The Press.
London, England, 1858-04-24 00:00:00

Signor Brofferio coneluaed by saying :

I associate myself with Count Cavour in his salutation
to our tricolour banner. I join him in it with all my
heart ; and I will add a wish that, instead of being left
immovable on the frontier, it may be spread to the breeze
over the land of ] taly, realizing its liberty and hopes. _

The next speaker was General Alfonso La Mar-
mora, the Minister of War, who bad also some curious
disclosures to make on his part respecting the
conduct of the French Republicans, and their dis-
inclination to render any assistance to Italy in her
struggle for independence. Referring to Brofferio's
speech, General La Marmora said :

Some of bis words were too suggestive for me to omit
replying to them. He said that the French Republic was
disposed to assist us. I was charged at that time with a
thankless mission, and can give explanations as to
those good dispositions. 1 was at Novara, Chief
of the Staff of Division. I was called to Turin by
the Pritre Minister, Alfieri, and three hours were
given me to prepare to start for France in search of a
general. Two or three illustrious names were mentioned
to me ; one was that of Bugeaud. Marquis Brignole imme-
diately procured me an audience of Cavaignac. The
general—and he was President of the Republic—was
astonished that I should have presented myself without an
autograph letter from Charles Albert, and also that I had
no credentials, I had never been on a diplomatic mission,
and did not even know what credentials were. There
were ao railways or telegraphs then, and the credentials
did not arrive until after ten or twelve days. Then I
thought that all was right. Marquis Brignole asked for
another audience for me. What did General Cavaignac
teply when I asked him for Marshal Bugeaud, who ap-
pe.ired disposed to come? " Vona ne Faure@ pas, et je
vous previens qu'il est garde it vue. (Valerio.—You
should have gone to Lamartine.) But if they were all the
same ? You wish me to speak of Lamartine? The reply
is well known which he made to those who asked him to
assist Charles Albert—" I will never allow the Mediter-
ranean to become an Italian lake." He professed Behan-
ism only when in opposition. I recollect also that, in '46
or '47, he said, from the tribune, that he had seen the
Austrians working at the fortifications of Alessandria. I
thought to myself what could ever have put it into that
poetical head that the Austrians were at Alessandra'?
Do you know what it was ? He had seen our uppers and
miners working in their shirt-sleeves, and bad taken them
for Austrians. I will not name the other generals.
Cavaignac, with respect to them, said to me, " If they like
to go they are free to do so ; speak to them." One of them
had already asked me many explanations, and listened wil-
lingly to those I gave him. Fifteen days had already
poised ; our army meanwhile was without a general, and
lacked confidence in its chiefs. You may imagine what I
suffered. One day the general in question said to me, " I
cannot accept." And, as I insisted, he at last told me
that he bad seen a report to General Cavaignac, in which
it was stated that we had only 10,000 or 12,000 men.
Now, our 120,000 were not all good; many would have
been better at home; but 60,0J0 or 70,000 good soldiers
we certainly had. It was the same thing as saying to him,
" I will not let you go." I obtained a last audience ; and
then General Cavaignac, after many shifts (girl), said to
me, " Enfin, nous ne voulons pas nous brouiller avec
l'Autriche pour vous faire plaisir." Subsequently, I had
other missions to the President of the Republic, Louis
Napoleon, and was always received as the representative of

a sovereign, and the language of that head of the French
Government was alwava marked by the greatest sympathy
towards Piedmont and Italy. Deputy Brofferio does not
value alliances, and when it is a questi)n of improving the
army he always opposes it. Against the fortifications of
Casale lie gave one of those black balls which almost made
one leap iuto the air. He opposed the fortifications of
Alessandris, those of Spezia; but, in heaven's name, on

what does Deputy Brofferio reckon for the maintenance of
oar banner? Does he by chance reckon on the soldiers
whom a republic grants to whoever will pay for them, and
who go to support absolute governments?
General La Marmora was followed by a member
of the party of the Left side, Signor Tecchio, who
supported the Government bill, with some amend-
ments. He denied the existence of any foreign pres-
sure, and found nothing in the least offensive in the
suggestions made by the French Government ; but,
he observed,
Let us remember that we are not upon terms with
Austria, and that we have France for our ally. France is
evidently not upon good terms with Austria. ►9hilst in
Austria the celebration of a funeral service for Daniel
Manin was prohibited, in France a subscription in honour
of him has been allowed. M. Jules Fevre, by the
Emperor's permission, lately read the letter of Orsini,
which was regarded in Austria as a revolutionary publica-
tion, and Orsiui's second letter has since been printed in
our own official journal, which would certainly not have
published it unless it bad been received from the French
Government. It is also to be cbserved that the Austrian
journals are employing very injurious language against
France. For my part, Ido not look to foreign arms
for the salvation of my country; it is only by our own
arms that I expect it to be gained, but it would be folly for
us to despise the support aud frieniship of others.