The Sun.
London, England, 1860-09-25 00:00:00

GARIBALDI'S WAR IN SOUTTI ITALY.

A letter from the advancei posts of Santa Maria,
dated Sept. 18, says—Our advanced posts wrre
pushed on here on the night of the 15th without
opposition, the three battalions of infantry and
handful of cavalry which occupied this position
falling back rapidly on the main body at Capua ;
and our advanced skirmishers now line the left
bank of the Volturno, which passes to the south-
west of that town, an immediate attack on which is
precluded from our want of heavy artillery.
Two or three batteries are, however, preparing
in Naples; and ere long, unless the troops of
the Bourbon should surrender on hearing of
the annihilation of Lamoriciere and his merce-
naries, we shall no doubt be able to give a good.
account of them. So great is their dread of our
men that nearly the whole night they keep up
a spasmodic fire of artillery, evidently the result
of numerous false alarms of our advance; and
one might almost imagine that we were in the
vicinity of a Chinese instead of an European army.
Our men are in capital condition, and number be-
tween 17,000 and 18,000, more than enough for
the work before them, as in Capna there are only
15,000 ; but the enemy are supported by a very
heavy and formidable artillery ; the remainder of
their force, 15,000, are in the vicinity of or form
a part of the garrison of Gaeta. Of the 40,000
Calabrians brought up by Stucco, 20,000 are in and
about Naples, and 'about to be added to our diffe-
rent divisions, which, including the half of Medici's
division left at Messina, will bring the number of
Garibaldi's regulars up to but little short of 50,000
men ; the remaining 20,000 are at Salerno being
organised in battalions by Colonel Corte. So that
within a few weeks Garibaldi will be at the head of
some 70,000 regulars, to say nothing of the Nea-
politans who are flocking in, and who areto form
a separate corps. _

These forces are not one whit too many to en-
counter the vast difficulties which are encircling
Italy at the present moment—menaced, as she un-
doubtedly is, by anarchy within, and by her old
enemy, Austria, from without. Now, from these
dangers there appears but one deliverance, namely,
immediate and universal annexation, and leaving
the French in the possession of Rome and Civita
Vecchia, that the entire country may rally round
Victor Emmanuel in a death struggle for exist-
ence. Whether the rumour which has reached us
of the Austrians having already advanced into
Central Italy be true or not, a struggle with that
empire cannot long be delayed ; and with the entire
population at his back, and supported by Gari-
baldi's advance from the South, and by the recent
additions to his navy, Victor Emmanuel might find
himself able to cope with the over-rated power of
Austria. She would soon be menaced in the rear,
in Venetia and on the shores of Dalmatia and the
advance of her legions considerably imperilled.
Hungary also is not likely to remain tranquil,
and Europe can hardly afford to let Germany come
to the support of the far-famed Quadrilateral.
The causes which have driven Cavour thus sud-
denly to brave the active hostility of Austria and
to throw off the intolerable fetters which French
diplomacy was fast rivetting upon Italy may be
thus briefly stated. That consummate statesman
found that Garibaldi's ever increasing power was
fast becoming uncontrollable, and that however
loyal that paladin of Italy might be, red-repub-
licanism, headed by Mazzini, was threatening to
get the mastery of the revolution, and thus
bring the national struggle into disrepute, and
perhaps even subvert his own Government and.
pave the way. for the renewal of such scenes as
those which in 1848 agitated every capital in.
Europe. Two courses were therefore open to the
Piedmontese Cabinet—either at once to grapple
with existing difficulties whilst they could yet hope
to master the position, or wait until they should be
overtaken by events, when they would be alike im-
potent to lead or to control the course which the re-
volution might seek to pursue. It was far wiser
therefore to brave every danger, and by at once
heading the national movement resume a power
which was rapidly slipping from their grasp. By
stifling anarchy in its birth, by accepting every inch
of ground open for annexation, and by boldly
sharing in the common perils of the country, the
King would assert his right to lead the councils of
Italy, and reap his reward in the gratitude of
2G,000,000 of his countrymen—for, whatever may
be the result of this bold decision, Victor Emmanuel
will have asserted his right to rule over a constitu-
tional Italy, and Cavour, of late the best abused
man in Italy, may consolidate the fabric upon
which his consummate skill and craft have formed
the basis, whilst the surrender of Savoy and Nice,
if not forgiven, may be generously forgotten.
The return of Garibaldi this day from Palermo
where deplorable differences between the Cavourian
and republican parties had led to the resignation
of Depretis, after having restored order and left
Mordini as pro-dictator, evidently to be succeeded
' is also a guarantee that events
hbyere Aurelio
much behind the energetic move-
wilt not
tahffie
move-
ment of Fanti and Cialdini in the Marches and
Umbria; and that bigoted mercenary Lamoriciere
being destroyed, a further effusion of
abnlododhims
levies
terms of the capitulation of the force before us are
already a matter of discussion, and I have every
e spared in this portion of Italy. The
reason to believe will be completed on the arrival
of Garibaldi, when it is to be hoped the fatuous
Vollll.* monarch will take his departure, and
enable the general to consolidate the government
of the country, and prepare for the spring, or, if
needful, at once to attempt a diversion on the shores
of the Adriatic.

P.S.—M. B tenier and the French legation are
going to depart from Naples on 'Thursday, leaving
a secretary in charge of the archives.

Newcast
THE FRENCH TREATY. Information reached
convention for fixing the new duties on the French tariff,
Tyne yesterday that the first supplemental
embracing articles of iron and all other metals, is com-
pleted, and was expected to be signed on Saturday. The
negotiators are now fixing the rates of duty on linens. This
week cotton goods will be finally settled, Such is the infer-
=tic% to hand at Newcastle.