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

deeper and cooler heads, and from these I make out
that this sublime moment is not altogether free
from anxiety. Unless aided by defection among
the Hungarian and other Austrian soldiery, or by
disorganisation in the Austrian empire itself, there
is no doubt that the struggle for which the French
are now making ready is of such magnitude as may
well baffle all calculation, grounded on mere his-
torical precedents. The people here think the
mere tidings of the 'first battle' will make every-
thing smooth ; but it is very difficult to ascertain
when there will be—and, indeed, whether there
ever will be a battle. Unless the Austrians have
a harum-scarum leader at their head, 'they will, I
think, do all in their power to avoid an engage-
ment, and the Franco- Sardinians will no sooner
have crossed the Ticino than they will find them-
selves reduced to that slow, tedious, spirit-quelling
siege-work which is precisely the least suited to
their impetuous and mercurial temperament.
" I have no pretension to strategical knowledge,
but I anticipate no very brilliant deeds for the
forthcoming campaign. If the 2,000 or 3,000
French who are now gathering about Alessandria
are to eat their own hearts in the weary siege of
seven all but impregnable fortresses, I very much
doubt whether they will not look for some other
solid reward and emolument in a soil in which so
ittle glory is to be reaped. The present expecta-
ltion is that a three months' strife is to decide
the fate of Italy, and for my part I should be loth
to put French patience and generosity to a longer
test. Should, on the other hand, Napoleon 111.,
dreading the unwholesomeness of that weary siege-
work, venture on a bold dash across the Alps and
an attempt to dictate his own terms at Vienna,
then we should have that general European war
the final settlement of which would be put beyond
control of the parties at present engaged.
" Hence, I believe, there are some, though few
thinking Italians who would not be sorry to see
the present lull in the belligerents' movements
taken advantage of by neutral Powers to bring
Austria to terms. Such terms should, of course,
begin and end with her renunciation of her sove-
reign rights over all Italy ; for her abrupt declara-
tion of war, the slackness of her military opera-
tions, and her brutal treatment of the invaded
country, have damaged her in the estimation of
her stanchest friends, and her retreat, as every one
repeats, is more than equal to a lost campaign.
Now, it is thought, it were the time for England,
Prussia, and Russia to apply the screw to Austria ;
the last fortnight has done more towards rendering
her impossible' in Italy than 10 or 20 years of her
worst previous misrule. She must now be fain to
give in, and if the mediating Powers could obtain
so much from her as an avowal of this necessity,
they might see that Italy alone, and not France,
should profit by the change, and they might find
the means of gilding the pill which the vanquished
must needs swallow. Very vague, and, perhaps,
very vain rumours are circulating here to-day
about some such diplomatic negotiation being now
pending. I know Cavour is absent from Turin on
some mysterious errand, and it will require no
great stretch of imagination to guess that he is
now at head-quarters discussing with the Emperor
the chancey of peace almost before the outbreak of
real, serious hostilities. The Duke de Grammont
is here.

" Thoughts of peace, however, even if they flash
across the mind of some of the far-seeing people,
are nohindrance to the universal mustering of war.
If the Italians trust the French and their leader,
there is no doubt but they also rely on themselves.
The whole Italian youth is rushing to arms, and if
Sardinia do not within three months number
200,000 of her own combatants it will rather be
from her want of means or capacity for organize...
tion than from any lack of materials to work upon.
The volunteers are found among the people above
rather than below the middle rank, as the abstract
idea of nationality has of course struck deeper roots
among the thinking and feeling part of the
community. The army finds its recruits among the
scions of the Lombard and other Italian nobility.
Nothing can well be more touching than to see the
young and almost boyish, fine-featured, delicately
framed riflemen or lancers, clad in the coarse cloth
of mere privates, walking arm-in-arm with their
richly dressed mothers, or driving by their side in
their coroneted chariots, longing for the day which
is to rid them of the tedious routine duties of the
drilling depot, and send them forth as full-grown
soldiers ready for active service.
" So far as they are able, and S 3 far as they may
be taught, it would seem the Italians are willing to
fight for national existence; but the most anxious
minds among them are greatly in doubt whether
they will have a chance for much display of their
goodwill, for the Fredch bring so vast a force of
traintd troops into the field that the regular army
itself of the Piedmontese, to say nothing of their
volunteers, will be utterly absorbed and lost by the
juxtaposition. There are some who already com-
plain that both their King and Government, their
army and people, sink into insignificance by the
crushing weight of importance naturally, and, per-
haps unwittingly assumed by their mighty French
auxiliary. The Frenchman comes down as a mere
second in Piedmont's death-duel with Austria, but
it is impossible not to see that the force of circum-
stances compels him to take upon himself the part
of principal.
"The King's Government, and Cavour especially,
are not unmindful of their dignity, and some of
their measures show consummate tact and ability.
The King's order of the day, dated May 17, from
Occimiano, awarding medals to those who dis-
tinguished themselves in the outpost encounters and
skirmishes of the last three weeks, has given
universal satisfaction. It would be difficult to know
upon what considerations the bulletins (of which
we have read the 38th)have been almost purposely
vague and meagre, designedly making light of such
actions as have been fought, and carefully avoiding
all mention of such officers or soldiers as have had
opportunities to distinguish themselves. The bul-
letins, indeed, -were rather enigmatic, empty, and
silly than otherwise, and we know both by private
rumour, by French and Belgian papers, and by the
Austrian bulletins themselves, that some of those
partial fights were severe ones, and that the Pied-
monte'.3e have, in every instance, given evidence of
dashing gallantry. The King's proclamation con-
firms all this beyond dispute, and it is now to be
hoped that the Government will for the future put
aside all reserve, and give free publicity to the
events of the 'war, both without any vain-glorious
ostentation and without any mincing modesty and
prudery. The order of the day enacts that the
medals awarded to some of the dead heroes should
be given to their families, together with the pen-
sion annexed to the distinction. The persons thus
honoured, alive or dead, are 46.
" The arrest of Austrian spies in various parts of
the Sardinian camp is one of the most melancholy
/episodes of this great national drama. One of them,
a nobleman of Casale, by name Visconti di Prasca,
has been detected by the vigilance of Gen. Cialdini,
convicted of privy intelligence with the enemy, and
shot, as he richly deserved. Papers were found
about his person, which are said to criminate several
of the wealthiest citizens of Casale. That town is
said to have always been the head-quarters of the
black, or Clerical and Retrogradist party. Visconti
had been a military man, a major ; he seems to have
been actuated either by pique at some professional
slight, or by a vindictive feeling against the Libe-
rals, who may, perhaps, have pushed too far their
advantage at the time of the Parliamentary
strug
agbseleusas. against clerical privileges and ecclesias-
tical His family, men of note and influence,
have obtained from Government that the fame of the
wretched man should be spared as far as practicable
obifiy
coimalitting the
bulletins. mAenntoiotnaryofofhtisheenxoebculetifoanmiinlythoef
Provana, the owner of the castle of Verrua, some-
time the head-quarters of Garibaldi, was arrested
under grave suspicion ; but he proved his innocence
and was set free. There is no doubt but the Ita-
lians are rather too rash and eager in their mad-
dog cry and hunt after spies. Two or three persons,
not only of the greatest respectability, but enthu-
siastically attached to the Italian cause—some of
them foreign volunteers of distinction—have been
pointed out to the mob as spies, and subjected to
arrest, insult, and the risk of ill-treatment. Such
glarinr, facts as that of Visconti would certainly
seem to afford ground for suspiciousness. But the
Italians are a quick, impulsive race, and it behoves
their rulers and leaders to prevent their pushing
their zeal beyond the limits of discretion."

(From the Correspondent of the Daily News)
PIEDMONTESE HEAD-QUARTERS, May 19.
The first rewards have been distributed. King
Victor Emmanuel, who since Tuesday last has had
his head-quarters in this place, has issued an order
of the day in which he grants the silver medal of
military valour to 14 officers and soldiers, and
honourable mention (mensione onorevole) to 30
others. These brave men have distinguished them-
selves in the actions and reconnaissances of
Frassinetto, Valenza, Vercelli, Casale, Cascine Stra,
and San Germano. The prodigious activity of the
King and General La Marmora may easily be ima-
gined when I tell you that before daybreak they
are both on horseback inspecting our lines and
giving orders as circumstances require. His
Majesty (who yesterday received a visit from the
Emperor Napoleon in this place) is deeply affected
by the reports of Austrian cruelties which every
day reach us from the invaded country. Whatever
may be written from the Austrian headquarters,
there is no doubt that the behaviour of the Austrian
soldiers has been and still is of the most shameful
character. Many poor fellows have been dragged to
the Austrian staff, pinioned, and lashes have been
aiyainistered to them with that generosity which
distinguishes the officials of the Aulic milif