The Sun.
London, England, 1848-08-05 00:00:00

SPAIN.

Accounts from Madrid of the 30th ult. state that
the Queen was to proceed on the 9th or 10th inst. to
the Escurial, and, after stopping a few days in that
residence, to return to Madrid. The Gazette had
not yet published the appointment of M. TIDAL to
the Foreign Department. He had, however,
taken the oath of office in the har_ds of the QUEEN,
and been formally installed•. General N ARVAEZ at
first intended to send M. Mos as Ambassador to
Austria, but it was believed that he would
shortly assume the direction of the Finance
Department. The Duke DE SOTOMAYOR was
preparing to leave for Paris, and M. MARTINEZ DE
LA Rosa. for Rome. Twenty-seven individuals, who
had formed part of the band of CABRERA, in the moun-
tains of Catalonia, had made their submission.

THE WAR IN ITALY.
CREMONA, JULY 29.—1 do not go to head-quarters,
a; head-quarters come to me. Several officers of the
staff have already arrived, and the King is expected
with the Princes late in the afternoon. His Majesty
was yesterday at Bozzolo, a small town between the
Oglio and the Po, and the remains of the late grand

army were encamped in the same direction. At three
o'clock this morning Charles Albert left that place,
and, after making a short circuit of the different posts,

he has decided on going to Cremona. It is said that
the Austrian hussars have passed the Oglio ; but I

crossed that river yesterday at Pontevico, where there is
a substantial bridge, and saw nothing of them, and, in
my opinion, the Oglio will not be rescued except by
large masses of the enemy. The river is unusually low,
in consequence of the late dry weather ; though
large as the Mincio, it is not so rapid, and I am quite
sure that, in addition to the bridges and abundant
supply of boats, it can now be forded in several places.
From all I can learn of the army, which lately num-
bered 80,000 men, there are not 20,000 now together
available for any duty. The others have been disposed
of, on a rough calculation, in the following manner :
In hospital, previous to the late affair, 15,000 ; killed,
wounded, and prisoners, since this day week, 10,000 ;
dispersed in regiments or in half regiments, some at
Brescia, some at Lonato, others at Cremona, 20,000 ;
deserters, principally Lombardians and Modeuese 5,000;
stragglers that have crossed the Po, and returned to-
wards Piedmont, 10,000 men. The army is broken up,
and can no longer be united, though pains are taken to
collect all those who retired on Brescia or Cremona, and
again unite them with the division which is still under
the orders of the King,_conisting of the remains of

the brigade of Aosta, of Guardo, of. Savoy, and Corry,
the major part of the artillery, and about 2,200 Lan-
cers. It is in vain for the King to attempt with suoh a
force making head against a victorious army, high in
spirits, supplied with everthing, and handled with con-
sumate skill. The sooner he retires to Piedmont the

better, and then accept the peace which I have no doubt
the enemy will give him on terms more favourable than

he who was the aggressor is entitled to expect. We
have always reasoned on the basis that Lombardy was
nut desired by Austria, and that she was ready to
treat for the frontier of the Adige or the Mincio.
Itadetzky's retreat front Milan was made in accord-
ance with principle, as Lombardy is not defensible
anywhere ; and why should not Austria now profit
by her great success to establish on favourable terms
a suitable frontier, such as the Adige will give with
the Tyrol, Venetia, and the Friuli ? I have hopes
that an accomodation will grow out of the present un-
happy position of affairs, and the pacification of this part
of Europe be accomplished more rapidly than it would
have been if Charles Albert had conquered. If the King
were strong enough to cross the Po, march on Ferrara,
and enter the Venetia, in the rear of the Austrian army,
a diversion might be made, and the actual defeat lead to
a glorious success; but such projects are quite out of the
question; the officers and soldiers arc so disgusted by
having been abandoned three days without rations, that
they have resolved to tight no more fur the Milanese;
.4nd if an order to advance were given, one-half of the

men faithful to their colours would desert and return

co Piedmont. Now I hear the free opinions of men
and officers without disguise or exaggeration, and I
ain certain of the truth of what I now advance. It

Is said that the King has sent proposals for an
armistice to Radetzky, and that the latter has ex-
pressed his willingness to grant it, provided the Pied•
montese recross at once the Tessin, and submit to a me-
aiution for a definitive peace. I am likewise told that
the King refused the Tessin, but accepts the latter con-
dition; and I presume that Radetzky will prescribe
some other limits less humiliating to a beaten but brave
Adversary. You see, it is said, on the one hand, that the
King has asked for the aid of 60,000 Frenchmen; and,
on the other, that he accepts a mediation for a definitive
peace. Which story is trne, is not yet in my power to
say, though the moment I am able to communicate with
head-quarters I shall have no difficulty in doing so. I
think more probable that the Provisional Government of
_ .

Milan has asked for French assistance, not the King

and that as ho has, in his secret thoughts, been for some
time of opinion that peace on the basis of the Adige was
a boon not to be rejected, he is not likely to compromise
one demarche by the other.
Though I write that the Piedraontese army is thus
scattered to the winds, I call scarcely persuade myself of
the truth of what I say. No one is to be blamed but
Charles Albert—l say so with regret. He has always
shown undue preference to Generals and other persons
high in station, who neither had the confidence of the
troops, nor deserved to have it. Is it to be believed—
will history credit the fact—that a week since we were
superior in moral and physical force to the enemy, and
that we are at this hour reduced as low as the depth of
adversity can place us? We have been victorious in every
tight; even in all the late affairs we have killed and
wounded 15,000 of the enemy, and made 3,000 prisoners;
and we have been compelled to give way, because we had
no reserve, and no precaution had been taken to supply
the exhausted men with provisions—even for three whole
days. The success of the enemy is owing solely to the
fact that he had a reserve of fresh mon to fall on our
tank, after we had defeated his host in front, posted in
the most advantageous manner. Is it not heartbreaking
to say, that after having taken and retaken Somma Cam-
pagna, driven the Austrians from Sono twice, and car-
ried the steep hill—l might say mountain—of Cutoza, at
the point of the bayonet, we were obliged to fall back on
Villa Franca, the men absolutely dropping from hunger
on the road, because fresh troops were not issued at the
proper moment from Verona, and because wo were left
to starve, and on many points to fight without ammuni-
tion? I believe that bread and wine were sent at in-
tervals to the men, but that the waggoners took flight,
cut their traces, escaped with the horses, and left the
provisions in the road. lam told the ammunition carts
were deserted in the same manner; but these things are
not accidents but crimes, because sufficient escorts were
not sent to control the drivers, or take their place in
case of need.
The great fault committed by Charles Albert was his
removal of the Duke of Genoa and Colonel La Marmon"
from Rivoli, and the entrusting that important point at
the extreme of the left wing to a force not exceeding
800 men. He was next wrong in depriving the position
touching on the Adige and running to Vallcgio on the
Miucio, of all but 5,000 men; and he was more than
criminal in collecting 40,000 men on the extreme right,
round Mantua, in such a manner that they were unable
to assist each other, or reinforce in time any part of the
line. Of all these blunders Hadetsky has taken full
advantage. Ile contrived, at the expense of a few men,
to occupy the King's attention at Governolo, and at
Ostiglio, until his plafis were ripe, and he had prepared
the torrent with which he has since overwhelmed
d
Sa n dorhra .
brave but inferior numbers at t
lowing the
ein but in
winin
crossing the Mincio in the centre f
Volta,
had
been
strengthened
edn
gt ht
hu
es n turning
the
with
itgh
anda kepttha.
theth e
positionrace to
fth
tte heights
which of f
so mileiattacknto thein l frontew grounds, f. rom
been againstwindrlyi, vhacennonun it m
anya ndrsi the
betweenhe heights, htths ,e andi‘ineexi 0-
We haveh painsth us
hilst
sk
his lines
e ensoeowi'aes to force us to the Po, whilst he
crosses tho Oglio when and where he pleases. The Aus-
trian loss would have been comparatively slight if our
men had not determined to capture all the heights which
bad been abandoned on Saturday and Sunday. On these
points they lost at least 10,000 men with 2,000 prisoonfleitorhlsee.
In my opinion the King's advance to Villa Franca, and
heightsas
should,ur nb
subsequent
ou nt n
t Volta,
troelhe
efiai
ofnrt
first
ti too
instance,a Gt
that
hi taot , arela
havec e great
a carriedd
master errors,th ew lie
driven the enemy back again from Ma-
ts . He would have then avoided the
o enemy from Verona, and the loss
taking, at the point of the bayonet, Volta,
zi
fatal flank
sustained
intaao ni
lake
endd attach
iSn n
h
and then retiring from it in the face of an overwhelming
force. The rapidity of our defeat was caused in some de-
greehave bye e
eann
durnaluogohk
teedd- fionrt
into
circumstance.
Sardiniansecondone, in the battalions
expecta-
tiont he proportionthat
th e ofg twond m
eaxhadthlereo to
of one-third old soldiers
rr
would fortify the courage
of two-thirds young. But
what was the consequence? Why that the two-thirds
ran like sheep, and that the one-third who remained
were slaughtered on the spot. A position, said to bo