The Sun.
London, England, 1862-08-02 00:00:00

Such are Garibaldi's ideas, expressed in more or
less coarse, but awfully plain language, as he shows
himself to the multitude from town to town. The
names of " robber," of " infamous traitor," freely
lavished on the conqueror of Solferino, the "14
years' lies, perjuries, and base intrigues" with which
he upbraids him, hardly add strength to his argu-
ment, which lies mainly in this, that an attack
upon the French at Rome is the best means of
winning the sympathies, changing the destinies,
and securing the fraternity and solidarity of the
French nation. These, it is well known, were the
fond notions with which Mazzini flattered himself
at the time of the siege of Rome by the French in
1849. By these strange delusions the inspired pro-
phet of Young Italy stirred up and nerved the
courage of the Italian youths, who, under the guid-
ance of this same Garibaldi, held their ground against
fearful odds for so many months, and contributed,
perhaps, more efficiently than the deeds of arms at
Goito, Pastrengo, and St. Lucia to rehabilitate the
name of the Italians as fighting men. At the very
moment that the French of Oudinot forced the gate
of St. Pancrazio, Mazzini felt sure, and made sure as
many as would believe him, that Ledru Rollin and
all the French Republicans were ready to come to
the rescue, in time for revenge and redress, at least,
if not for defence. These Mazzinian hallucinations
Garibaldi dived into in 1849 with all the trusting
impetuosity of his ingenuous nature. The impres-
sion :was rapidly made, but it sunk deep. After
14 years of enchantment the General has still that
faith in French democracy, that, I dare say, Ledru
Rollin himself has long lost.

Yet, will Garibaldi really act up to his proud
words; will he carry arms against the French gar-
rison at Rome ? How many followers he might
reckon upon for such an undertaking it would not
be easy to say. There is, indeed, a stir and a swarm-
ing everywhere of Italian youths, but there is no-
where any strong gathering of them—none percep-
tible, at least. The loud plaudit which everywhere
greets him seems, to judge from the testimony of
well-informed people, something very hollow and
barren. Those who shout and storm are only the
masses, the unthinking, irresponsible masses. The
sound and sober-minded people hold aloof ; many
of them are simply dismayed, some disgusted. The
thought of venturing upon an unprovoked collision
with France seems to most men to border on sheer
madness, and the cruel but irresistible conviction
that Garibaldi is not in his right senses steals
to the hearts of not a few of his most earnest
admirers and followers.

Yet Garibaldi talks of his march to Rome as of
something irremovably resolved upon ; he professes
himself determined to go whether he leads his
thousand heroes of old, or whether he can only pick
up 100, or 50, or 10. His mind is made up, and
who shall stand in his way ?
The Government here feel very sure that they
have the power to prevent his doing mischief. The
French cruisers blockade all the Roman coast, and
were the hero to venture out at sea and meet them,
he might find less mercy and forbearance at their
hands than was shown him by the two English
frigates which attended his landing at Marsala.
Moreover, the King's forces from the North are
public order at any
keepingpauriag pdeoawceaaunpdoma aiNnatapilneisnganpdu Sicily, bent on
price. It is not likely that the Sicilians themselves
will have it in their power to lend the Liberator
yo w
instrumentse rf u l aid, e v
oe
fn
mischiefw ere t he
my
isgohitn
bc lei ned .
More anyverreyadp
col-
lected on the main land, and might be hid among
the thronging population of Naples. The distance
between this latter town and Rome is not great, and
the frontier line is extensive, ruggedly indented,
woody, and mountainous, difficult to guard on
either side, as the late brigand forays have shown
us. As the King's Government are sure they can
cansh y
uytaeltuwphaatshshe walk through
so is Garibaldi confident he
rerdla laya
ngemrsmind
d to whenever
go t
through
uhgahs
?a mind.
Will
:he really venture upon a march to Rome, regardless
of difficulties or
down Garibaldi as a stark madman
evnetnurteharilsst oiisgs
louder the great leader of
adventurers
clamations of his intent to go to Rome, the more
eni
ntoht
hiser.
pT r ho e
matter-
of faith with many, unless, indeed, they are to set
strongly convinced cool-headed people feel that
some other point, awaydiffereatnlhlteaanttdent
expedition. The attempt
the goal of his projected e from Rome, is
know, only a feint, a
on of Austria rid
sattratSeagriaciedaeviwcea,siowcaell
Europe to the banks of the Adige, diverting it
h Garibaldi from some distant locality which
• con-
templated :making the theatre of his great deeds.
Rome and her French garrison, in the
opinion of
the clear-sighted, are only the new s
arnieo to be
n quite used as a blind to cover operations i •
a dif-
ferent quarter. That that quarter is the East, some
unguarded spot on the Austrian, or, more probably,
on the Turkish coast, no thinking man here doubts,
and in such
making a move, if Garibaldi is really
ready for it, he is likely to receive no very
serousld
hindrance from the Italian Government, Whowould
rather be rid of him on any terms, and no impedi-
mento
whatever from France, who would rejoice at
any new complication of the
Eastern question. already too intricate