The Sun.
London, England, 1853-02-11 00:00:00

MAZZINI'S PROCLAMATION.

The following proclamation was posted all over Milan,
and has been spread in other parts of Italy :
" ITALIAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE.
" Italians ! Brothers !—The
of the Italian
Committee is ended : your mission begins. To-day the
last word which we, your brothers, ulthtetrhteoryanoku:sof
In-
surrection ;' to-morrow, mingling
with
the
people, we will aid you to maintain it.
ei pantedzetforß
e
" Insurrection ! The moment matured,
urede,
for three long years, has arrived.
not deceived by appearances ; be n.ot
Tmhiesleendtibrey
stuhre.
o r
cowardly sophistries of lukewarm men
face of Europe, from Spain to our ownlanwdi
Four a
burst volcanic
forth
ci
crust, beneath which sleeps a lava which
years ago
in torrents at the upheaving of Italy.
the insurrection of Sicily was followed by ten European
revolutions : twenty European revolutions will follow
yours—all bound by one compact, all sworn to one fra-
ternal aim. We have friends even in the ranks of the
armies who rule us : there are entire peoples whose
alarum-cry will answer to yours. The national demo-
cracies of Europe form one organised camp. Vanguard
of the great army of the people, fear not isolation. The
initiative of Italy is the initiative of Europe.
"Insurrection ! Sacred as the thought of country
that consecrates it ; strong in will and in concentrated
energy as its aim, which is justice, amelioration, and
free fraternal life for all ; let it rise, and convert martyr-
dom into victory. The thousands of victims who have
fallen with the sacred name of Italy on their lips, deserve
this at our hands. Be it tremendous as the tempest on
our seas. Be it obstinate, immovable as the Alps which
surround you. Between the Alps and the extreme
Sicilian sea are 25,000,000 of us, and a hundred thou-
sand foreigners. It is the struggle of a moment if you
do but will.
"Insurrection ! Let the grand word leap from city
to city, from town to town, from village to village, Elie
the electric current. Arouse, arise, awake to the crusade
fever, all ye who have Italian hearts—ltalian arms.
" Remind the people of their unjust sufferings, their
rights denied them, their ancient power, and the great
future of liberty, prosperity, education, and equality—
they may conquer at a bound.
"Remind your women of the mothers, the sisters, the
friends who have perished in unconsoled' weeping for
their loved ones, imprisoned, exiled, butchered, because
they had not, but desired, a country.
"Remind your young minds of thought outraged and
restrained, of the great traditionary past of Italy which
they can continue only by action, of the absolute no-
thingness of the 'state they are now in—they the descend-
ants of the men who have twice given civilisation to
Europe.
" Remind the soldiers of Italy of the dishonour of a
servile uniform which the foreigners deride, of the bones
of their fathers-left on the battle fields of Europe for the
honour of Italy, of the true glory which crowns the war-
rior for right, for justice, for nationality.
"Soldiers, women, youths, people ! let us have for the
moment but one heart, one thought, one desire, one cry
in our souls, one cry on our lips, We will have a coun-
try ; we will have an Italy ; and an Italy shall be.'
" Attack, break at every point the long and weak line
of the enemy. Prevent them from concentrating them-
selves by killing or dispersing their soldiers, destroying
roads and bridges. Disorganise them by striking at
their officers. Ceaselessly pursue fugitives ;be at war
to the knife. Make arms of the tiles of your houses, of
the stones of your streets, of the tools of your trades, of
the iron of your crosses. Spread the alarm by watch-
fires kindled on every height. From one end of Italy to
the other, let the alarm bell of the people toll the death
of the enemy.
" Wherever you are victorious, move forward at once
to the aid of those nearest you. Let the insurrection
grow like an avalanche, wherever the chance goes
against you ; run to the gorges, the mountains—the
fortresses given you by nature. Everywhere the battle
will have broken out ; everywhere you will find brothers
—and, strengthened by the victories gained elsewhere,
you will descend into the field again the day after. One
only be our flag—the flag of the nation. In pledge of
our fraternal unity, write on the words ' God and the
people !' they alone are powerful to conquer, they alone
do not betray. It is the Republican flag which, in '4B
and '49, saved the honour of Italy ; it is the flag of
ancient Venice, it is the flag of Rome—eternal Rome,
the sacred metropolis, the temple of Italy and of the
world I
" Purify yourselves, fighting beneath that flag. Let
the Italian people arise, worthy of the God who
. ui
thein ! Let woman be sacred ; let age and childhood dbees sacred ; let property be sacred. Punish the thief as an
enemy. Use for insurrection the arms, powder, and
uniforms taken from the foreign soldiers.
"To arms, to arms ! Our last word is the battle cry.
Let the men you have chosen to lead you, send forth to
Europe, on the morrow, the cry of victory.
(For the Italian Committee,)