GENERAL ALFONSO LA MARMORA. MEETING OF THE ROMAN ASSEMBLY AFTER THE TIDINGS OF THE BATTLE OF NOVARA. VALERIO'S SPEECH. EXTRACT OF A NOTE ADDRESSED BY HIM, TOGETHER WITH THE VENETIAN AND TUSCAN ENVOYS, TO THE ROMANS. MAZZINI CHOSEN A TRIUMVIR. -NEWS OF THE INSURRECTION OF GENOA REACH ROME. - MAZZINI'S PROCLAMATION. GAETA.- ENVOYS AT THE CONFERENCES; ESTERHAZY; THE DUC D'HARCOURT. DEBATES AND DISSENSIONS. ROME. - MERCIER AGAIN AT ALSO M. FORBIN JANSON. THE CONSTITUTIONALISTS.THEIR JOURNAL "LA SPERANZA DELL' EPOCA."-PROCLAMATIONS, NOTIFICATIONS, AND OTHER INSTRUMENTS. HISTORICAL AND CRITICAL REMARKS. ACTS OF PROFANATION AND HYPOCRISY. THE ILLUMINATED CROSS IN ST. PETER'S ON GOOD FRIDAY. —LANGUAGE OF THE MONITORE ROMANO.' -SCANDALS. EASTER DAY. THE BENEDICTION. REMARKS ON THE RELIGION OF ITALY. SENTENCE ON THE CANONS OF ST. PETER'S. We have not yet done with misfortune. Magnanimous Brescia burned with the love of freedom, and, on the very day of the battle of Novara, she daringly took arms. The castle had a garrison of 500 Austrians, who held out, although their commander had been taken prisoner by the insurgents. The few troops in the neighbourhood flocked in; General Haynau hastened from Padua with 4000 men. The Brescians had not heard of the catastrophe of Novara, but Haynau had; and not content with a blockade, he barbarously wished to carry the city by assault. Various skirmishes were fought, with a diversity of fortune, but with unfailing courage on the part of the townsmen: finally, however, on the 31st, Haynau effected his entry. And now began a fierce and desperate struggle: the Brescians fought like heroes in every street, from every house: the Austrians, not satisfied with conquering, massacred, burned, and perpetrated matchless horrors. The name of Brescia is given over to the veneration of Italy, that of Haynau to infamy throughout Europe. Fresh calamity, fresh error, succeeded. Genoa had long been gnawed by a gloomy disaffection, which was fostered and feeed alike by the republican sects and by the agents of Austria. When the awful tidings of Novara arrived, the city became frantic; a thousand sinister reports went abroad; the place was to be given as an hostage to the victor, Italy was betrayed; all the complaints that perturbed spirits are wont to suggest, all the calumnies the sects could manufacture, and all the phantasms that panic-stricken fancy could evoke. In that place were huddled together sectarian meddlers, street politicians, Mazzinians and Montanellians of every province of Italy and from abroad, who were counting the very moments till they could have uproar, adventure, good luck. When the multitude had been led by national emotion to take arms, these men inflamed the local passions, so keen and powerful in Genoa; they perverted Italian indignation into spite towards Piedmont; they assailed Italy with the arms prepared for her defence; cried "Fire boil and cauldron bubble;" and were in sheer and palpable rebellion. But when the movement had reached the point at which the mischiefmakers aimed, they were abandoned by all the citizens except a few, and then vainly tried to let loose the convicts in the galleys, to use them as allies: miserable men! who could keep the orgies of civil dissension, even over the bier of Italy! General Alfonso La Marmora, who, on the 28th of March, was in the Duchy of Parma with 7600 men, and who, after hearing of the truce, had set out for Tortona and Voghera, was ordered to repair to Genoa and keep or reduce it to obedience; receiving a reinforcement of 3000 men, and the office of Royal Commissioner. I do not describe at length the conflicts which ensued, for the spirit of an Italian permits neither insult to the vanquished, nor panegyric on the victors; the rebel chiefs, except the bold and resolute Avezzana, sentenced themselves to disgrace by running away from the first dangers: the reward of the conquerors is the consciousness of a duty fulfilled with admirable prowess. The National Guards, who had been dragged into the movement, would not fight; and the few insurgents, most of them strangers to Genoa, could not. On the 4th of April a few sharpshooters go tpossession of the Lunette Belvedere, and the forts La Crocetta and La Tanaglia; others, penetrating within the lines, opened the Angeli gate to their comrades; when La Marmora summoned the city to surrender. Only the van of the army, which had commenced the attempt, met with any obstacles to its progress: and that because the summons to surrender had exasperated the inhabitants, who had asked and expected to obtain the aid of the Lombard Division. But, directly that La Marmora's troops came up, he left no interval for deliberation and defence, but continued the attack with the same daring with which he commenced it, and pushed it to success. On the 10th, he was master of the forts and of the city. The King pardoned all concerned, except a few ringleaders; and on the 11th the Italian banner, with the Cross of Savoy, and the constitutional government of Victor Emmanuel II., were reinstated in Genoa. We left Rome just as she cried to arms for the war of independence. Martial ardour had re-kindled the public spirit; troops had been got ready for Upper Italy; it had been decreed that twelve battalions of National Guards should be equipped for permanent duty; the Revenue Guard was formed into a battalion of light infantry, and the students into a legion; while the Carabineers, the flower of the troops, were put in readiness for the field. Meanwhile, excavations in the Roman Forum were ordered, to supply employment and bread for the workmen; and public prayers to God, to obtain a blessing on the Italian Political faction, as I have said, was lulled; and tidings from the Piedmontese camp were awaited with painful anxiety, when unexpectedly their arrival announced utter ruin. The Assembly met with closed doors on the 29th of March; they debated, nay, stormed, but hung in suspense between a variety of courses: one proposes to invade the kingdom of Naples, another to rush to Lombardy: the tidings war. were vague; it seemed incredible that all hope should have vanished. Valerio, who was still in Rome, and hoped that Piedmont was not crushed, and that her fortunes might be restored with the aid of the inhabitants of Central Italy, requested admission to the Assembly, along with the Envoys of Venice and Tuscany, smitten alike by the common danger. He was admitted; and having asked leave to speak, he related the vicissitudes of the war, now prosperous, now adverse to the arms of Piedmont, together with the late grievous affair, and the extreme actual hazard; denying, however, that they had been beaten in every encounter, as the Minister Rusconi had asserted. He spoke with enthusiasm of Charles Albert and of his sons, and applauded their selfsacrifice, courage, and perseverance; referred with disgust to the political hardihood, so ill supported by military daring on behalf of Italy; said it was a time for deeds, and deeds alone; all mischievous party strife, all idle word-play, ought to cease; let the Republic emulate his King and the House of Savoy, let Rome do as Piedmont; they should rush, nay, fly; all might not yet be lost. Some murmurs were audible when he spoke so emphatically in praise of his Princes, but the plaudits of the majority cheered him on; and the Venetian and Tuscan Envoys, too, by way of assent to his language, applauded, and afterwards signed a note which made the sentiments of Valerio, his representations, and his remonstrances, their own. It ended with these words: "The undersigned Envoys think, that they thus do the fullest |