The Sun.
London, England, 1860-11-16 00:00:00

THE RETIREMENT OF GARIBALDI.

A letter from Naples, dated Nov. 9, says—Finis.
The day before yesterday King Victor Emmanuel
made his triumphal entry into Naples in the com-
pany of Garibaldi. Yesterday Garibaldi presented
to him the result of the plebiscite, and resigned the
Dictatorship. This morning at dawn Garibaldi
embarked, with his immediate Staff, on board the
Washington for the island of Caprera. Thus ends
one of the last and most remarkable phases of the
struggle for Italian union and independence, and
the man who has filled the world with his name for
the last six months returns to eat the potatoes
which he had sown before setting out to conquer
the kingdom of the Two Sicilies. Although it was
his own will that it should be so, and although he
parted on the most friendly terms with the King,
no one who has looked on from afar at the events
which raised the Italian hero to his exalted posi-
tion can help being impressed by such a solution.
Even if long decided upon, often discussed, and
plainly foreseen, the whole grandeur of such an
event can only be fully felt when it actually
occurs. No king or emperor wielded such un-
limited and almost superhuman power as Gari-
baldi had during the last half-year. It was the
power of love, gratitude, and devotion, the strongest
which man can wield over his fellow-creatures.
However the arts of politicians tried to destroy
this, it increased every day instead of diminishing,
and Garibaldi when he left was more the idol of
the people than when he came. Master of half of
Italy, he with one stroke of the pen surrendered
this mastery to make Victor Emmanuel King of
Italy.

The story of these latter days which preceded this

great and solemn moment is soon told. As you know,

after the distribution of medals to those who landed
at Marsala, all the troops of Garibaldi received
orders to concentrate themselves at Caserta, where
the King was to have held a review the next day.
The Piedmontese Brigade Aosta, which had landed
the same morning at Naples, relieved those who
held garrison in the capital, and these latter were
taken off by the railway on the same evening to
Caserta. The Medici Division was called away
from Capna and its neighbourhood. The Avezzana
Division, mostly Calabrese, were summoned from
the Maddaloni side, while the Turr and Bixio
Divisions were already at Caserta;
They were all consigned to their barracks, but
already early in the day the news came that the
King would not arrive that day (Monday). As the
next day had been fixed for his entry into Naples,
and Farini had informed Villamarina of the fact the
day before, all idea of a review seemed to be given
up. Late in the afternoon, however, another mes-
sage came by telegraph from Sessa, announcing the
King's arrival at Caserta for that night, and the re •
view for the next morning. The preparations were
made for his reception, but he did not arrive. On
Tuesday morning another message came, announc-
ing the King's arrival for 1 p.m., and all the troops
received orders to get under arms, and take up the
positions assigned to them. In front of the Palace
of Caserta extends a large semicircular lawn, flanked
towards the palace by two barracks, and for the rest
surrounded by a double row of fine trees. This
lawn is intersected by the mainroad from Caserta to
Naples, which, starting from the central palace gate,
crosses the railway, which is just at the outer edge of
the lawn, and then continues for several miles in a
straight broad line, bordered by a double row of
large trees. It was on both sides of this high
road that the army was drawn up in line of battle,
the Turr Division, as the first in number, leaning
with its right flank towards the palace, and to the
left of it the Medici Division. Facing the latter,
on the opposite side of the road, was the Bisio
Division, and to its left the Avezzana Division,
and then the British Volunteers, whose left
touched the railway line. On the same side further
on, on the green before the palace, were two
squadrons of Sicilian cavalry, the Guides of the
different divisions, the Hungarian Hussars, and,
lastly, the artillery, with its left flank towards the
palace.
The Cosenz Division, the La Maza Brigade, and
different other smaller corps, were as yet at Santa
Maria, Capua, and their vicinity, making in all at
least 6,000 or 7,000 men, and yet the force collected
at Caserta presented a goodly army. It extended
from the palace in a double line of battle for more
than a mile and a half, and its total force amounted
to nearly 15,000 men. Even those who are enemies
of such shows, and would have preferred a quiet
cigar to waiting in the raw autumnal day for seve-
ral hours, could not help feeling a sentiment of
satisfaction. It was not a regular army, if you
like, and a fastidious person would probably have
been shocked at the deficiencies in military tour-
nure, in dress and accoutrements, although the gray
Piedmontese coyote gave a certain uniformity to
the whole ; but he who could elevate himself above
forms which, however useful, are not the essential
part in a soldier of 1860, could discern in this army,
of volunteers elements such as few other armies got
together by conscription can boast of. There was
great shortcoming in form, but a great deal of life
and spirit, which in the end carry the day. It
would have been a certain satisfaction to produce
this goodly array, if only to convince scoffers that
there was a South Italian army. However, there
was no occasion for it. The sight of the Piedmon-
tese regiment of Savoy cavalry, which came from
Santa Maria, seemed to indicate the King's ap-
proach ; but an hour and a half afterwards the news
came that the King was not coming, but that Gari-
baldi would review them.
There was no necessity for announcing his ap-
proach, for he was heralded by a volley of cheers,
which communicated itself quickly to the end
of the line. The soldiers stuck their caps on
their bayonets, and for about a quarter
of an hour, as Garibaldi rode down the
lines and back, this thunder of human throats
never ceased. More than one thought of the
farewell of Fontainebleau, but no one doubted
that there was in that man the promise of a more
glorious return, at which few of the South Italian
army will fail.

After the review the troops marched past, which
was a rather lengthy affair, and was scarcely ended
when a heavy shower of rain came down. It was,
as you may imagine, with very moderate pleasure
that the order was heard which announced the long-
promised review for the next morning, and ordered
the troops to be in position at 6 a.m.
The Pouring rain continued, and would have been
a serious drawback to the review next morning.
Fortunately, about midnight a telegram arrived,
announcing that the King would start from Sessa
at 6 a.m., and that he expected Garibaldi and Gen.
Turr at Capaa, from which place he would go direct
to Naples.
When Garibaldi
arrived at Capita next morning
the King was alreadywhobrought out
and joking with some
young ladies
out bouquets to greet
his arrival. The
raeetints7afars very cordial, and soon
after the King, with his
by road to Santa Maria, wheirtGisued his journey
Garibaldi and his
suite went by the railway whiehh
_ ashoen prepared.
At Santa Maria the King, two
fhis chief aides-
de-camp, Garibaldi, Turr, and cose,z
got into the
Roy al waggon, and arrived about 9
a-ro, at the
railway station at Naples.
As for the reception in the capital, I refer you to
the letter of your own corrPspondent, adding
only
the general impression that it was a failure,'
and that parallels were drawn between Garibaldi's
entrance, when several thousand Neapolitan sol-
diers still held all the fortresses in the town, and
that of the day before yesterday. But it must be
recollected that on Wednesday the rain was pouring
down the whole day almost without intermission,
and that the King made his entry an hour before
it had been announced, two circumstances which
suffice to explain any shortcomings, excepting those
of the municipality. 100,000 piastres had been voted
for the festivals, and for the last three weeks you
saw every day new scaffoldings arise, the skeletons
of transparencies and triumphal arches, columns,
and statues. In spite of this lengthy preparation,
none of these official intentions were half ready.
There were bare scaffoldings where the triumphal
arches were to have been, transparencies left lying
in
the mud, half-finished statues—in one word, a
state of unreadiness which characterises the acts of
the municipality.
Garibaldi had the opportunity of talking to the 6