The Express.
London, England, 1859-05-23 00:00:00

Ibe expreOfs.

TO CORRESPONIMPITIL
Urrf Operas laisiotod for "TA. " Laudon
Etfolog Paw, mot be at the Othee„ 10,
y 1 ere o'Cleelt to the dsy nt pehlleathet.

AAAAAA KW?.
Ten Twins TUX WOILD AND Till /TAGIL %1e.,.
14,<.1,11.4/%lowege.yora. Ss Switeisee: 111.4L0w •olp.tck
LL).714 IN A aucerric 1.1•111'. Mr. tkoset,•. /Cm
211.1www.110.1111\1•6.—Avl A DA
IV MARill.

illtdOtbrd.
Tim Four IMO 11Prd ST TIM MIL &o. KIM rd
Seard.-4. drarse ad 7.

1.1111.111/Xlt.
Ivsi• V•wrisk TIM WIlaTlll 110111.‘,../bs.
.11.4,006.6.1 weal.s.-WILLIA V ?HAT II A 111114=1.111:
I Low -Awl 1011,1 X 1.4 alumpai'm am.. J. 1•~6.W
MAW& 11.111.11‘nagmle. CIVI; I. Ohoebsd.

SIGH waii& AT LOlllOOll woos.
Trio DAV—WArsier, •• Se.
Ts wiesore—Noviss. IL. a—....—../Aserwe.

LONDON. MONDAY. MAY 29.

AT hag& the French and An.trians have met
Geer MOM IS the banks of the Po. Fatty-nine years
ago Marshal LA NES earned his title bt the victory
of Montebello, and on Friday last, at the same place,
a Frer.clr General gained the first advantage in the
opening campaign.
Funding the Allies in considerable force between
Alessandria and Genoa—for they had occupied
Tartans, and pushed forward to Voghert —the
Austrians determined to retire towards Stradella.
They dads°, and on Wednesday last it is said that
the streets of Casteggio were barricaded so as to
prevent the return of the enemy. Placed between
the mountains to the south, and the Po about sin
miles to the north—at a dietance of some thirty
miles east of Alessandria, on the great road to
Fascinate, the town of Caateggio has always
been wasadered from the time of HANINIIAL
an importaut military position. Accordingly,
the Preach hearing that the Austrians in-
tended to re-occupy it, despatched two gruel
columns of infantry under General FORT, and
some Sardinian cavalry under General Botetesz, to
meet the enemy. Nevertheless, the Austrians
adraoced to the attack, and after an obstinate
struggle, in which the Sardinian cavalry fought,
the bulletin says, with extraordinary energy.
the Austrians were repulsed with a lose of 2,000
killed and wounded asd 200 prisoners, whilst the
French admit a loss of 600 killed and wounded.l
At the other extremity of the line of the Allies
General CIALDINI has made a forward movement,
crossing the Sesia in two columns. Before they
could ettehut their junction. one of them was attacked
by the Austrians near Villats, but, after a fierce oon-
H•ct, routed the enemy. The other, which crossed
near Cappeiciai Veechi, was the assailant, surprising
two companies of the enemy. Though thew were
affairs of advanced pogo, the loss of the Austrians is
by no means trilling. The first success is a
campaign has considerable moral effect on an army;
and thew who sympathise with the cause of Italy
will hail with satisfaction the glad news.

Hu•, after all, this is but the beginning of the great
drama. The question which still absorb. public
attention is how it 14,11 be developed. It would
be idle to pretend to anticipate the counsels
of the cummander on the slot; but perhaps it may
be interesting to con►ider the probable plans which
may be discussed, if cot practically carried into
street, by the allied army. Although in the affair
of Casteggio the Austrians seem to have taken the
initiative, then is no reason to suppose that they
will now undertake any gnat offensive operation.
If they were unable to do so some weeks ago, it is
difficult to understand how they should find them-
selves able to do se new. It may be assumed,
therefore, that the Allies wall be compelled to assume
the initiative in otder to drive the Austrians from
Bardiaian territory, and to obtain possession of
Lombardy.

Now, there are three sways in which it seems pee.
sible to attempt this. The allied army may be
divided into two portions—the one may remain in •
Sardinia to guard the line of dos fence from the Dora
Baltes to Chow, whilst another having been trans-
ported to Spi via or Tuscany, may by advancing
northward endeavour to cross the Po, and thus by
tlirsateoing the retreat of the Austrians compel them
to retire into the fortresiies. It may very wellbo
that fur political reasons and in order to rain
Tummy, Modena, Parma, and the Homan States, a
French division may be landed at Spezia, or Leghorn.
Stich a body of troops might encourage the spirit of
resistance to Austria, and induce the people to join
the national army. But to make any serious at-
tempt against the Anstriaas in Lombardy with
so small a knee would be futile ; whilst the trans-
port of a largo force to Spezia or Leghorn, and
the establishment of a new basestl operations, would
occupy considerable time, which in war is everything,
would leave the Sardinians still at the mercy of
Austrian marauder,, and would compel the Allies to
cross the Po at the broadest and most difficult part
of its count. To which must be added the fact that
the nearer the Allies get to Mantua the nearer the
Austrians are to Stair reserves. For these reasons it
seems highly improbable that the Allies should
entertain aay such designs.

- -
The sewed plea is this. The Allies may advent,
along the south bank of the Po, and cross that river
either between Pavia and Namara, or somewhere be-
tween Piacenza and Marty& Now, it should be ob-
served that both Pavia and Piacenzisre very strongly
fortified ; that in the space between Pavia which lies
on the left beak of the Ticino, just before it joins the
Po. and the entreoehed camp of Piaceoze, on the right
bank or thee rfver--a space measuring directly
28 miles--there is the very straw petition of Litre-
delis, to which it is probable the Austrians have
new retreated. At dtradella the hills approach
within two miles of the ricer bank; and. if Pro-
perly areapied by us array, the position et Stru-
del% le extremely formidable. Nevertheless this
polities most be carried before the allied array cam
ventage to creme se get a river as the Po. Bet erne
suppose the paddies 'terries!, there is still a broad
Ayer is treat. ')few there is so operation in war
whin\ moires wee delicacy than the crossing
of riven. Where the amen see mall an adroit
sir may messed is eluding his adversary. as N%-
POISON did wham he messed at Paeans,. Bat to
the /me of large modes the cue is different. It Is
shawl heremibiate mimed is • earprier ; and these
who havens/ mama history samet have foram
that the rest KAPOLtOX failed is his attempt te
creme the Dual* is the face of the Arab/s%
Csaitt.es, though he afterwards succeeded "se If by