The Sun.
London, England, 1859-05-19 00:00:00

quest. When they did cross the frontier it was too
late also to march on Turin, and all thoughts of an
offensive movement was abandoned. The massing
of the troops here, with corps of observation north,
west, and south, was entirely a defensive men.
sure. This should be borne in mind in England.
Austria did not attack Piedmont. She threatened
to do so, but at one word from England she totally
gave up the project. France began the war by
sending her troops to Genoa. Can any person
really argue that the Austrians should after that
have waited behind the Ticino, allowed the allies to
mass their troops here at Novara, and choose their
own time for attacking ? Had they acted so, a
single battle might have decided the fate of all the
north-west of Lombardy, whereas, by taking up
this position, they prevent the allies from advancing
by the northern route, unless they can first draw
off the Austrians by a feint towards Stradella and
Piacenza. Clearly the Austrians could not act
otherwise, in self-defence, than cross the Ticino
when they did. It would have been better, per-
haps, had they not before threatened to do so as an
offensive movement.

Some French were seen from Vercelli yesterday,
at least some brick-coloured inexpressibles were ob-
served, but at the Dora Baltea some Piedmontese
clothed their nether halves in that colour to mis-
lead the opposite party, and the same trick may
have been repeated. To-day and yesterday there
seems to have been an eastward movement on the
part of the allies south of the Po. They can hardly
be serious in an intention to penetrate Lombardy
in that direction. The Po above Piacenza is very
difficult to cross, and they cannot leave that
fortress in their rear. They may wish either to
raise the Parmesans again, or to effect a junction
with the Tuscans, or the whole may be a feint.
Were they quite sure of England's neutrality, a
corps d'arnzee, landing at Spezzia and marching by
Parma on Mantua, would be very troublesome, or
they might leave just troops enough in Piedmont
to keep the Austrians in check, and land the
rest at Chioggia, near Venice. I need hardly
say, therefore, that every expression of Minis-
terial or public opinion in England is received with
extreme interest here. I cannot help thinking that
public opinion is mistaken in respect to Austrian
dominion in Italy. When I hear a statesman like
Lord Palmerston express a hope that this war may
result in the Germans being entirely driven out of
the country, I naturally hesitate in forming an op-
posite opinion, and re-examine the evidence which
has been gradually convincing me. I confess, how-
ever, that the more I consider the question, and the
more I compare statements with facts, the more
settled does my opinion become. Under the French,
Piedmont, Lombardy, Parma, Modena, and part of
the States of the Church, formed one province. In
1815 these all had a fair start under different Go-
vernments. Look at them now. Lombardy is the
richest province under the sun, but the upper one
thousand are discontented; in the others the
material prosperity is certainly less, and the upper
one thousand of Piedmont are contented, all the
rest are discontented ; all wish for change of some
sort, from the Pope's legate downwards. This
magnificent plain of Piedmont, which I now see
before me, is inferior in no physical respect to
Lombardy, yet no man would hesitate if allowed
to choose between one acre of land cast of the Ticino
and two west. Surely the English must have
prejudged this case, deceived by the name of " con
stitutional" given to the Piedmontese Government.
Is a Constitution a blessing or a curse to a Latin
nation ? How has it proved in France, how in
Mexico, how in S pain ?
In Sardinia, 20 years ago, the revenue derived
from ordinary taxes exceeded the expenditure. The
people was happy, though some few ambitious
lawyers and others were anxious for change. Now
the national debt is increased year by year in spite
of taxation of the most oppressive kind, and the
people is ripe for Red Republicanism. The fact
seems to be that absolutism and constitutional forms
arc equally capable of being used for bad purposes.
If discontent exist in Lombardy, as alleged, we can
easily account for it by considering the conduct of
Sardinia towards Parma and Tuscany. It is not
denied that in these provinces the late revolutions
were effected by Piedmontese agents. Now, in
Lombardy, I can state from personal observation,
that the further from Piedmont the less is the dis-
content. The claptrap phrases, so often used b -
persons who do not know their meaning, are just
the same in Milan and in Turin, and in both places
are the same false statements made. The Lombards
are said to be subject to a more exacting conscrip-
tion than the other nations composing the Austrian
empire. What is the fact ? Until 1848, the Lom-
bard only served eight years, the others 14 ! Now
this has been equalised, but who is to blame ? Who
is to blame—l beg pardon, I mean to say, to whose
disinterested friendship does Lombardy owe the
heavy conscription of this year ?
As to Venice, France reduced it to absolute ruin.
In 1815 it was given to Austria as a possession
without importance, its trade having disappeared,
and its population diminished. Austria made it a
free port, gave it a railway, bridged the Lagune,
which separated it from the main land, and 15 days
ago it was a happy, prosperous town, with every
prospect of a still further and more rapid advance.
Yet, because there once lived at this place a great
Italian nation, there are people in England who
think that Sardinia has a right to ruin the present
inhabitants, not one-third of whom are of Venetian
origin, and annex the territory. This is what they
wish to do ; whether France will lightly give up her
hold on'ltaly if she can obtain one, is another ques-
tion, and must evidently depend on the permission
of Russia, for Italy, France, and Austria crippled,
England and Germany dare not interfere. Poor
Venice ! You cannot conceiv e how desolate she
looks. Venice in May, without 10 visitors. The
state of stagnation is complete, all the military pre-
parations being already made. These are of a most
formidable nature, and, considering the difficulty of
access to vessels of any size, I do not hesitate to
state that a merely naval attack on that place would
have no chance of success. Every channel has
either already been quite blockaded up by sunken
ships, and vessels laden with stones are moored close
by, ready to close the small remaining passage at a
few minutes' notice, and guns of large calibre
(mostly 91,--* inch shell guns, but longer than the
English 10-inch guns) command all these obstacles.
The natives certainly looked to me happier in
1850, when the Austrians had just returned, than
they do now. I suppose some few are ready to
make great sacrifices to get rid of the Tedeschi, but
the shopkeepers think much more of the total
stoppage of trade than of anything else.
Trieste presented an equally melancholy appear-
ance, more so, perhaps, for the ruin is greater.
There, at all events, there is but one feeling, that
of the most intense hatred of the French and Sar-
dinians, or rather of the Emperor Napoleon and
Count Cavour.

A strong force is out to-day to reconnoitre
beyond the Sesia, and the Austrian left has been
reinforced to watch the French on that side.
Should anything be discovered to cause a general
movement I will write to-morrow, but I think this
unlikely. They cannot be prepared yet for an ad-
vance in force.