The Sun.
London, England, 1859-06-22 00:00:00

A VISIT TO GARIB,eiLDL

A. gentleman, lately returned from a tour in
Switzerland, has sent an account of a visit he paid
with some frlends, to General Garibaldi at Como,
The most interesting portion of the letter is as.

:ollows :-

We drove through quiet streets crowded with
armed men to the Albergo del Angelo, and were
received and shown rooms just as we should have
been a year ago, only there was a guard in the
gateway, and we passed a room full of officers
writing, for the general had here taken up his
head-quarters. We did not Consider that it would
be a serious breach of the neutrality of the nation
if we paid our respects to the Garibaldi who de-
fendedßoine, and who, amid all theblunders and dis-
asters of '4B, showed that only time and opportunity
were wanting to develop in the Italians a single-
minded heroism and constancy worthy of ancient
Rome. After lunch we sent in our cards, and a
message came from the aide-de-camp saying that
the general was asleep, but that as soon as he awoke
he would present them, and had no doubt he would
be happy to receive us. After an hour'Csaunter
among the volunteers we were informed that the
general would be happy to wait upon the ladies,
and in a short time he was shown in. He proved!
as different from what we expected as was the state
of the town from that reported. From his portraits
and warlike exploits I had pictured to myself a very
tall large man, of sallow complexion with long black
hair and beard, with something of the romantic air
of those Spanish guerilla chiefs, who sung their own
songs to the guitar or killed people with equal gusto.
Just the reverse. I could scarcely believe that the
quiet, unaffected, gentlemanly man who entered
and sat down with us was Garibaldi. He is of
middle height, not more than .5 feet 7 or 8 inches,
f nte
the deep
butgds
e ewhen
f feeling
eihtls
the
nege character
s
I should think—a square-shouldered, deep chested,
powerful man, without being at all heavy. He, his
a healthy English complexion, with brown hair
and beard, rather light, both slightly touched with
gray, and cut very short. His head shows a very
fine development, mental as well as moral, and his
face is good, though not remarkable to a casual
spokeur
lttrgoytof:f s
observer—nothing to show the man who could form
and carry out such plans as the retreat from Rome
looiprppt
rheaesnscidaopnteuyarneedotfoslCl:
atttuhshhpkeee.
mpraenss.edA, acnhdiltdhewesuteldadsftasopt dhaimrini
him what o'clock it was, but the man condemned
to be shot in half-an-hour, would never, after a look
of that calm determined face, waste time in asking
spoke much of passing
mercy upon earth. During our long interview he
share), but without southern gesticulation. He has
the calm manner and appearance of the English
events (excepting his own
gentleman and officer ;it was only when he spoke
of the generous sympathy of the people of England
with the sufferings of Italy that his Saxon-like
calmness
gave way ; then, as he assured ns again
and again how thoroughly it was appreciated by
Italians of every class, and how grateful they
were for it, he showed that the warm blood
had been that his operations were more the re-
of Italy burned in his veins. My impression
sult of rash impulse than military calculation; lint •
it was palpable that, strong as may be his impulies,
they are thoroughly under • control. Bold and
enterprising even to apparent rashness .he is .no
doubt, but he is also cool and calculating ; and as
I watched him on the opposite side of the table,
telling the ladies of his voyages to China and the
antipodes as pleasantly and calmly as if in a Lon-
don drawing-room, while at any moment he might
be interrupted by the fire of an overpowering Aus-
trian force brought by railway to his outpost, I felt
no doubt that in case of the very worst he had
arranged exactly what to do, and would do it. But
what impressed me most was the mental calibre of
the man : I met him with the idea that he was little
more than a dashing popular military leader. I
parted from him with the conviction that his war-
like career is a mere episode in his history, and that
his true greatness will be seen in the political rege-
neration and government of his country."