The Sun.
London, England, 1864-05-09 00:00:00

STAMPED... ..sd.

departure, to say the least of it, was a most unseemly
termination to so majestic a welcome, a very
wretched piece of mystery and secret diplomacy,
wholly unworthy of the character and dignity of
the country; bat with that you, the people, had
nothing to do. Yours was all the honour of the
magnificent welcome, yours none of the degradation
of the premature and forced departure. That his
departure was rendered necessary by his health
being injuriously effected by the pleasurable excite•
meat of his welcome, it is impossible, after his own
letters, to believe in any other sense than that of it
having originated in the imagination of over officious
and over zealous friends. Garibaldi himself is the
very soul of truth, and if his departure, evidently
most distasteful and unwelcome to himself, had been
the result of his feeling his health injuriously
affected, he would most unquestionably have so stated
in his letters, expressive, as they are, of regret at
his premature, and, in his own language, obligatory
departure. There is something highly grotesque
and ludicrous in making such a man ill against his
own will. But here I leave the subject to others,
contenting myself with expressing the fervent wish
and hope that the visit to these shores of this heroic
champion and representative of universal freedom
—of the liberty of not only his own beloved and
glorious- Italy, but of alrtither oppresga nationali-
ties, of Poland, of Hungary—will enlist you in the
earnest support of the same principles which you ad-
mire and honour in him, and save you being led away
by the unhappy and suicidal doctrines which try to
make yon believe that England can with any safety
to herself stand by in selfish and listless inert-
ness, a mere passive spectator, whilst the free
peoples of the Continent are being, one after an-
other, crushed by that combination of despotism
which will be only too glad to crush you as its
last victim. Garibaldi is the personification of the
alliance of the peoples against the alliance of des-
pots. Support him, then, to the utmost in his yet
holy mission for the succour of the efflicted, the
deliverance of the oppressed, the overthrow of the
tyrants, the oppressors, the destroyere of the earth.
And now I have only to request you to give the
same kindly and patient attention to other speakers
which you have given to me, so that this great
meeting may, by its order, its regularity, and in all
other respects, be worthy of the cause, worthy of
the illustrious Italian whose departure we regret,
worthy of the people, worthy of the democracy of
England, which he loves and honours, and which, I
trust, may yet be found labouring unitedly and
wisely, both at home and abroad, for the welfare of
mankind and the establishment of the real peace
and freedom of Europe.
Mr. NICHOLAY, amidst loud applause, proposed
the first resolution—" That this meeting declares
the conduct of the police in interfering with a peace-
able and orderly meeting, similar to the present, on
the 23d of April last, to have been wholly unjusti-
fiable, illegal, and unconstitutional, and deserving
the serious attention of all members of Parliament
interested in the preservation and protection of
popular rights."
Mr. DAVIS, in seconding the resolution, said the
right of public society preceded all government. It
could not be tolerated in this free country that
government be allowed in the slightest degree to
control the privilege of public meeting. To prevent
the people meeting in the parks was virtually to
prohibit all open air meetings, as nearly every space
of ground formerly open to the people was now con-
verted into a park. The people were supposed to
possess the liberty of free speech, but that was of
little use if they were not allowed to meet.
Mt% WASHINGTON WILXS supported the resolu-
tion. Although the police had violated the law in
suppressing the meeting on last Saturday week,
they must not throw all the blame upon them. The
Government were far more to blame. It had been
said they met there that day by permission. If
so the question still remained open, and they
must hold another meeting without permission, to
try the right. (Cheers.) He was glad they met
there that day under the folds of the tri-coloured
flag, which had been called the emblem of revolt ;
and it was so, but of revolt against tyranny and
despotism. The Crown had its rights, and while
those rights were exercised as they were in this
country they would klosetrys exist. The aristocracy
had their rights, but:let those rights be not abused,
or they would lose them altogether, The Com-
mons had their rights, and let them take care, or
those rights would be filched from them. One of
the dearest of these rights was the right of public
meeting, and that right they meant to maintain at
all hazards, despite of Sir George Grey, Sir Richard
Mayne, or Mr. Cowper. (Cheers)
The resolution was then put and carried amids
loud cheering.

Mr. W. SIIAEN then moved the second resolution
as follows:—" That the passage in one of the letters
of Genersl Garibaldi, in which he says, I feel
obliged to leave England,' together with the evi-
dence of many old and tried friends of the General
who were in personal communication with him up
to a late period before he left this country, induces
this meeting to discredit the excuse of ill-health put
forward as the cause of his departure, and to-reluc-
tantly entertain the conviction that the abrupt
termination of his visit was brought about by undue
pressure upon him, for political purposes, and in the
interest of the enemies of freedom, and to repudiate
such conduct as a breach of the national hospitality
and an insult to the people." He would give a
brief summary of the circumstances attending the
departure of Garibaldi as his justification for mov-
ing the resolution he had just read. Up to Sunday
the 17th of April, there was no idea on the part of
the General of abandoning his provincial tour, and
on that day Mr. P. Taylor, M.P., and Mr. Stens-
feld, M.P., were to meet Mr. Seely, M.P., by
appointment to arrange the programme and select
an English secretary to accompany the General.
In the meantime Lord Shaftesbnry and Mr.
A. Kinnaird, M.P., called upon Mr. Seely,
and after a consultation it was resolved by
these gentlemen, for certain reasons, that a press
sure should be put upon Garibaldi to induce him to
to terminate iris visit, and it was resolved in the
first place that a letter as to the state of his health
should be procured from Dr, Fergusson. When
Messrs. Taylor and Stansfeld called on Mr. Seely,
according to appointment, on Sunday, they were
informed by that gentleman that a change had been
made in the General's plans, and that he would
probably leave England at once, and that
several influential friends of the General were to
meet at Stafford House in the evening, when the
matter would be finally settled. This meeting took
place, when it was decided that those gentlemen
who were supposed to possess the greatest influence
over Garibaldi should obtain a private interview
with him and Lord Shaftesbury. Mr. Gladstone
and Mr. Seely were selected. The interview took
place. Mr. Gladstone commenced by saying that
the General's friends thought it desirable, owing to
the state of his health, he should forego his
cial tour. Garibaldi'e reply was, "Mr, Gladstone,
I feel very well." Mr. Gladstone then shifted his
ground, and said that, as he (the General) could not provis.
expect to receive so magnificent a reception in the
provinces as he had done in London, the effect of
that reception would be in some measure tarnished.
This argument, however, was of no avail.
General said, "I shall accept the invitations." Mr.
Gladstone then again shifted his ground, and said,
if the proposed tour were persevered in it would
lead to unpleasant complications in the Goeern-
meat:, The General asked, 4,D, you wish
me
to
go away ?I will go, then." Mr, Gladstone re.
plied, " The Government is certainly desirous you
should leave." The conversation resulted in the
understanding that Garibaldi should terminate his
visit at once, and Mr. Gladstone returned to his
friends, saying, " The General has acted like a sen-
sible man:' Lord Shaftesbury again appeared upon
the stage, and went to the General to represent to
him that everybody out of doors was saying that