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

..,._
. ... „,...--
(
7,---0
.-/-
-
e-,--e- G''''-----er77---<___-----e— ,-.----- Z-c- --- 7:e 'e--"--
(:(77(-1 .
///-----/ ~,,
T •.. 1--- '
L: f' •Z• '' '
.• • •
• c , , • : • •
. e.
,•.; f - .f. " 4
...
°111:111111111111114 . , -„.
, ~...,4 •..,„..,..„ . . I -,..r.
c 1
1 -0
~•v1 . . S. ..:--a, , ~;., i
L...
..........7.......-41flilli
'',l Eiw ort.t,rl.l r.:*--". , -.'
IVi ~1
7.‘e)..,,,, . , :,IVAPtgli4l f '*4 \ ;61 .4ia'' ' li
1 4:* I t`,',.-•
r '
`,
••,,, .t. t 4
.•\,,, , • •-•, , y.l ~ -'- 1., -- . Nll4, • '-'" k ) 011cl'
11,44.-t
e„...._.......i.r---- I '
A ~. .44.-;.-- .- • ---- .0 1,
, , i •-. ''. "'my"' ' ' ,i'`'.o,,"• ~. "it:. . -_0 ' `c.r ~7 ..,„
~..... .
..,
~....
6,49/".:7,14› „Ads -•,,,-,...r....- • ..,,,,,, .6,- -,•- .--• %,
Alqiii 06 - .41 ".... :..1
/ .1" '', '.....-1.0 , • •14,
..11 Dry ,
„........ 41 i i .
:,:4/1' ;4)' 'N.. 'L ;!••-4._ ..f.
. .tli t..:11. • •
• r-- 4 .:''. Jr r:i ,Jiq:i.,,, -....,

PR1CE.....-..4d.
STAMPED ....sd.

true Southern relish. All the youth of the Italian
towns have a great mania for dandyism, as far as
they can afford it ; they live on well-nigh nothing
that they may buy a coat after the last fashion or
encase their feet in patent leather boots. Well,
most of these young men came just as they stood—
not a blanket or cloak, linen, or other such super-
fluities, but several had concertinas and harmoni-
cas, small opera-glasses, packs of cards, pots for
making coffee, and other such useful articles.
As third-class passengers they had all brought
their previsions with th-in, and each group pro-,
ceeded to finish them off at once, regaling every 2
`one around. It was as if they had started for apicnie
and not for an arduous campaign, as they tried to
believe. If they had remained at home, they would
probably have lived a couple of days on what they
wasted here in a quarter of an hour. Then they
were as happy as kings, drinking, singing, chatting,
as if it was to be holiday for ever after.
Curious to ascertain through whose agency they
had been induced to take such a step, I mixed with
group after group, but found it impossible to trace
any agency at all. It was everywhere the same story
Garibaldi is going to do something and we will
not remain behind, so we clubbed together. Those
-who had a little money helped others, there were
kind relations who contributed likewise to set us
right; we sold all superfluities, and several resorted
to loans." lam quite disposed to believe their
story. The passage money is only about 20f. to
Sicily, the passage lasts but three-days, and what
then ? 01 course they don't doubt Garibaldi will
provide.
There is something strange and almost mysteri-
ous about these volunteers who go by batches from
all parts of Italy to join Garibaldi. The general
himself, 1 have reason to know, disclaims the move-
ment—nay, he has given orders to remain quiet ;
and the Committee of Genoa gives equally positive
assurances that it has nothing to do with these en-
rolments. Even the old Garibaldian officers, who
have great influence with the youth in the different
towns, exert themselves to keep things quiet, and
yet young men continue to go. The other day 80
started from Pavia, and one or two of the more in-
..
fluential Garibaldiau officers had actually to go
after them and bring them back again.
There are people who insinuate that it is the
Bourbons and Austrian agency, and some who go
as far as to say that the impulse comes from French
agents, or even those of the Government, which
seeks for a means of compromising Garibaldi. The
latter suppositions are quite absurd, for it can
scarcely be the interest of either the French or the
Italian Government to push things to a crisis which
may turn out more dangerous to them than to any
one else.
From what I have seen and heard, I firmly believe
flat it is not to the agency of any one that this
gathering of volunteers is due. There was a rumour
at Turin of large sums which had been sent out
from England to defray the expenses; but, even if
it be true, very little, if any, of this money has found
its way into the pockets of the volunteers. The
Mazzinian committees may have fostered the move-
ment, and assisted it perhaps in isolated cases ;
but the movement itself I believe to be, in a great
measure, spontaneous.
- Two years almost have passed since Garibaldi's
last great feat, and a number of young men have
grown up who were then too young to take a part,
but who had shared in imagination the glories and
successes of that campaign, and longed only for an
occasion to rival, or even surpass, former achieve-
ments. At the same time, all those of the Southern
army who are not in the regular army show au
equal—nay perhaps stronger—desire to return again
to that life of adventure, as the hardships and un-
pleasantnesses have been softened down by time,
and much which was at the time a source of vexa-
tion appears to them now rather amusing, or is
altogether forgotten. Although public life is com-
paratively new in Italy, it must be remembered
that life in public is as old as the country itself, and
it was this which facilitated so much that unanimity
of passive resistance or active annoyance which was
evinced in so marvellous a manner before 1859 and
1860. Even timid politicians in the Chambers
begin to think that things are not going ou as they
ought or as they might ; how much more a number
of hotheaded young men who are craving for an
opportunity to do something, and who have taken
up that Italian unity of which the world has heard
so much during the last three years with all the
ardour of youth and the poetry of a Southern ima-
gination ? No wonder every step of Garibaldi is
followed with auguries, and every one of his
words makes the flame of enthusiasm blaze up
with greater brightness. The cafes and other
places of public resort for so many centres of an
involuntary propaganda. One heated imagination
excites the other, until uncertainty becomes
intolerable, and numbers decide at least to go
and see what is going on. Little need is there for
agitators and agents. It is a compound of both the
spirit of adventure and the enthusiasm for Italian
unity which has become a kind of religion with
the youth of the towns.
This spontaneity of the movement which impels
so many youths towards Garibaldi is its great
strength, but at the same time its greatest danger.
It is irresistible, and cannot be checked except by
going ahead, but it may likewise escape control.
But we have arrived in the Bay of Naples, and I
must leave further remarks on this subject for
another letter.