The Sun.
London, England, 1860-12-31 00:00:00

MAZZIFI ON THE ITALIAN QUESTION.

The following letter has been received by Mr.
W. Sharman, the secretary to the Sheffield Gari-
baldi Fund:—
DEAR received, on my coming back from
the country, your very kind note of invitation to
the working men's soiree. I cannot, unfortunately,
comply with your wishes and mine and be with
you on that evening; but I feel thankful for the
sympathising thought, and have joy at your having
given me an opportunity of expressing, in the
name of my countrymen, too, how grateful we are
for all that has been nobly done in your country to
promote and help the success of our national cause.
We know that you have bee' really working for
an idea—for the triumph of the great principle
which may ultimately reign over Europe--,, Nations
belong to the people, not to dynasties, Emperors, or
Popes,"

Why should you meanwhile bring to a close your
efforts ? Was not their aim the triumph of that
principle throughout all Italy ? Was not your help
for those who are fighting the battle of Italian unity
and absolute independence? The aim is not yet
reached—the battle is only half won. Ours is a
mere truce. A day is yet for the purpose of bury-
ing our dead and considering the dangers that we
must still front. Next year we shall have the
Venetian and Roman questions to settle. Will you
not be with us, help us as far as your power goes ?
Stand up in avowed sympathy for Rome and Venice
as you did for Palermo and Naples. Combating in
your own way, as we in ours, not for a mere fact,
but for a principle. Do not dissolve. Keep up
your committee, your associations, your subscrip-
tion list. Much has been done, the most remains.
Rome, in our hands, is the inviolability of the soul
and liberty of conscience enthroned everywhere
over the whole world, and our war for Venetia will
be a grand one for others ; it will be the rising of
Hungary, and of all the other nationalities denied
for centr,ries by that artificial thing which they
call tke Austrian Empire, and which, to all who
look, beyond a dead parchment arbitrary science,
the true source of a perennial font of inquietude
and war in Europe.
You can help us through this double unavoidable
forthcoming struggle in the same way you helped
us through the first. But the main point on which
your Italian agitation ought now to bear is the
correct, honest understanding of the non-interfer-
ence principle, which has been often declared to he
the basis of your external policy, and which has
been approved of in words by the French Govern-
ment. We want nothing more, but nothing less.
Is the non-interference doctrine amounting to
this—" We shall never go for good-doing, anybody
may for evil-doing?" Is it a godless, heartless
theory of self-abdicating indifference to mankind,
the outward life of England and everything that
moves, lives, suffers, struggles out of your imme-
diate vicinity ? Is the task of a free, great nation
like yours throughout the world the task of a mere
powerless on-looker on right and wrong ? Or is it
e great high principle, which, spoken by a power-
ful nation of believers in one God, and in one law,
must be recognised by all, and shield a people
which chooses to manifest its life, wants, duties,
rights, and tendencies against the undue, unruly,
oppressive interference of armed foreigners ? That
is the question which we want you to solve in your
practical way for the good of mankind and the
honour of your own country.
I do not speak of Austrian interference in our
Venetian lands. It is a long standing affair,
grounded on treaties, assented to by all Europe,
and the solution must belong exclusively to our-
selves. But the interference of Louis Napoleon in
Rome, supporting the political tyranny of a Pope,
when all provinces desert one by one as soon as
favourable circumstances allow, and denying all
possibility of Italian unity, has not been assented
to—only tolerated, whilst we ourselves did not
loudly protest against it, and there was no affirma-
tion of our national right in Italy. lt is not grounded
on treaties; it is an open violation of them. It took
place, as the 2d of December, by surprise. It claimed
to be tolerated, merely on the ground that it would.
last only a very short time, and would not deprive
the Roman people of their rights. It has deprived
them of all rights, and it lasts since 11 years. It
is, in fact, a disguised conquest, and furnishes Im-
perial France with a base of operation for long
nursed usurping schemes on the South, now made
more visible by the new interference at Gaeta.,
And this in open defiance to both Italy and
Europe. All Italy points to Rome as to its natural
metropolis, and large French reinforconents are
immediately despatched there. The ink
it
Lord John Russell wrote his last excellent
th which
Lord
i
to Europe about non-interference is scarcely dried
when the zone of French occupation is widely
h
erencech
re
enlarged, and stretches from Rome to yieerbo, and
to the Neapolitan frontier.
Is there no possibility for you to help us against
an obstable which might be, through a universal
imposing expression of European opinion, peace-
fully removed, and which bids us, if that do not
take plaee
,try and fight both Austria and France
out of Our own land
at no distant period ? Might
be done to our cause h.y a non-
not immense good
interference agitation giotion being raised up in England,
aiming at makingit a practical boon to .ourselves
and others, and teaching both your Gol7ernment
and Europe, that an individual may lecture and
offer advice,
but that a great nation we Lrns and
leade•
p Might you not suggest to your countrymen
that for the sake of avoiding injustice end war,
,
they ought to open negotiations with Frail me about
the necessity of adhering to promises, and leaving
Italy to the Italians ?
As for the calumnies systematically ht aped on
me—don't mind them ; I don't. I remem .ber the
time, not far distant, in which your aristocratic,
or money .worshipping papers, were treat ing me
as a madly Utopian demagogue, becaus(! I was
pleading for Italian unity. The verdict', of the
whole Italian population has now prow !d that I
was right. It is a compensation worth an: r amount
of useless unprofitable praise, when the cordial
thanks of good, true, unprejudiced worki 'rig men,
such as yourselves, come to me. It is to it e worth
the language, favourable or not, of edit :( )rs net
knowing me, nor seeking for informatic c, a about
me, but blindly receiving importations from; power-
seeking men of Turin or Paris.
Ever yours, very gratefully,
London, Dee. 25, 1860. JOSBPII KAU rtiL