The Sun.
London, England, 1862-03-28 00:00:00

GARIBALDI'S NATAL DAY.

A letter from Naples, dated March 22, says :
Happily Garibaldi's natal day passed off tranquilly
notwithstanding certain apprehension that were
entertained by the authorities, Monster demon-
strations and processions had been projected, and
it was only on the previous day that the Comitato
of the Mercato could be dissuaded from getting up
a procession in which the statue of Massaniello was
to have been carried ! The powers that be, how-
ever, took so high a tone that all these intentions
came to naught. It is no disparagement of his
Majesty to say that the enthusiasm manifested on
San Giuseppe's day was far greater than on last
Friday. From the windows of the principal
streets floated thousands of flags, many of them
with the likeness or inscriptions commemorative
of the idol. In some places altars were erected,
and the statue of Garibaldi placed upon them like
a divinity, with candles burning around it, and in
several doorways and windows I observed his
colossal likeness in a transparency. The Theatre
of San Carlo, which was illuminated, was crowded
by an enthusiastic audience, who called for the
Hymn nine times, until the leader of the orchestra
was in despair with fatigue, At the rooms of the
Workmen's Association there was a large meeting,
and a ball at the Fardo, and, notwithstanding a
storm of wind and rain, the illuminations in the
streets were most brilliant. No one can doubt but
that Garibaldi is a power, the greatest perhaps in
Italy, and it is tranquillising to think that his in-
fluence for the present is exerted in moderating the
tone of the democratic party. Indeed, judging
from the expressions of the official journal of the
South and other indications, it is easy to see that
some understanding has been come to between Gari-
baldi and Ratazzi, involving mutual concessions ;
and it' reports long in circulation here, to which I
have alluded in former letters, be true, the present
position has been long foreseen, and planned with a
view to some not very distant action. The voce of
the speedy arrival of Garibaldi in Naples, which I
gave you in my last on the faith of a telegraphic
message, gains strength and consistency, and it is
added that he will accompany Prince Humbert,
thus identifying Royalty with the great popular
movement. Should ho come, the liberator of the
South, the exile of Caprera, the hope of disappointed
and impatient thousands, will drive the people into
a frenzy such as I am persuaded has never been wit-
nessed here before. You in England, who can form
a juster and more philosophical judgment of the
man, can have no idea of the adoration with which
the great modern Lafayette is regarded by the
Neapolitans; he is the god of the masses; and
what the Madonna is to the crowds of ignorant wor-
' shippers is Garibaldi to the multitudes who, for the
present at least, repose all their hope and trust in
him ! So long as he can maintain this influence,
and will use it wisely, all will go well. But should
he lose it, and we have historical precedents of suoh
a disaster, what then ?

I alluded in my last letter to the dangers likely
to arise from the collision of religious parties, and,
while condemning the violence and the intrigue
of the priests and their friends, which, after all, are
not unnatural in their present position, and though
as convinced as any person can be that the diminu-
tion or the subversion of a power which has been
the ruin of Italy is necessary to social and political
progress, yet I cannot but deprecate as impolitic
d cmreoavteempernot.
and ungenerous to the anyGovernraenwtoui
on the part of the Liberals which . .
mature and dangerous collisions
tohfcr.eglirge.igioltusestsrtouepumignbliiottinira:
It is not too much to say that Italy is still
uni"gfriends. The religious
for existence, and that
may well be per-
mitted with which the Gonivecronfmietnstzehaaslautso con-
tend are those created by so
present, While the
gasnemstainnymtnfko,
aR
i. its
iintiitsulaicoie°turin a I ,
such
the limits of the
Government
is dormantoccupiedt
he
clergy
l for
e r
gwyitwithin
thoi t h i n
gigantic
in suppressing
law, and so many of their mea-
surescorpora-
as bringing
Precipitancy will only retard and blow into
olifodinnasue.ngeirnous
thisll flame the passions of a very large body
distracted country. It is not without
certain information of the difficulties which are felt
by the local authorities that I write in this style.
They have been so great that a question has been
proposed of late as to whether the first article of i

-476.1
the Constitution,which tolere.tes all I.,ef igions, meant
those existing at that time, or all ;loch as might
hereafter be introduced. No rational doubt could,
of course, be entertained by a liberal h'nd progres-
sive Government that the very entertain ing such a
question shows the embarrassments which have been
created by associations which are perfectly " legal,"
but, like many other things, " are not convenient."
One of the inevitable consequences of such over-
zeal will be and has been opposition to plans for
the education of the people, the great necessity
of the day, and, though open opposition can be
always put down by the law, there is a passive
obsteaiction of which the priests are masters and
which the law cannot touch. In the sermon'
which was pe.°•aelted last Saturday by the Abbot
COCOZZ9, and w!-,ieh led to bloodshed and riot,
a direct attack was mule against the " Evange-
lical Association," and ,the Vicar-Got, era lof
Naples is continually plying the local authorities
with remonstrances and menaceg en the same sub-
jeet. In October list he addressee the Minister
of Ecclesiastical Affairs, and since then he had
sent several fulminating letters to Gen. Pella Mc:r-
mora, the most recent of which was written at the
end of last month, In this despatch he remindshis
Excellency that " Naples had been always the
great nursery of the Roman Catholic religion, and.
that it had successfully opposed the introduction of
the:lnquisitioe. Lately, however, an infernal, pes-
tilential association had been formed by a diabolical
man. . . He protested against such dia-
bolical attempts !.o ruin the souls of Neapolitans,
and declares that fie Ills Excellency does not put
down such institutions .he will, with all the power
of his voice and the press, da what he can to cau-
tion the sheep in his fold." The Vicar-General was
legally wrong and the reforme.na are legally right ;
but the question occurs whether Italy is con-
stituted at least, it would not be moi7e. " convenient"
to avoid questions which will only ince.e,ase the em-
barrassments of the Government, and whother the
objects which are aimed at by all liberai..minded
Christians will not be better attained by concen-
trating their energies on the intellectual culture of
the people.
I now call your attention to official intelligence of
brigandage, which must henceforward form an im-
portant feature in my correspondence. A small
band under Schiavone harasses the Capitanate, It
always retreats before the troops. At Maters, in
the Basilicata, there is a band of 150 men under
Crocco ; but it does not appear to find adherents .in
the province, and the spirit of the people is re-
ported to be good. There is also another band
between Taranto and Otranto, which is probably
waiting for fresh disembarkations at Bari and
Otranto. The brigands take all the horses they can
lay hands on. On the nights of the 14th and 15th
the bands on the Roman frontier attacked the vil-
lage of Cese, but were repulsed. Despatches have
been sent to the Prefects of Messina, Palermo,
Chieti, Teramo,Bari,Leece, Cosenza, anc3.Catan z aro,
advising them that on the 14th inst. 130' men left
Trieste in four barques, bound:for the coast of Cala-
bria or Sicily. The strictest vigilance is enjoined.
With regard to Major Fumel, whose name ,and
proclamation was brought :under discussion on tba
night of the 18th, the following are the results of'
my inquiries :—The Major is a member of the. Na-
tional Guard, not of the regular army, and has been
much employed by the Prefect of Cosenza in orga-
nising the National Guard and the Guardia Mobile.
Nothing was known here of the circumstances on
the 18th instant. Since then inquiries have been
made by telegraph, and the following is the

answer:—
" The proclamation was not printed, nor written by the
Major, but the syndics were permitted to qfficher it in order
to (atterrire) frighten the populations, It liad not, however,
been carried out, and fearing unpleasant inquiries the Pre-
fect had directly sent information of it to Turiti."
I confine myself as closely as possible to the
wording of the answer, without being to literal.
The whole affair is very confused, and there is art
evident design to throw the responsibility front one
person to another. One thing is clear, that if the
civil authority can affix such proclamations within.
the knowledge of the military power, or if a Major
in the Natbnal Guard can do so of his own free
will, or again, If syndics can be permitted to trifle
with such weapons, there can be no responsible
Government, and there must be a number of local
despots. I make these remarks in the most friendly
spirit to the Government, who -Will better serve the
interests of Italy by measures of ltic,,ality, justice,
and humanity, than by proceedings which must of
necessity alienate the masses.