The Sun.
London, England, 1866-10-25 00:00:00

VENETIA.

(From the Times' Military Correspondent.)
VENICE, Oct. 18.
The aspect of Venice has materially changed
within the last few days. When the Generals of the

commission set forth on their errand of freedom ten

days ago the dead bones had already begun to stir
but languidly, and with all the signs of their long
sleep still conspicuously upon them. Preparations
were being made bit by bitin a hesitating manner it
is true, and convulsive efforts, in the shape of thea-
trical meetings and petard throwing, showed that life
was entering in gradually ; but the general appear-
ance was one of hope in the future rather than rea-
lisation of the present, the frequenters of the cafes
were listless, and a few journals only entered on
sufferance. To-day there is real energy abroad, the
soldiers are departing fast, and the irregular step of
the citizen guard is heard more frequently than the
measured tramp of the sentinel. The arcades of the
Quadri, where Austrian officers sat in the evening
discussing gloomily their coffee and cigars are now
closed against them, and the crowds sweep over the

marble pavement where the tables for the ledeschi
formerly stood. The decorous gravity of the aristo-

cratic few is interrupted by a host of pushing people

from all quarters of the civilised world who have
come tosee Venice unchained, and it will be long be-

fore sherecovers her quietness or returns to her nor-
mal condition as a city of the past. The American

and the Londoner are not here to study art, nor to

dream away hours among the architecture of the
Gothic and Renaissance palaces, but to watch the

fetters fall off and enjoy the excitement of the fetes.
Even the air has becoming bracing, and the oily si-

rocco has given place to the biting north-eastern.

Then the cries in the streets have increased in

number and significance. It was a great thing

formerly to hear even the monotonous "11 Cor-

riere della Venezia" with long accent on the
" B," but now Milanese and Florentine papers
are to be got, and you can have Garibaldi's head

for a soldo. The workmen are pushing on
with all their might, flag staves rise as if by magic,
and seem to paint themselves ; the very face of

Venice is being changed, for the months of the canals
outwards towards the sea are being bridged over for
the troops to pass without that up and down move-

ment over the bridges which would break their march
and spoil the general effect.
As for the outsides of the houses, they have
undergone such a cleaning and whitewashing, alas 1

in many instances, as almost modernises them. But

their interiors! Who can describe the sweltering

masses of rags and rottenness that have been poured
forth into the canals from some of them lately,
creating a smell between decaying flesh and dis-
turbed old dustheaps ? No wonder that there were
six new cases of cholera yesterday, in spite of the
happy change in the weather. Nobody is troubled
about cholera now. What is a little disease when
Venice is renewing her youth?

Ina jubilant article of last evening the Gazette
of Venice, no longer " official," sounds a flourish
of trumpets for the acquisition of the Quadrilateral,

but in its rejoicings for what has been done does

not forget what yet remains to be accomplished.
One spot still remains under foreign protection, and

until Rome is free and united to Italy the crown of

the arch is wanting. There is no question about the
immediate fruition of their hopes in Italian minds ;

their only speculations now being concerning the

future dwelling-place of the Holy Father. In the

meantime the press stretches its limbs a little by

lecturing the municipality for not moving fast enough,

and being too civil to the stranger, that terrible
stranger who has been so long to them a burden
more than they could bear.
The course to be followed to-morrow is already
announced—flags to be hoisted at about 9 a.m., the
troops to enter in three columns, about 12 noon,
preceded by civic bands. It is the people who have
called them, the people who will welcome them, the
people who will do them honour. To-day a depu-
tation from the Municipal Council received horn the
hands of the Countess Comallo an embroidered na-
tional flag prepared for them in 1839, and long lying
furled till the hour of their deliverance should strike.

She has a right to their thanks and honour, for she
has suffered for her political opinions.
From articles in English papers there appears to
be some misapprehension about the material of war
actually remaining to be handed to the Italian Go-
vernment. The rule accepted by both parties was
exactly that which prevails in England when a
change takes place in the tenants of a hods's. All
that has been built or set up so that its removal
would become injurious becomes the property of the
landlord, who in this case is represented by the
municipality, and continues in its place for the use
of the next tenant; all the furniture, such as guns,
ammunition, tables, beds, gas-burneri, &c., are
are either to be removed or paid for by the Italians.
The systems of rifled ordnance, heavy and light,
differ in the two countries ; the Austrians using
Wahrendorf heavy guns, La Hitte bronze medium,
and bronze light on a plan adapted with some modi-
fications from Lenk's invention, intended to be used
with gun-cotton. These are all to be taken away
with their ammunition complete, for the Italians,
who have adopted the French system of rilling,with
their own peculiar size of grooves, and twist in the
reverse direction to that of the Austrian La Ilittes,
could not make use of the guns or projectiles with-
out creating great complication in their arrange-
ments, and adding to their manufacturing establish-
ments. But smoothbore ammunition only requires
a few new sizes of moulds for casting shot and
shell, and, perhaps, an inexpensive adaptation of
fuze-holes to fuzes. Austria is glad to leave these
guns, as they would cost much to carry away, and
Italy gains a large quantity of valuable material at
a price far cheaper than would be the cost of manu-
facturing them. So the rifled guns and their stores
go northwards, and the Italians retain most of the
smoothbores. All is not quite plain sailing, how-
ever, in spite of the apparent simplicity of this ar-
rangement. The Italian commissioners have shown,
let us say, a careful economy, and numerous ques-
tions have arisen requiring that reference should be
made to Vienna and Florence. For instance, there
were a large quantity of shells which Italy did not
want, but which she might make use of. If sent to
Vienna great delay in the departure of the last Aus-
trian detachments would be the consequence, so it
was arranged that Italy should take them at one-
third of their value, but when the commission came
to examine them, it appeared they were loaded and
their fuzes fixed. Austrian and Italian fuzes differ ;
and the artillery must either remove them from the
shells, a dangerous operation, or learn a new sys-
tem in addition to their own ; so the commissioners
refused to take them. Upon this General Morin;;
paid, " Name your own price, be it even that of old
iron, rather than oblige us to continue the irritating
presence of our men to ship them off ; you can throiv
them into water till fuzes are rendered unexplosive,
and the
, Powder destroyed, and after that clean and
use tnetto
or not is whether this proposition is to be accepted
yet uncertain, but in the meantime delays
are created and volumss of papers exchanged.

It is done I itai • Oct. 19.
the Adriatic. 5' is free at last from the Alps to
At half_
generals and civil mieraPant seven this morning the
they separated, it was 0114)f Venice met, and when
military
commandant
and
thee ast battalion on their
side to send forth the
way to Trieste, and on the other
their bells,
s that once bore
hoist the flag of Italy from the °
ts uta ring
up the triple gonfalons of VeniT Cyprus Scarcely
and the
Morea, and proclaim " Venezia ibe
bad the vessel in which General Alemaa.nu and his
staff embarked left the harbour, when the
Italian
war ships began to come in. It was in vain itabe
municipality had elaborated a scheme which was
to give an artistical appearance of unanimity to the
decoration of the streets, in vain had-they named 9
o'clock as the hour to watch for the sound of bells
from the tower of St. Mark's. The people wanted
no leaders in the matter. Enough for them that lo
straniero was gone, their first act of liberty was exer-
cised without hesitation, and the city blossomed like
a rose. Innate gentleness, called forth by the wise
advice of their magistrates, kept them quiet, for the
most part, till the Austrians were well out of sight,
but soon there broke out here and there gradually
trial shouts of joy, swelling and gathering force
from minute to minute, till at the sound of the first

hammer stroke on the swinging metal high up in the
air above the Great Piazza, the whole city gave one
exulting roar, and strong men embraced with tears
like children. One by one the Italian vessels swept
in—the Garibaldi first, then the Fulminante, Con-
fienza, Vinzaglio, Sirena, and last, the ironclad Va-

rese. Then the people of Venice heard the ships salute

—their own ships—with those bronzed Venetian
sailors on board who had long been exiles from their
homes. Even yet they seemed half to doubt, and the
gusts of joyful noise were fitful, for they could not
touch the sailors, and the Austrian flag still floated
from gunboats in their port. Gondoliers silently
pushed their gliding boats about the lagoon, the one
magical word " si" displayed conspicuously in their
caps, and the crowd began to gravitate towards the
railway station, where the troops were to enter at
noon. The municipality looked nervous lest their
fete should go wrong. They need have had no fear,

for the heart of Venice was moved, and only wanted
expression. Along the Grand Canal the people were
assembling in knots on the bridges, and gathering
crowds on the quays, still without noise, except
where, here and there, one bolder or more used to
agitation than the rest, lifted a cry of " Viva Gari-
baldi !" or " Viva 'ltalia!" which always found
ready response. The grand old palaces seemed
unaccustomed to the bright flags and rich dra-
peries that drooped from their balconies, or
floated, sunlit, against the bright blue sky. Rich
silks, Gobelin tapestries, everything that was beau-
tiful or costly, was displayed on the massive fronts,
and men and women adorned themselves with colour
and ornaments, for all, rich and poor, wished to give
of their best to honour the arriving soldiers. The
Rialto was well decorated by the crowd which covered
it. Twelve o'clock passed, and all along the line
there was expectation ; still they did not come. Is
anything wrong ? Backwards and forwards uneasily
shot the municipal gondolas ; a Garibaldian or offi-
cer of the commission was carried by, and elicited a
few dropping cheers ; but yet they delayed too long,
and the tapestries and banners were displayed for
them in vain. At last, after long waiting along the
canal, the sound of music began to be heard in the
distance, and advanced boats came up to see that
the way was clear. Then slowly, but steadily, a
long dark column appeared winding through the
turns of the waters that hung immovable about the
marble steps, for the tide was at full. Two barges
came first, towed by gondolas and carrying the civil
authorial& of Venice, with the National Guard and
their band. After them came the soldiers, and were
greeted with subdued warmth not with full enthu-
siasm as yet ; the people seemed awe-stricken ; there
was so much daylight and the Austrians were not
yet very far off. On one of the small bridges that
cross the rii, just as they open on the Grand Canal,
there was a woman with a lovely, sad sweet face
like the Madonna di San Sisto, but she never once
spoke nor clapped her hands, only gazing intensely
at the troops as they passed.
Though the cheering was not great nor the excite-
ment such as to justify the Italian writers in calling
it, as they surely will to-morrow, a " veritable de-
lirium," there was a heartfelt and deep contentment
well understood by the army ; and, while the people
cried "Viva ''ltalia !" " Viva larmata Italiana 1"
the troops responded " Viva la Venezia 1" One of
their bands played a well-known Venetian air,
" Venezia, mia bella, non ti voglia lasciar."
Slowly, and therefore the more impressively, the
black barges moved on with their light-hearted
occupants, who, uncrowded, stood in easy attitudes
or reclined in all the luxury of conquerors on a
triumphal march. It is not in mortals to command
success, and Austriau officers who met them on the
field have told me that their valour deserved it. At
any rate, Venice was right pleased with them, and
they with their reception in Venice. Other troops
marched over bridges, along the rive and through
the calli and campi that stand for streets and squares,
not without welcome, but the procession up the
Grand Canal was the chief and most impressive,
and the line of dark boats, heavy with their military
burden, could not be matched by any other display
of the pomp of war. - At the Palazzo Corner, the
future residence of the Re Galantuomo, a force of
the National Guard were drawn up and presented
arms; the soldiers acknowledged the compliment as
they were drawn forwards towards their destination.
It was nearly 3 o'clock before they reached the
I'iazzetta, and the flag of Italy and Victor Em-
manuel was planted at last on the marble pavement
of Venice, at the foot of the Lion of St. Bark's.
By this time the spell that seemed tc hang over the
people was dissolved, and when the little army was
drawn up in the Piazza and began to march past,
everyone's tongue was loosed, and they spoke plainly.
A guard of honour had welcomed them clad in civil
clothes, with nothing to mark their military charac-
ter but a cap faced with red. These were some of
the municipal guard who had been in possession of
the town all morning, having relieved the Grentzers
from guard at 4 a.m., and immediately caused the
iron railings to be taken away, which had always
fenced in the guard-room.
As usual in all the late military pageants, the most
striking part of the ceremony was the appropriation
of the soldiers by the civilians, and the thorough
acquiescence of the former. To-day there was
officers to march past and a point to salute, but all
ceremony was swept away, the crowd gave them
greetings from all sides, and the troops bowed and
nodded right and left, officers saluting again and
again the people of Venice. The Bersaglieri were
as usual the great attraction, men and women broke
the self-made rants and ran beside the merry little
soldiers, who could not be said to be marching in
any ordinary sense of the word, for their half run
was made with waving ranks, and their wheel was
often simply running round a corner. They looked,
however, what they are, first-rate light troops, and
trchahpeeiierdriiitnnygtelligent heads turned right and left with the
awnadasnoonlivethhelialrgtyofatnd the artetciktuleds.
esof birds. The
When the troops marched home to barracks there
was leisure to see that the gondolier world was worth
looking at. For love of rich colour you must go to
the African or Asiatic races or to Venice, whose
people adopted it with their oldest form of archi-
tecture from Byzantium, and revel in it still as an
intense enjoyment. There white jackets and trou-
sers all embroidered with red cord, brown velvet
with red embroidery and green breeches, blue and
silver, rich orange jackets over whiter,eal,l
wwiitthhbmraonad
sashes of bright hues, commonly d
another contrast or harmony. In spite of all they
world being abroad there were not wanting unem-
ployed gondoliers, and it appears as if the charm of
the profession led to its being overstocked.
The day was perfect in its weather ; a sunny sky
and cool breeze made a combination of brightness
and freshness that was delightful, and when the
sun was on the horizon, looking to the left from
Danielis the city was bathed in a flood of rich orange
glow ; to the right the palaces of the Grand Canal
and the Church of Santa Maria della Salute rose
uncertain in outline amid a golden glory. But no one
knows Venice till they have seen her illuminated at
night. Whethersmall jets of flame are led round
the lines of her Gothic architecture transforming
solid strength into fairy fragility, or the lights be so
arranged as to bring out the sheen of the marble
shafts and the grace of the pointed arches against
the depth of the sky and the blackness of the pene-
trations, the effect is to bring back the youth of the
building before decay and fire had marred its beauty.
The Piazza of St. Mark was brilliantly lighted, and
as the great mass of the Imperial Palace shut out
the square from the side towards the Lido, on ap-
proaching the Piazetta in a gondola, or wherever
the view occurs, the Church of St. Mark glitters
like a casket of jewels, and the tower that watches
ovicynal eaurtslhsti
classes
n
t saofft e losingr
people
above.o
othel, strength of the light as this has to
climb higher, seems to lose its top in the dark blue
The square, which was large enough for a review
was now filled with all ranks and
i Yingd—Yes'
carried twoe ereally enjoying the
music of the national bands,
There were men almost
in rags, women who
their
skirts, childrenof Binersthaegir_
arms and had others clinging: to
Gari-
baldians with arms thrown
over the neck
headp girls
ornament
essant
lieri, countesses with their grace, and
with their soft brown eyes, and for
a crown of their black hair; high and low, rich and
poor, met in that crowd with almost equal courtesy
and kind feeling; they have been one in their long

burning desires, and they are one now in the
fruition of their hopes. There was little noise, much
placid contentment, a clear intention to spend this
one night in quiet satisfaction, whatever may be in
store for the morrow, and not to allow any dis-
turbance to interrupt the smooth current of their
tranquil happiness. This one sight must be satis-
faction enough for the years of danger and dark
plotting anxieties, wherein so many Venetians
have passed their best days, and even for the death
of the friends who have been lost in achieving the
freedom that now is theirs to use as they will.
Then the strange solemn gliding up the Grand
Canal, through one glittering and softly yielding
field of light, almost deserted, against which the
Rialto drew a sharp black outline above and cast
dark uncertain shadows below. The soldiers, in
one of the palaces consigned to them as barracks
for the present, were singing a Neapolitan chorus
sweetly, but not with such wild plaintiveness as the
Croats and Hungarians, who have gone home now ;
and suddenly a single strong voice rang out from a
balcony near, with a cry as startling as that from
the minaret at night, calling upon us to make this
prayer, " Viva Roma it Capitale dell' Italia !"
Emerging from the open mouth of the Grand
Canal our gondola came across a party of singers,
whose music, sweet by nature and their art, was
rendered doubly so by coming to us over the water,
and further on again, " La Compagnia di Veneziani
Pittori e Gondolieri," larger in number than the
firet band of musicians, were pouring forth sounds
of superior richness. " 0 Venezia," sang they in
one sweet refrain,
"Peace has been won by Italia for thee,"

Between one of their bursts of wild, yet soft har-
mony, the Italian bugle note sounded sharp and
clear from San Georgia opposite across the water, to
remind us that Venice will really sleep to-night
under the protection of some of her own sons. The
stranger has been driven out from her streets by
perseverance and enlisting on her side the combined
opinion of Europe ; her citizens would endure no
ruffianly shouting to-night to interrupt the music
which they wished to enjoy, they have nothing more
to fear, and surely they have power enough to
protect the persons of the few Austrian officers
from insult, and not again call upon a gentleman
and a soldier, as they did to-day, to leave his sword
at home lest his life should be in danger.