The Sun.
London, England, 1860-08-03 00:00:00

GARIBALDI'S ENTRY INTO MESSINA.

A letter from Naples, dated July 28, says :
There were some inaccuracies in my last letter
regarding the evabuation of Melazzo by the Nea-
politan troops, but I copied my report from a Bolle-
tino printed and published in Messina. A Pied-
montese steamer arrived yesterday. from Melazzo,
and from the officers on board I derived the follow-
ing intelligence. The capitulation was drawn up
in a manner that exacted no humiliation from the
Neapolitans ; they were granted the honours of war
(though they were to leave all the material of war
in the city), and were to leave the island as sbon as
possible. In the interval, before going on board,
Colonel Bosco, the Neapolitan fire-eater, caused all
the cannon to be spiked, a dirty and disgraceful
trick; so that when the colonel was about leaving
the city, on hersebackePaYibalaaarflexed him to dis-
mount, directed his horse tobie taken in M dici and
calling four carabinecrs ordered them to take the
hero on board. There can be no difference of opinion
as to the conduct of Bosco, and Garibaldi was fully
justified in thus degrading him. I have met also a
person attached to the Neapolitan troops who came
up with a large body of them yesterday morning.
He says that the surrender of Melazzo was a ne-
cessity, as a mine had been made up to the very
walls, which were in a shaky untenable state. They
were without water, their wine was vinegar, and as
to their biscuit it was decomposed. The engage-
ments, he added, of the 20th and 21st, were very
fierce, and well sustained on both sides. The Royal-
ists had about 4,000 men, and the Garibaldini
about twelve or thirteen thousand men, principally
Sicilians, backe3 or headed by a few hundred Pied-
montese. The former were most efficient shooters,
whilst the really hard work was done by the latter,
who fought like lions, running upon the cannon,
and setting all danger at defiance. The Neapolitans
too, fought well, especially the Chasseur-a-cheval.
Comparatively few shots were fired, as the action
was conducted principally with the bayonet. My
informant, who was a Neapolitan, added that the
loss in killed and wounded on their ride was about
160, whilst the Garibaldini must have lost 800
men. Garibaldi himself, according to his represen-
tation, must have been twice in imminent danger.
A captain of theChasseurs had raised his sword and
grazed the neck of the general, who immediately
cut him down, and two or three Sicilians finished
him, on which Garibaldi killed one of these vili,
and protested against striking a man on the ground.
On another occasion he was exposed to the follow-
ing danger :—A grenade burst right before him and
he was only saved from destruction by his horse
rearing and retiring. On the morning my infor-
mant left Melazzo, which was last Wednesday,
eleven of the country people had been shot by order
of Garibaldi for robbery. Bosco arrived here on
Thursday with the 9th battalion of the Chasseurs,
many of whom were wounded; and yesterday
morning about 2,000 men arrived in four French
commercial steamers, which had left on Wednesday-,
having been 48 hours en route. Barcellona, about
six miles from Melazzo, had been abandoned by the
Garibaldini with the exception of the sick ; Me-
lazzo is of course now in their possession, and
so is a point called Gesso, about 10 miles from
Messina. A Russian vessel of war that came in
yesterday brings intelligence that Garibaldi's men
had already attacked the Neapolitan outposts.
A report prevailed on Wednesday that the bom-
bardment of the city had begun, but that it had
been suspended half an hour after by telegraphic
order from Naples. The Government denies this
in toto, but it is very true that on the 22d General
Clary informed the French consul, and on the fol-
lowing morning other consuls, that if attacked he
should make every effort to defend himself, and
that therefore they would do well to provide for
the security of their fellow-subjects. This WdS con-
sidered as an intimation that there would be a bom-
bardment, and on Monday last the foreign vessels
in harbour had their steam up, with the idea of
getting out of range of the gur s. We shall have
no positive intelligence before Tuesday next.
Here, in Naples, we are in perfect repose; and,
judging from facts on the surface, one might sup-
pose that things were settling down. Talk there is
enough of and to spare, and great numbers are in
favour of annexation: Still the party for the con-
stitution, to which rally many of the old Royalists,
is very powerful. Unless, however, Garibaldi lands,
or material assistance comes to them from some
other quarter, I feel assured that the Neapolitans
will do nothing for themselves. They have from
necessity long fallen into a habit of inaction, and
are always looking beyond themselves and out of
the country for redemption. Their prinoipal occupa-
tion at present, therefore, is in talking largely, and
creating panics, and exaggerating and distorting
facts so as to interfere seriously with the course of
things and hamper the ministers, who are, I be-
lieve, desirous of carrying out the principles of the
constitution. Most of the population do justice
to the good intentions, at least, of the leading mem-
bers of the ministry ; so much so, that on last Tues-
day, which was sacred to St. Liborio, there was an
illumination, not in honour of the saint, but of
Liborio Romano, the minister of the interior.
I have spoken highly of the intentions and ho-
nesty of the ministers, but at the same time I can-
not but acknowledge they are weak, not from any
want of inherent force, but from the intrigues of '
the reactionists, and the suspicions and panics of
the liberals. Their efforts to do good are almost
paralysed. Orders are given and are not executed,
or drag their weary length along. Men high in
office oppose the constitution, and are simply re-
moved ; soldiers rush through the streets and cut
down peaceable citizens, and we hear nothing more
of bringing them to justice. The camarilla were
to be removed, but they still hang about Naples,
and it is a wonder to me that Filangieri, the great
arch traitor, who had the means of saving the
King and the country during a whole year, and
only enriched himself, has never been even men-
tioned. As to Nunziante, he has sent in his resig-
nation.
Since writing the above I have been moving
about and making observations, and am disposed
to think that the tranquillity which reigns and
continues here indicates increasing confidence.
Many are accepting office, and the pruning-knife is
being applied to the intendente of the provinces
with greater vigour than ever. There is, too, a
growing opinion that the real interests of the libe-
ral party lie in consolidating the new institutions
rather than in producing anarchy with a view to a
problematical change. On the Bourse confidence is
decidedly on the increase.
The following intelligence, however, on which
you may depend, will be likely to produce a great
movement. Garibaldi has entered Messina, and a
general fraternisation has taken place. It is to be
observed that he entered with a flag, from which
the arms of the House of Savoy were removed, and
on the supposition that the letter of Victor Em-
manuel has been presented, Garibaldi placed him-
self at the head of the revolution, and a landing
may be expected shortly on the continent. He re-
fuses the truce, and the Neapolitans preserve the
citadel. The Neapolitan troops who were in the
neighbourhood are embarking rapidly on their re-
turn. The " Comitati" generally, setting aside Vic-
tor Emmanuel, now swear by and follow Garibaldi.
Without assuming any great merit as a prophet,
the upshot of it all will be that revolution will be
permitted to march forward until it arrives here,
and then the French will step in and arrest it and
play their game, whatever that may be. Such has
been tho aim of our neighbours, I believe, from the
beginning.- Without this impulse from without I
am of opio:on that things would have gradually
as it
settled down ie:to tranquillity and confidence;
is, I think a dist:mbarkation of Garibaldi and his
pb:cted as certain, and of course
forces may be ex
there will be other co. mbinations. A truce for six
months had received the
support of France, Pied-
mont, and England, in ors ;r to give time for the
consolidation of the new instil rations, if possible.
As you are aware, a truce of six months had re-
ceived the support of England and France and
Piedmont, and the bearer of the le;ter from Victor
Emmanuel to Garibaldi; who left Gei,loa on the 22d
inst., must have arrived before this artel had an in-
terview with the Dictator. The following facts