The Express.
London, England, 1862-09-11 00:00:00

LAT t 11:1.14tatA

THE AFFAIR OF ASPROMONTE.

General Cialdini states, in his report to the
Minister of War, that he ordered Colonel Palle-
vicini "to set out as noon as possible with a column
of six or seven battalions, to make every effort to ,
come up with Garibaldi; who was said to be en- I
camped on the plateau of Aspromonte, and to pur-
sue him constantly without giving him a moment's
repose, and if he sought to escape to at-
tack, and destroy him if he accepted bat-
tle. Foreseeing, also, the possibility of a complete
victory, I ordered him not to treat with Garibaldi,
and only accept a surrender at discretion. There
was no reason to believe that this column alone
would be able to obtain the results which it did
obtain. It was necessary to bar all passage to
Garibaldi in order to inclose him in the interior of
the Ulterior U. and Citerior Calabriaa ; it was
necessary to form and put in movement other
columns, which might act within the restricted
boundaries, because thereby they would have
the greater chance of meeting with and destroying
him. Garibaldi, occupying the summit of Aspro-
monte, and sending little bands into the neigh-
bouring plains, sought probably to raise the country,
to renew his means of obtaining intelligence, to ac-
cumulate resources in men, provisions, and beasts
of burden, and to spy out the moment for throw-
ing himself upon Reggio or on Catanzaro, ac-
cording to the advices he might receive. This
prolonged halt gave us an opportunity of preparing
a double system of defence and attack which would
crush him. In conformity with my despatches
General La Marmora directed the troops arrived
from Genoa and Naples to march upon Pizzo."
The tone of General Cialdini's despatch, of which
the foregoing is an extract, is described by many
of the Italian journals as "harsh and brutal"
towards Garibaldi

Colonel Pallavicini (who signs Ins report
" Major-General Pallavicini ") removes all doubt
upon the point as to the beginning of the engage-
ment, stating distinctly that the attack began by a
charge on the part of his troops, without any pre-
vious attempt to secure a pacific surrender. With
regard to Garibaldi himself be says, "As soon as
I arrived, Messrs. Corte, Hullo, and Guastalla
asked me in the name of Garibaldi to propose condi-
tions. I replied that I had no other instructions
than to attack and fight with Garibaldi, and to take
him prisoner, and that I had no conditions to offer.
To the prayer of Messrs. Nullo and Corte, that
silence might be observed with respect to the present
rencoutre, in order to conceal from Europe the scan-
dal of a civil struggle, I declared that it was impos-
sible, because there were too many witnesses of the
fact, and that the wounded were too evident a proof
of it. Havinggone myself to the wounded Garibaldi,
he declared to me that he felt no resentment towards
anyone. On the contrary, he always avoided touch-
ing upon any subject of a political nature, and did
not manifest towards the government either hatred
or opposition. Be adhered tacitly to the condi-
tions I proposed, and demanded permission to em-
bark in an English ship and leave the country.
I replied that I would ask and wait for
instructions on the subject. Having asked me
what would be done with the prisoners, I replied that
I was not the depository of the instructions of the
government ; but that, in my opinion, the go-
vernment, after causing the prisoners to be
sent to Messina, would perhaps set them at
liberty within twenty-four hours, in order
not to be chargeable to it." Pallavicini also
says, " General Garibaldi insisted with me that I
should particularly recommend to the government
the case of the deserters from the army. I promised
him to do so, but I added that I had no hopes of
success, because I knew the severe instructions given
with regard to them."