The Sun.
London, England, 1860-06-15 00:00:00

71IE INSURRECTION IN SICILY.

(From the Tin2es.)
The 'Washington of Italy is consolidating his
conquest. He is showing a promptitude in organi-
zation equal to that which marked his military
achievements. He descended among a people whose
spirit was broken by long oppression, and whose
trust was worn by frequent treacheries. Tyranny
too horrible for human endurance had forced into
action the animal instinct of resistance, but the
Sicilians were resisting as wild beasts might resist.
They were desperate, but without purpose; they
were fierce, but they were timorous ; they were
unanimous, but they were not co-operative; they
could shout. end shoot, and harass, but they had no
idea of expelling an intrenched enemy or conquer-
ing their country. The presence of one man has
changed the whole scene. That powerful and well-
provided army has been broken in the field, driven
from the capital, forced to capitulate, and is leaving
the shores of Sicily defeated and disgraced. The
capital is placed in a state of defence, the island
has been divided into 24 districts, each having its
governor and its communes, and their municipal
bodies ; the established taxes are gathered into the
Treasury of the new Government, and the public
lands are appropriated to the maintenance and re-
ward of the soldiers who shall aid in achieving the
independence of the island. Already everything
has assumed the aspect of regular war. Garibaldi,
the Filibuster, Garibaldi whose head was promised
to the King of Naples, has now, even in the mouths
of Royal Generals, beccme " his Excellency
General Garibaldi," and royal ambassadors sue to
him for leave to quit the spot where they have done
all the iniquity and butchery they could, and had
nothing left to expect but a bloody retaliation.
How grand has been the contrast, during this short
conflict, between the conduct of the soldier of liberty
and the behaviour of the tyrant against whom he
uprose ! Garibaldi has made war like a Christian
gentleman. He has spoken and he has fought in
the old spirit of chivalry ; and, although the mate-
rial odds were so vastly against him, he seems to
have thought that his good cause enabled him to
give his enemy any advantage he might ask. Did
the King's mercenaries, when hard pressed, wish
for time to remove their wounded, Garibaldi granted
the truce as soon as it was asked, and would not
even see that they were themselves breaking it.
When his men were fired upon he returned not a
shot, and only in the Fast extremity did he interfere
to prevent the success of too dangerous a perfidy.
Such was the conduct of the man whom the King of
Naples did treat, and still would willingly treat, as
an outlaw and a robber. Let us view it in contrast
with that of the King, who was pouring shot and
shell from all his ships and all his forts upon a
densely-peopled city, not with any hope of conquest,
but in the mere wanton love of havoc ; satisfied to
slaughter crowds of men, women, and children if he
might chance in the melee to kill one armed insur-
gent. This scandalous carnage is for the moment
ended, but let us not fail to take advantage of the
pause to mark the fact that in this desperate con-
flict it is the insurgent people who have shown
themselves, under the conduct of their illustrious
leader, moderate and merciful as well as brave ; and
that it is the crowned tyrant who has been sangui-
nary, relentless, and treacherous.
If Garibaldi lives we may feel secure that, so far
as Naples is concerned, the emancipation of Sicily
is achieved. But now that all this has been done,
and has been so nobly done—what next ? Of course,
this King of torture chambers and prisons is as
mean under chastisement as he was insolent when
his victims lay helpless before him. Of course, he
is now a beggar to every European Court for the
loan of a little armed force. He would like a few
French Zouayes, some Tyrolese riflemen, perhaps
some English marines, to go and destroy for him
that insolent Sicilian army, and to set up again for
him that pleasant chamber of horrors where human
bodies, in writhing attitudes, hung crucified upon
the walls, and where rusty spikes and rotting rags
showed the spots from which others had dropped
—an undesired manifestation of the paternal sys-
tem which this King, degenerate even as a Bour-
bon, has so faithfully followed. M. de Martino is
going from Court to Court to petition for this little
favour; and while he is doing his office men's
minds are troubled lest diplomacy should undo all
that courage has done. Of course, there is now no
economy of soft phrases and vehement protesta-
tions. The son will in this moment, of prostra-
tion swear as glibly as the father swore twelve
years ago. Give him once more the power of the
sword, the power of the police, his chains, his
nails, and his walls, and he will promise Plato's
Republic or More's Utopia. Relics shall attest the
solemnity of his obligations, the blood of St.
Januarius shall flow to ratify the compact, and yet
there is no one man in all Europe who could have
a moment's doubt as to what would be the result.
If any Sovereign or statesman should listen to this
King's promises and should aid him, it would be
universally recognised that the intention of that
Sovereign or statesman could only be to deliver
over the Sicilians to pillage and a wide proscrip-
tion, and that he was an accomplice, and not a dupe.
Austria, wo are told, has peremptorily and posi-
tively refused to interfere. It is wise. She has
enough at home to answer for, although, happily
for humanity, nothing quite of this character. Lord
Palmerston states his belief that the determination
of France is similar to that of Austria. Let us
hope that this may be so. -Whatever may be the
object of the French Emperor in allowing this
ground to be cleared, it must be a gain to humanity
that it be cleared. The declaration, however, which
strikes most in harmony with the feelings of every
human-minded man throughout the world is that
made by Lord Palmerston last Tuesday night, that
the first most effectual and only necessary step to
remove the authors and instigators of revolution is
to remove the Sovereigns of such Governments as
those of Rome and Naples, who are themselves the
original authors and instigators of all revolutionary
movements.
This is the only solution of the difficulty.
Garibaldi has not yet done all his work. There
is nothing yet ripe for diplomacy. While an
unteachable and unforgetting Bourbon is on the
throne of Naples there is nothing with which
diplomacy can deal. Let him alone and he will
complete his work. "Expeditions to the Abruzzi
and Calabria are," says our correspondent, " every-
where being planned." If we should stay Gari-
baldi's hand at this stage, we should render useless
all he has already done. Sicily by herself is only