bearing date 2 nd February , 1841 ) , is terribly compromising to tho Austrian cause . In it , he proposes to subdue " tho demagogues of Sardinia , and then to fly to ltis aid with 30 , 000 of his oVn bravo troops , and replace him on tho throne of his ancestors . That this letter hod something to do with tho Grand-Duke ' a retirement from ( j 5 ie . no , and refusal to sign tho law for the Constitituente there is little doubt . The Q rand-Duke wont direct to Santo Stofuno from Siena , — a place of refuge woU Boleotod with a view to the facilities it offered
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Sept. 10, 1859, page 17, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_10091859/page/17/
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