The Sun.
London, England, 1859-06-23 00:00:00

national cause ; they do what they are told, but,
with that distrust this class usually shows against

any innovation, they keep back not to co I promise
themselves too early, and to see which way things
are turning. Here, as everywhere else, the system
of Austria has been to favour the peas retry against

the towns and the great proprietors. Hitherto this
went only so far as to exact a far greater propor-
tion of taxes from those classes which were
known to be hostile to Austrian rule. It seems now
that, in the danger of a rising of the towns of Lom-
bardy, it was decided to excite, if possible, the jea-
lousy and rivalry of the different classes—a sys-
tem which had had signal success in Galicia in
1848. There are certain signs that a crusade has
been preached against the landlords. This is more
apparent in the plain, where the greatest number
of large properties exist ; but eventhere it can have
no effect, unless a Communistic turn is given to the
agitation. The position of landlord and peasant is
here simply that which exists in England between
landowner and farmer, and between the latter and
the labourer. The only difference is that the rent
is paid in kind, and not in money—so many
measures of wheat for each acre, so much silk
for each mulberry tree, and so on. There is no
trace of forced labour, or any other remains of the
feudal system. That the idea of becoming proprie-
tors instead of labourers may be made palatable
and find admirers among the peasantry there can
be no doubt, but in the meantime it is only in its
infancy, and as soon as the new Government is
established it will die of itself.

" Here at Bergamo the priestly element has its
headquarters in the upper town. Bergamo mainly '
lies on and at the foot of the last hills of the Alps,
between the valleys of the Brembo and the Serio.
The old town, surrounded by high walls, is built on
the hills, while the new town lies in the plain at the
foot of them. In everything there is a contrast be-
tween the two, one being the representative of pro-
gress, the other of standstill and decay. The whole
trade, which is considerable, has quitted the old
town, and has established itself in the more acces-
sible plain, while the clergy and the employes
occupy the old town. The former thus has all the
advantages, except in beauty of situation and vener-
able monuments. In this the old town will be
rarely surpassed. Standing on its bastions, which
have been converted into promenades, planted with
rows of acacias and horse-chestnuts, you can look
on one side almost into the heart of the Alps, while
on the other a large part of the Lombard plain lies
before you, with the dome of Milan Cathedral and
the town of Brescia in the distance. The last slopes
are dotted over with white country-houses among
clusters of woods, while in a semicircle before you
at least 30 villages are distinctly visible.
" The contrast between the old and new town is
just at present even more striking than usual, owing
to the animation which has been impressed on the
latter by recent events. Going from one to the
other is as if you came to another world. In the
upper town nothing but priests, a few bare shops,
numbers of venerable churches and other medieval
buildings ; a few national guards at the gates serve
alone to remind you that you are in the 19th century.
Down below, on the contrary, all is bustle and
animation ; numbers of Garibaldi's volunteers roam-
ing through the streets, officers coming and going,
every one on the look-out for what is passing, the
cafes and restaurants filled as well as the streets—
all frank joy and activity, as above hypocrisy,
silence, and lethargy.
"Oa Sunday last the King came to have a look
at his good town of Bergamo. He remained in the
lower town, where the bishop and his clergy paid
their visit : the town had presented its address
before, and even the clergy had to smile. The
municipality ordered thanksgivings, and the cathe-
dral is being decorated for the ceremony, which is
to take place to-morrow.
_ _

" BRESCIA, JUNE 16.

" From the heading of my letter you can perceive
that we are fast advancing towards the point
where the Austrians must stand at last. In the
meantime the allied armies are following almost
without firing a shot. Already on the Adda line it
was evident that the Austrians had given up resist-
ance for the present, and intended to take up their
position in or close before their famous quadrilatere,
They had, indeed, destroyed all the bridges on the
Adda, but put no difficulties in the way of others
being constricted. As I told you in my letter from
Bergamo, it is more than probable that Garibaldi's
appearance at the same time on the right flank of
the Austrian line contributed to hasten the back-
ward movement, but the plan for it had been de-
vised before, and the order given. The evacuation
of Bergamo must, however, have taken place before
it was expected, because letters sent there from the
Austrian head-quarters were intercepted, and from
these it appears that the plan of the Austrians was
to retire in all haste behind the Chiesa, the last
transverse river before the Mincio, and from thence
the order was to draw back step by step towards
the four sallyports of the quadrilatere, Pesehiera,
Valeggio, Goito, and Mantua.
" Hitherto this plan has been followed very nearly,
for, except a few skirmishes with Garibaldi's troops,
they nowhere waited for the approach of the Allies.
It was only yesterday that the last of these skir-
mishes took place, at Rezzato, a village a few miles
in advance of this town, on the road to Lonato
and Peschiera. Although small in its dimensions, it
was as usual hot, for the volunteers are brave as
lions and the officers daring. Yesterday two com-
panies, sent out as eclaireurs, fell in with a whole
battalion. Nothing daunted by this, a detachment
was sent off to some woods in the neighbourhood
which were situated on the flank of the Cassina,
which the rest hastened to occupy. The Austrians
came on, but were so well received both in front
and in flank that they soon turned. Animated by
this success, the volunteers rushed forward int.) the
village, and penetrated to the bridge which leads
over the canal. Arrived there, they fell into a re-
gular ambuscade ; they were received with a hail
of musketry, which came down upon them from all
sides, the spot near the bridge being the point of
union of several roads. They were checked by this
unexpected reception, but even more by the sight
of the large masses of Austrians to which the origi-
nal battalion had increased. Although only so few
in number, yet, encouraged by the words and
example of their officers, they kept their position
until two regiments under Garibaldi's own leader-
ship arrived. When the Austrians saw this rein-
forcement, they likewise brought up fresh troops
and two batteries of artillery. To these only a few
mountain guns could be opposed, which, of course,
could not hold their own against their larger-
mouthed opponents. The result was that the Aus-
trians could not be driven from their position. But
neither seemed they to have a wish to disturb
Garibaldi's troops in their position. The Division
Csisai dn
iani cof
i 1 army came up to the
a it arrived only when the
t e
of the*
Garibaldi,
but
fight was over. The commanding officer who led
the original two companies towards Rezzato re-
ceived three rifle bullets, but he is still alive. Col.
Turr, the Hungarian officer, who, as you will re-
member, was arrested in Wallachia, in 1856, by the
Austrians, and liberated by the British Govern-
ment, accompanied these two companies, and while
forming them to a new attack, was shot through
the arm, besides which about a hundred of the
Cacciatori were killed or wounded.

Were it not for the example of determina-
_ion and courage, which produces a great
effect here, one might almost regret such skir-
mishes, for a small brave troop is soon ex-
hausted. But it was by this daring against
most formidable odds that Garibaldi has so
successfully accomplished his mission, and thus one
step-in advance gives ten times as many volunteers
as are put hors de combat by the engagements pre-
ceding it. Thus, the town of Brescia alone has
given, out of a population of 40,000, 3,000 volun-
teers ; the whole town is swarming with them, and
they are just as eager as those who were first en-
listed—nay, more so, for the prestige with which
the adventurous expedition into Lombardy has en-
dowed Garibaldi's corps is a wonderful spur to all
young men in the towns: they leave silk and cotton,
trade and industry, to follow the tricolour banner.
he
you would like to know how we came from
the line of the Adda to that of the Melly and the
the Chien. The history is told in a few words. For