The Sun.
London, England, 1853-08-08 00:00:00

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owed the satisfaction, eventually afforded }aim, ofthiu 411.i.:-.---" ....•
removal of the Governor of Genoa to another govern- 7.„ I.j'l4Ty::Y
ment. But how many acts of similar, and even of more
gross misconduct, were left unpunished, for a single one
that was not entirely so !
"The sway of the Commandants in the small towns,
as arbitrary and unlimited as that of the Governors, was •
still more immediately oppressive. In populous cities
individuals escaped notice, but not so in country towns,
where each man was known by name and by sight to
the Commandant, and where, for instance, it became an
unpardonable crime to pass before the little Pacha with-
out taking off your hat.
"Next in authority, or rather in unlimited power, to
the military, were the clergy, and the monks of every
hue, especially the Jesuits. This celebrated sect had,
AS it were, enveloped the whole kingdom in a net.
They had establishments at Vogbera, Nice,
Aostet,
Chambery, Turin, and Genoa. These two last towns,
were their head-quarters. They had, moreover, under
their influence and innuediate direction, many brother-
hoods, half religious half political, such as the Ignoran-
telli, the Ladies of the Sacro Caore, the Congregation of
St. Raphael for children, that of Sta. Dorothea for young
girls, &c., &c. With such multiplied means of action,
it is not surprising that they succeeded in monopolising
public instruction. Primary schools, colleges, univer-
sities, all were under their authority. The Jesuitica
spirit reigned at Court, among the high functionaries,
and invaded every branch of governmental or judicial
administration. In short, to get on at all, affiliation,
real or supposed, to this sect, was necessary. By means
of the confessional, and by corrupting servants, they
obtained possession of domestic secrets, which they com-
municated to the pOlice, thus causing divisions in fizmi-
lies, scandalous law-suits, and reprimands ; in short, all
the variety of measures termed economical ( ecortomiche),
a general name for all kinds of arbitary injunctions, and
petty interference in all and every act of private life, on
the part of the police. Two Jesuits offered to the direc-
tor of police of Genoa to furnish him with all the infor-
mation he could desire.
"The bishops, whose affiliation to the sect was nearly
general, supported the Jesuits with all their might, and
were in their turn supported by them in the most arbi-
,trary and unjustifiable actions. The Bishop of Acqui
caused a Jewish girl, afflicted with mental alineation, to
be torn from her family, on the plea that she had mani-
fested some inclination to become a Christian. The
mother and two brothers of the unfortunate girl, guilty
of having claimed her, instead of redress were thrown
into prison. The only daughter of the Belgian Charg6
d'Affaires at Turin fell in love with a young man whose
situation in life forbade his aspiring to her hand. Her
father was a Protestant. It sufficed that the young girl
had whispered into the ear of a lady connected with the
Jesuits that to marry her lover she was ready to become
a Catholic, for the father to find one night his daughter
carried off.' After infinite search, it was discovered that
the young lady was under the protection of the Ladies
of the Sacro Cuore, but all the demands and solicitations
of the diplomatic body failed to obtain the restoration of
the misguided girl to the parental roof.
"No warrant was necessary to put a citizen into pri-
son. The governor, the commandant, the director of
police, the fiscal advocate, the justice of peace, the
mayor, the carabineers, down to the lowest agent or spy
of the police, each had a right to arrest ; but if it was
easy
aoIT,
nt get into
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Aprisopnreisron i was b terriblyset t difficult
liberty to
to
-gtdeayobuyt
order' of the magistrate, and to-morrow an order from
the governor, the direCtor of police, the commandant,
would send him back to confinement. One fact among
a thousand.

" The Marchioness of - brought a criminal action
against the mayor and common council of the burgh of
Pecetto, for some alleged trespass on her estates. The
Senate (the highest law court) non-suited the mar-
chioness, and acquitted the defendants. The judgment
of the Senate seemed an insult in the eyes of the family
of the marchioness, which was powerful, and had friends
at court. So one day the mayor and the common coun-
cilmen of Pecetto were arrested and carried to the prisons
of Turin. The barrister who had defended the cause
before the Senate hastened to the director of police, and
showed him the senatorial decree of acquittal. The
director merely answered with a smile, ' The Senate has
pronounced well, but I have done better,' and so sent
away the lawyer without any further explana-
tion. The prisoners were not released till it pleased
the marchioness that they should be so, and were ob-
liged to promise that they would in future behave like
honest men, with the fear of God and man before their
eyes.'
"A political prisoner, who had been long detained in
the fortress of Mondovi, made repeated applications to
the commandant for permission to be shaved. The com-
mandant referred the question to the governor of the
province of Cuneo, who granted the requisite authority
by the following dispatch, which I give verbatim
The prisoner shall have his hands, arms, and legs tied
to a chair. Two sentinels shall be placed, one on his
right, the other on his left, and behind him a soldier
with a naked sabre. Fronting him shall stand the com-
mandant, with the major of the fortress on one side and
his aide-de-camp on the other. In this attitude,' con-
cluded the dispatch, the prisoner is permitted to have
himself shaved at his ease and pleasure 1' ( con tutto suo
comodo )."
Lorenzo about this time fell desperately in love.
A fair Italian, the sister of one of the Carbonari,
overhears him taking the oath of that society ; and
with the sudden and wild affection of an Italian wo-
' man, writes to him. Italian love-making and Italian
lovers have been so often written on that little
need be said on the subject, except that, true to her
nature, she first loves to distraction, grows jealous,
trifles with her lover, vows revenge, and as a
climax, when he is on the point of being arrested,
she warns him of his danger, and is willing to sac-
rifice everything for him. At length the fatal day
arrived when all was to be brought to light.
Hundreds were arrested, and tortures of the most
revolting nature resorted to by the unscrupulous
authorities to obtain confessions, and many of the
unfortunate prisoners were forced to make false
statements to be spared further torments, and to
be released by death. The unfortunate Lorenzo,
at length, after hairbreadth escapes and great suf-
fering, reaches the French shore, where he is re-
ceived with open arms by his friend Fantasio. His
less fortunate brother Cassar, and other of his com-
panions, were shot or hanged without even the
show of a trial.
So ends the narrative of Lorenzo Benoni, the
Italian patriot. Whither he went, or who he is—.
who were his companions who, under fictitious
names, have figured prominently in these pages—
he leaves no clue. They alone who took part in
those disastrous struggles will be able to identify
the master mind of Fantasio, or the chivalrous
devotion of Caesar Benoni.

THE TURKISH SQUADRON.

(From the Press.)

We have just received the following particulars, im%
portant at this moment, respecting the present state of
the Turkish fleet, which is described to us as being,
generally speaking, in capital order, and animated with
the best spirit. We can vouch for the authenticity of
the information we give, in all its details, excepting as
to the names of some of the Turkish vessels, which we
are doubtful whether we have rendered quite correctly:-....