The Sun.
London, England, 1864-04-12 00:00:00

the procession. As to the actual number present,
there, in the streets, to see GARIBALDI, it is, of course,
impossible to compute it with anything like accu-
racy. But, remembering the extent of the popu-
lation of Landon, and remembering also
the vast throngs that poured into the capital by
railway yesterday from all pacts of the country to
catch a glimpse of the celebrated adventurer whose
arrival was being so very eagerly looked for, we
don't think it would be extravagant to say that he
was greeted during those five hours and twenty
minutes, between the Nine Elms Station and Staf-
ford House, by fully 1,000,000! After this—again
we say it—there cannot surely by any doubt what-
ever as to the character of GARIBALDI'S reception
yesterday by the people of L'ndon. Bat, now, as
to its meaning —as to the meaning of this
vast and astounding popular movement. It is to be
hoped that that, too, admits of no misapprehension
whatever. It is a movement so far without any
of the sinister significance attached to it by such
noodles as M. ASSOLANT, that the real meaning of
it all, as it appears to us, may thus, perhaps, all
things considered, be the most accurately ex-
pressed :

Englishmen have got it into their heads that
GARIBALDI is one of the very bravest, that
he is one of the most dauntless men
living. And his exploits, his known exploits,
those achievements accomplished by him as a
Soldier, as a Sailor, as what the Spaniards called
a Buccaneer, what the Americans call a Filibus-
ter, what the Italians themselves called a Coiodot-
tiere, if they indicate anything at all certainly in-
dicate in GARIBALDI's nature not so much per-
sonal valour as absolute audacity. As indicative
of this consummate audacity, his memorable expe•
dition, with one thousand followers, free lances, so
to speak, or freebooters, or by whatever name we
may choose to call them—his renowned expedition,
at the head of those one thousand men, from
Genoa to Sicily, is comparable only to one other
incident recorded in modern history—meaning the
Return from Elba of the great NAPOLEON !
NAPOLEON also traversing the waters of the Medi-
terranean—from Frej as to Cannes—at the head
of one thousand followers. Only, it should be
borne in mind, certainly, that while the two
incidents were kindred in their audacity, there was
this difference between them, that whereas NAPO-
LEON'S advance upon Paris was achieved without
the shedding of one drop of blood, there was fierce
fighting enough at one or two points before GARI-
BALDI'S conquest of the two Sicilies could be
accomplished. Indeed, if regard be, had to the
relative disproportion of numbers between the
combatants and the signal victory achieved in
some instances by the minority, Melazzo and
Calatafimi may take rank in this way
with Sir CHARLES NAPIER'S dashing exploits
at Meannee and Hyderabad. Englishmen,
again, we would say then, have somehow got it
into their heads that GARIBALDI is one of the

most dauntless men living. His defence of Rome
against OUDINOT in 1849 ; his retreat thence
towards Venice in the same year when pursued by
the Austrians; his daring advance against the
Austrians ten years afterwards, when, between the
lakes and the mountains to the north of Lombardy,
he opened what afterwards came to be known as
thelVar of Independence, the war later on signalised
by the French victories of Magenta and Solferino;
above all, his conquest of the Kingdom of the Two
Sicilies four years ago, when (as is now universally
known, as, indeed, was notorious at the very time)
at the head of a more handfull of fellow-adven-
turers—these facts, especially, in the history of
GARIBALDI have impressed the English people
with the notion that this mn is, in truth,
dauntless, that in his nature this world-famous
Soldier-Sailor has a heroism of character akin to
our own NELSON, or our own DUNDONALD.
Again, the history of GARIBALDI has impressed
the English observers of it with a profound sense
of the man's individual disinterestedness. It is a
fact, as undeniable for example, as that NAPO-
LEON 111. conquered Lombardy, at the head of ills
insignificant army, and then handed over that
conquered province as a gift to King VICTOR
EMMANUEL, that GARIBALDI at the head of no
magnificent army at all, bat simply taking with
the mere handful of followers already mentioned,
after conquering, at the point of his sword, and
then completely taking possession afterwards of the
kingdom of the Two Sicilies, handed over that king-
dom as a gift to that same King VICTOR EMMA-
NUEL. Nevertheless, while those two facts just par-
ticularised, those two achievements and those two
gifts were precisely as we have described them to
have been, Englishmen have got somehow to remem-
ber as the historical sequels or consequences of them,
that whereas NAPOLEON 111., later on, absorbed
Nice and Savoy into his own empire, GARIBALDI
has profited nothing, pecuniarily or territorially,
by his " transaction," They attach to the memory
of his deeds, therefore, a sense in his regard of
complete disinterestedness. The reception they
have given to him, therefore, to sum all in one
sentence, is demonstrative of their ardent recogni-
tion of his personal valour and his personal disinte-
restedness.

Foreign nations will do well, we would observe,
when they come to hear of GARIBALDI'S reception
in London, to recognise this, in truth, as the real
inner meaning and signification of yesterday's
astounding demonstration.
M. ASSOLANT et hoc genus omne may write
themselves down what DOGBERR Y wished to be
written down by the clerkly Sexton, they may do
this ad libstum to their own perfect edification,
doubtless, bat certainly (there can be no ques-
tion ablut this) to our excessne amusement,
whist they are so writing. But Rational Observers
on the continent will look, on the other hand, some-
what more dispassionately at the incidents now
transpiring in this country by reasons of GARI-
BALDI'S presence amongst us, and so, regarding
them, will attach to these incidents, we repeat, no
sinister significance whatever.

As if in testimony of the fact being precisely
as we have here put it, the very manner of GARI-
BALDI'S reception, betokens that it has no party
significance, that it is more of a personal de-
monstration. While, for example, GARIBALDI is
greeted in the streets by the humblest classes of the
population, he is, during his stay in London, the
guest of one of the wealthiest patricians in the land,
the young Duke of SUTHERLAND. Upon this very
morning, again, down at Chiswick he has been
welcomed by his ducal host's mother (one of
the most intimate personal friends of her Majesty
the QUEEN) her Grace the DJwager Duchess of
SUTHERLAND. To-morrow evening, moreover, at
Stafford House, GARIBALDI is to be entertained
at a grand banquet given there in his honour—a
b =gnat at which the chiefs of both the great politi-
cal parties, that is, of the Government and of the
Opposition, will attend. Chief among those chiefs
being the Earl of DERBY, the ex-Premier, and the
now Prime Minister of England, Viscount PAL-
MERSTON. Whether or not, in recognition of the
Duke of SUTHERLAND'S hospitality we know not—
bat, at any rate, precisely at the time of his displaying
it, there appears the announcement that his Grace,
for no other earthly reason conceivable, saving,
Indeed) his wealth and his lineage, id to receive the