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GARIBALDI IN SICILY.
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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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May 19 , I 860 . ] The Leader and Saturday Analyst * 46 o
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popular power by every means at their disposal . Ihe cheap press wiD . not be a conservative press in their sense of the word . It will sympathize with the people , and must do so for its own success . It will tell the masses very much that the aristocracy would rather they did not know , and contribute to those changes of opinion which inevitably lead to corresponding changes in political institutions . This is the real ground of the opposition , which , like all proceedings of selfishness , is very shortsighted . The formation of opinion is of all habits that which is most antagonistic to mischievous violence ; and that very power of the press * which the old whigs and tories tremble at , is the greatest safeguard we can possess against ' inconsiderate or ill-advised legislative acts .
The habit of discussing all questions in newspapers necessarily involves a transfer of power , and reduces the Legislature more and more to a machine for executing the national commands ; but this is a movement of orderly growth and development , and can only occasion alarm to those who desire to do something contrary to the general good . It is in vain to expect that any institutions can escape modification as society progresses , and if the Lords make a "fight for privilege ., the community will be driven in selfdefence to examine their claims , and ask what they do in return
for protection , in a semi-feudal position , the retention of which has not been permitted to the aristocracy of any other civilized and free country . It will be imprudent for the Peers to reckon upon the continuance of popular apathy , or the lamentable deficiency of talent and .-patriotism in the existing House of Commons . There are undercurrents of opinion constantly underminiim- old ideas , and preparing the place for new thoughts which grow ~ silently like the seeds which the farmer sows . We may be some years from the next period of agitation , or only removed from it by days or hours , but we . may be sure that the state of quiescence * is only transient ; the character of our people remains the same , and they will , after a certain amount of rest , rouse themselves as of old to make the political and social world more conformable to the best patterns 4 hat they can conceive .
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arises out of the complexity-. of the . circumstances , aira ^ lTtrvvniitrof any definite object to which our efforts could be applied with the certainty of leading to a beneficial result . The expedition of the brave and noble Garibaldi is , like every case that has been presented to us for several years , by no means simple in its details or easy to trace in its probable results . Many prudent lovers of liberty will ask , why did it occur now ? And
others will criticise severely the attitude of Count Cavouk . In reply to the blame that may be considered to attach to a premature movement , we may observe that an isolated outbreak in Sicily was certainly not designed by Garibaldi , Poeiuo , Mazzini , or Cavour ; and there is good reason to believe that the movement , being anticipated by the Sicilian Government , was forced on by circumstances over which the Italian leaders had no control . Such rulers as those of Sicily , backed by such friends
as the perjured and unprincipled' Emperor of Austria , would have gone on arresting , slaying , ' and imprisoning every man mid woman of good character and patriotic views , when once its suspicions were aroused , and hence the Sicilians found the risk of a premature rising less than that of quietly suffering assaults that would have made n future revolution impracticable . The King of Sardinia has never concealed his wish that all Italy should be free , and his hopes of being able to assist in the great work of emancipation ; but for his own sake , it is obvious ho could not desire to precipitate a conflict in one place , while other enslaved portions of Italy were not ready to take their part .
THE events now occurring in Sicily are by no means clearly apprehended by the British public , and it is " greatly to be lamented that since ' the death of the estimable Lord Didley Stuart no Member of Parliament makes a study of Continental questions for the laudable purpose of directing English energies and sympathies in a manner favourable to tho progress ol constitutional liberty . It would be a slander upon Englishmen to believe that the * selfish and ' unmanly doctrines of the Manchester School were popularly accepted , and we believe that the apparent indifference and apathy to human rights in other lands
would have few international difficulties ; but a strong pressure is brought to bear upon liini by the rulers of this country as well as by Imperial France , which helps to give an untnithfnl aspect to the conduct of his cabinet . This is well known in Turin , where our minister , who understands and respects the Italians , is constantly hampered by pusillanimous counsels and halfhearted instructions from his superiors at home . The King of Sahdinia ought , so far as Our moral power can assist him , to be
rendered independent of false conventionalities , and enabled , through his ministers , to speak the plain truth . As a man and an Italian , it is his duty to sympathize with tiie wrongs of Sicily and Venice , and to declare at all times his earnest desire that they may be free . Not only during the whole course of his life , but up to the latest hour , he has witnessed the criminal intervention of Austria in the Italian States ; and while daring every week Francis Joseph has despatched to Aueona Austrian soldiers disbanded from his own army , and re-enlisted by his
orders in the service of'the Pope or the King ot inaplks , Victou Emmanuel ought not to be forced by the craft of diplomacy into the slightest appearance of discountenancing the arrangements of Garibaldi to secure his countrymen fair play . A weak but well-meaning contemporary asserts that our Government cannot act in this matter . We wish the Government felt that impossibility whenever it was indisposed to do right ; but we deny the theory altogether , and protest against the severance of moral obligation from diplomatic procedure . A British minister ought to avow his sympathy witli every good cause , and the necessity for resorting to arms will become more rare when any Government is enlightened enough and honest enough to appeal to the moral consciousness of nations on behalf of justice and human right .
A few days will , we trust ; bring information of- the success ot Garibaldi ' s hazardous but not unhopeful descent upon Sicily , which may prove , an isolated movement , merely leading to the annexation of , the island to Sardinia , or may bring the latter country into collision wfth the Pope ,, the lying of Naples , and the Austrian oppressors of Venetia . Lahokicieke is believed to be impatient to wield his recreant sword in the cause of his new masters ; and there is little doubt that the suceess-of the Sicilian insurrection would be followed " by cbnimotions in- the
Papal States . If , unhappily , Gauihaldi should iajl , the position of the Sardinian Government will be most critical , as the Italians will look only to those ' measures'it has taken against its own convictions , ami out of deference to that-miserable . 'diplomacy which . the Palmekston cabinet has not the courage to repudiate . It is natural that the French Empire should obstruct a simple and truthful course , because truth is poison to a despot ; but England should once more set nil example , as she did in the dajs of Cromwell , and show to the world the moral power " ^ f ^ c aktng"bolcHy ^ it ^ nrour' - ^ i ^^ ie ^ H- ^ htT—VVe-Gannot-bu-siiXs prised at the sense of uneasiness which the commencing clash of
arms has produced , for Europe very much resembles a long powder-train , and when sparks ily about , no one knows what explosions may take place . If a new Italian war arises , what is to become of Austria ? what of Hungary ? what of Se . rviawhich must bs protected from Russia , either by a free Hungary or -a regenerate Austria , unless it is to fall a prey to the ambition of the Czak . It is not for tho love of religion or of freedom that the Court of St . Petersburg has again discovered that the Christians of Turkey arc oppressed . The best way of helping those Christians would be by suffering VVuldo-Wallac . hia and Seryia to coalesce , and form but
the nucleus and commencement of a new Christian power ; that is exactly what . Russia wishes to proyent , unless it ; be accomplished by their absorption in her own unwieldy dominions . The movements of Russia are by no means free from suspicion . Prussia prepares to fight—not for liberty , because her miserable court is afraid of it ,- —not for German unity , because her ruler has no higher ambition than that of taking snuff with legitimate ! kings . 'Our inscrutable neighbour is always armed like u porcupine , and though he may not have oflieially told Lord Cowlhy that any further aggrandisement of Sardinia will -require to be compensated by a further ratification of tho boundaries'of
Franco , the French people are studiously led to expect n further gratification of national vanity , or some more " lighting for an idea , " and perhaps their master does not know much ., more , than the , lvstof the world what sort of all " idea" it may be . That he designs to quarrel with us we do not yet believe ; but his scribes aro again engaged in provoking a hostile feeling , by discussing the methods of avenging Waterloo . Wo have , however , in tho midst of our alarms , some consolation in knowing that army patronage is distributed as hones ! ly as Mr . PuhLixaBH ' administered tho funds to tho Union Bank—the Honourable Oiiaulks Ohbv has obtained a colonelcy for valiant services on the carpets of Buckingham Palace . Many on old
It is honourable to the Italians that all parties have united for the common cause . Tho King and the Republicans go hand in hand , together with the aristocratic minister and tho popular chief . Victor Emmanuel , Cavouk , Massziki , and Garf-BALDi all agree in love for their country and native land ; and now that a King has bcenlbuml who has proved himself worthy of his oflioe , he enjoys tho sullVages of democracy as well as flic support of those who aro most thoroughly imbued with monarchical ideas . If European diplomacy wore not an essentially immoral and fraudulent thins , the position of such a sovereign
Garibaldi In Sicily.
GARIBALDI IN SICILY .
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), May 19, 1860, page 465, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2348/page/5/
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