The Sun.
London, England, 1859-05-24 00:00:00

The battle of Montebello is the first move in a
war which it may take years to settle. Austria
has but little cause to rejoice in her tardy move-
ment. It is true that there were but a compara-
tively small number of troops engaged on either
side : about 15,000 Austrians, and, probably, an
equal number of French and Sardinians. The fight
was, however, a severe one—lasting some five or
six hours—and served to test the valour and
endurance of the troops engaged on both sides. If

"the first blow be half the battle," the Franco-
Sardinian army have ample cause to rejoice at a
victory which must inspirit their own men, while
it will depress their opponents, and deprive them
of the prestige which they had hoped to obtain.
The Austrians have been compelled to retreat
with the loss, as we are told by their opponents,
of two thousand men killed and wounded, while
that of the adversary was but a fourth of that
number. The former, however, announce that
their loss was probably about the same as the
French. Credal Judceus. They left two hundred
Prisoners in the hands of the victorious party, and
it is seldom that a retreating army escapes with so
little bloodshed as the triumphait one. Besides,
they have only given their statement on guess-
work. The word " probably" proves that they
had no certainty, or, indeed, reasonable grounds,
for forming an opinion. The statement was
merely to encourage their own men, who would
otherwise be depressed at the extent of their loss
so far exceeding that of the enemy.
The effect of the first conflict in Italy will be
very considerable. The disaffected States will no
longer be deterred from expressing their opinions
from the fear of Austrian interference. The German
Potentate will have quite enough to do to take care
of his own dominions. It is, therefore, more than
probable that Parma and Modena will follow the
example of Tuscany, and fraternise with those
whom they believe to be associated for the libera-
tion of Italy. Indeed, should it be otherwise, we
can scarcely believe, notwithstanding the official
note just published in the Moniteur, that their neu•
trality would be very strictly observed if any
strategetical "advantages were to be obtained by
its violation. It is clear that such would be
the case ; and if the Austrians have already
retreated from the Piedmontese territory, the
temptation of turning their flank would be too
great for any general who fancied that the mantle
of NAPOLEON I. had been transferred to his own
shoulders.

The death of King FERDINAND. of Naples may
also exercise considerable effect on Italian affairs.
Bad as he was it is more than suspected that
there will be but little improvement under their
new SOVEREIGN, and the opportunity of a change
of succession may be taken advantage of by the
malcontents, and their " name is legion." Indeed,
it could hardly be otherwise, considering the trials
and misery, the violated oaths and broken promises to
which they have been subjected for a series of years.
The French, too, are masters of the sea—so long, at
least, as England maintains her neutrality—and
can easily excite the Neapolitans to a revolution.
Indeed that could easily have been effected years
ago, when the outrageous insults of the deceased
Sovereign compelled the suspension of diplomatic
relations by France and England. It was only the
belief that Austria. would send her bayonets to the
rescue, in overwhelming force, that prevented a
patriotic rising at the time. But now that she has
quite enough to do on her own account, and
can no longer afford to render undue assistance to
maintain despotic systems, the day of retri-
bution may arrive sooner than has
been anticipated. Indeed, it may be looked
s
for •at any time ; and although Naples, like
Tuscany, is beyond the pale where the allies could
carry on the wax with advantage to themselves,

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THE SUN.
TUESDAY, MAY 24, 1859.