The Sun.
London, England, 1868-09-01 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 1, 1868.

RIVALRY OF ITALIAN GENERALS.

It is not often that great crimes expose the
perpetrator to ridicule as well as to disgrace.
Revolutionary Italy has not only made itself
infamous by its breach of international laws,
by its perfidy, by its spoliation of Church
property, by its irreligious laws and proscrip-
tions ; but it has made itself the laughing-
stock of Europe. General La Marmora, whose
name for Italy's sake ought never to be men
tioned by Italians, is fighting over again in
pamphlets and in the newspapers the disgrace-
ful campaign of 1866. The secret history of
that war is now by the rival factions, into
which revolutionary Italy is torn, being made
public. Anything more simply discreditable
to the Italian Government and army can
scarcely be conceived than their conduct dur-
ing, and their dissensions and trickery after,
Napoleon had' made them a present of Venice.
The disputes between La Marmora and
Cialdini show how utterly the Italian army
was disorganized ; but not content with being
defeated, for the sake of keeping up appear-
ances in Italy La Marmora incurred the addi-
tional disgrace, of enacting a public farce by
ordering Cialdini, after the terrible rout which
the Italian army, under La Marmora, had
suffered at Custozza, to cross the Po after the
Austrians had left, and Venice had been ceded
by the intervention of France. Cialdini, un-
willing to take part in such a rediculous farce,
demurred to such a proceeding, but was over-
ruled, and so the play of pursuing the Aus-
trians was played out for the avowed purpose
of keeping up appearances in Italy. Austria
at the time complained of this act. " Italy," it
says, " took advantage of the absence of the
Austrian army to enter South Tyrol, in opposi-
tion to the terms of the cession, one of the
principal conditions of which was that the Aus-
trian troops should not be pursued beyond the
Venetian territory, or in order to obtain pos-
session of that of Gorizia."

From the disclosures made in this dispute
between rival and jealous generals, it further-
more appears that Napoleon showed himself a
hard taskmaster, and insisted that revolu-
tionary Italy should suspend hostilities, and
leave its Prussian ally in the lurch. La
Marmora supplicated in vain. He protested
that while he could well understand that Napo-
leon should desire to stay the victorious pro-
gress of Prussia, he saw no reason why France
should inflict upon Italy the public humiliation
of deserting an ally. All that was permitted
to La Marmora, it appears, was to keep up
appearances—to act a farce at which he seems
to be so apt a hand. Italy, therefore, was
allowed to gasconade to its heart's content ;
to pursue an enemy who was already beyond
their reach ; but the part of the buffoon is
sometimes liable to misadventures, beyond even
the ridicule incurred. And so it happened with
Italy. Austria, on making peace with Prussia
after Sadowa, had an army again at its disposal,
and the boastful Italian generals had again
to seek safety by falling back from Austrian
ground. The worst misadventure, however,
which has befallen revolutionary Italy, is not
the battle of Custozza, is not the terrible defeat
of Lissa, but the contempt and ridicule which
it has brought down upon itself by its empty
gasconading, by the buffoonery of its leaders,
and by its military disorganization, as exhi-
bited by its generals and commanders in chief.
It was thought that after the ridiculous col-
lapse of Garibaldi and his volunteers at the
battle of Mentana, and the rapid dispersion
and flight of the gasconading general and
his followers from Roman territory, that revo-
lutionary Italy would have sought in silence
to obliterate from the memory of its friends
and enemies, the disgrace which it had so
deservedly incurred. But the fierce rivalry
of its miserable factions, the old disputes and
jealousies of its generals, have ripped up again
the old sore, and have exposed the new king-
dom to fresh contempt and ridicule. Italian
journals addicted to the Revolution csnnot
forbear from deploring the imprudence of the
publication of despatches and telegrams by La
Marmora, which, while they do not remove
the disgrace from his own shoulders, put Italy
and its Government in a contemptible light
before the world. Italy, for its own advantage,
has sought to make and keep friends with
Prussia and with France, and has been treated
by both as a catspaw, and all the while it
gave itself the airs of a great Power ; but now
the disputes of La Marmora and Cialdini have
withdrawn the veil to a great extent, and
shown to the Italians themselves, as well as to
the world at large, how petty and farcical was
the part their country played when Prussia and
Austria were fighting, and their Government
was receiving in fear and trembling its orders
from Paris.

From its present state of disorganization,
from the riN airy of its factions, and the jealousy
of its generals, anarchy and Mazzini have
everything to expect from Italy.—Westminster
Gazette.

ing on his estate to accept the lease of which
a copy has been published, we can only say
with grief and indignation that, though not
justified, all is accounted for. From this
thoroughly lawless and anti-social document,
it appears not only that strict covenants were
sought to be imposed as to tillage, buildings,
wood, and game, but that the tenants were
required to enter into a compact to waive the
abatement of half the poor rate, specifically
guaranteed them by statute, thereby defeating
the public policy of the law ; and further, that
upon a notice to quit of twenty-one days
(Sundays being counted), they should surren-
der their farms, without attempting to sell or
remove any crops that might be unharvested
thereon. The like of this, we venture to say,
has never been heard of in any country bearing
the name of " civilized "or free" It were
a farce to dwell upon its inhumanity. It is far
more to the purpose to brand, as it deserves,
its thorough barbarism. Could a people be
bullied into such a state of serfhood as bargains
of this kind contemplate the possibility of agri-
cultural progress or improvement must die ;
for progress or improvement in this age of the
world are only possible by civilized and self-
respecting men. The planters of Carolina and
Georgia were not all bad-hearted men ; and
some of them were humane and gentle masters;
but the law which authorised them absolutely
to think and act for the cultivators of the soil,
and which forbade the latter to assume the right
of thinking or acting for themselves, ate the
marrow out of the bones of agricultural indus-
try, and substituted nothing therefor but the
overseer's whip. The law in Ireland is inter-
preted by planters of the Scully type to autho-
rise a different sort of subjugation, through
the agency of an armed police. But the results
as regards physical and moral civilisation would
be the same. A three-weekly tenure of land
is palpably incompatible alike with the exist-
ence of tenant security and of decent culti-
vation. It has often been contended that no
shorter tenancy than one for a year, should in
any case be recognised by law, for merely agri-
cultural reasons ; and men of all parties who
have studied the social and political difficulties
of Ireland., concur in the desirableness of en-
couraging long leases and fee-farms, could sub-
letting be only prevented. But here is a man
who seeks to avail himself of the terror of eject-
ment, on the expiry of an old lease, where-
with the law invests him, to reduce his tenants
to a condition incomparably worse than that
of Russian serfs before emancipation: for these
were adscn:pti glebtr, and by virtue of their
bondage they had a right to be supported
out of the produce of the land, from which,
without their own consent, they could not be
removed. The law of landlordism in Ireland
sanctions the claim of the proprietor to use up
the intelligence and industry of the occupier,
and then at three weeks' notice to send him
and his wife and his little ones into the ditch
or the emigrant ship, if he does not prefer the
risk of a felon's cell. It will not do to palter
or quibble over the bleeding corpses of the
innocent men done to death in resisting this
iniquity, about the case being exceptional, and
the general practice being different. Mr.
William Scully has made plain to every tenant
farmer in Ireland that he can never again lie
down in peace or safety, until a fundamental
change is made in the laws regarding land
He has chucked the linch-pin out of the wheel
of public order; aftd, for the present, the hope
of agrarian tranquility, with all that is pre-
cious dependent thereon, has broken down.—
Examiner.

we are confident that such an examination
would go far, even in the eyes of the most con-
fiding Ritualists, to justify the exclusion of
such men, claiming to be bishops, and claim-
ing to hold the Catholic faith, from a seat in
the General Council.

It is in no party or hostile spirit we make
these remarks; on the contrary, we, as Catho-
lics, holding fast to Rome, long to stretch out a
friendly hand to those still entangled in the
meshes of Anglicanism, and to draw them on
to our side ; we appreciate too highly the un-
worldly and self-denying spirit which so many
zealous Anglicans exhibit under often the most
trying circumstances ; we can understand the
sorrow which they feel at seeing their com-
panions moving on, one by one, to the Church
of Rome, and can forgive the reproaches,
sometimes ungenerous and unfair, which, in
their irritation, they launch against those
whom they yesterday revered, and whom, we
trust, they will, following themselves their
example to-morrow, learn again doubly to
revere.—Westniiitster Gazette.

PRESENT PROSPECTS.
-

If to old women be given the gift of prophecy, few
will hesitate to accept the Standard's predictions
on the Presidential election ; and if to old women
only, then the Standard is justified in its statement
that the Times has no right to predict. When the
Tammany ticket and platform were known iu
England, the Times cast the Democratic horoscope,
seeing defeat, and even annihilation, looming not far
off. A well-informed correspondent of the leading
journal estimated the electoral votes of the States,
and we transferred that to our columns, as the
opinion of a neutral. At the same time we gave
the Nation's estimate as that from the Republican
stand point, and we now extract the calculation of
the Standard's correspondent as the Conservative
view :

As Congress has declared that Virginia, Texas, and
Mississippi, not being reconstructed, shall not to any pur-
pose take part in the election, the number of voters in the
Electoral College is reduced to 294. Mr. Seymour's suc-
cess depends upon his ability to obtain 143 electoral votes.
1 give to Mr. Seymour the States in the left-hand column.
below, and to General Grant the States in the right-hand
column, apportioning all "doubtful" States to Grant.

Seymour.
A rkansaa
California
Connecticut
Delaware

... ... 5
... ... 6

Grant.

Kentucky
Maryland
Missouri

Nevada

... 7
... 33
... ... 21

•.• ••• 3
... ..• 26
I•• •. • 8

Alabama 8
Florida 3
Georgia ... 9
Illinois ... ... 16
Indiana ... 13
lowa ... ... 8
Kansas ... 3
Louisiana
Maine ... ... 7
Massachusetts ... 12
Michigan ... ~, 8
Minnesota ~, 4
Nebraska
New Hampshire
North Carolina... .., 9
Rhode Island 4
South Carolina... ... 6
Tenness,3e ... 10
Vermont ~. ... 5
West Virginia ... ... 5

I believe that Georgia, Alal
Carolina w:ll vote for Seyn

145
bama, Louisiana, and North
aour, but, their Legislatures
the people, and fraudulently
•ant.

may take the election from
cast the electoral votes for G

Comparing these estimates, the whole question
turns upon the forty-seven votes of Pennsylvania
and Ohio, nearly a sixth of the total in the Elec-
toral College. Pennsylvania is the puzzle ; both
parties think they can carry it, but the democrats
with the more confidence. Ever since Ohio gave
so smashing a vote against negro suffrage, the De-
mocrats have counted it as one of their States. They
are pretty certain of New York, with its 33 votes, and
could they but carry Ohio and the Keystone State,
they would have in these little short of a third of the
Electoral College. The Republicans count Ohio as
theirs, but so do the Democrats, though with less
confidence. Indeed, although as yet we have not
reached the place in Granny's class which would
entitle us to prophesy, we may safely predict that
the main battle will be in Pennsylvania and Ohio.
The Standard states that the tide has fairly set in
against the Republican party, and that their jour-
nals, formerly so confident, have lately changed
their tune. While we acknowledge that the De-
mocratic ticket appears to be steadily rising in
favour, we are not a little amused at the
reasons given for Democratic confidence by
the correspondent of our Tory cmtetnporary.
First, then, he says, because FRANK BLAIR declares
Democratic success is "ordained of HEAvEN."
This ought to settle the question. FRANK BLAIR,
his allies, and his enemies, might knock off work ;
but, strange inconsistency ! he is themost energetic
of the four. Perhaps the General only accepts
HEAvENasan ally ; or, he may hold with FREDERICK
the GREAT that PROVIDENCE is on the side of big
battalions, which he is doing his best to marshal ; or
very likely he thinks thatHEAVEN helps those who help
themselves. The correspondent's second reason is
the above-mentioned altered tune of the Republican
journals, whose refrain is now changed from
" must" and " will," to " if " and " but ;"—and his
third reason is the apathy in the Republican rank
and file, which is happily coupled with his fourth
reason, the unexampled enthusiasm of the Demo-
cratic masses. The Republicans have chosen a silent
chief, and it would be inconsistent if they thus
early commenced howling ; and though the corre-
spondent attaches value to a noise, we believe peo-
ple very often scream themselves hoarse before the
conquering hero arrives. There is time enough
for the shouting, and soon enough there will
be a change in this deceptive apathy of the Re-
publican party. The " Singing Soldiers" have
not as yet come on the stage.; and their advent will
be the signal for those who do the shouting to begin.
It is very difficult to feel the American pulse. 'There
are many quacks ready enough with unfee'd opinions
about Uncle SAM, but there are few indeed who can
do more than hazard conjectures. The farmer class
throughout the Union, in whose hands the decision
really is, are not given to the noisy demonstrations
of a New York Irish mob. PAT'S voice is loud
enough, and his brogue sufficiently distinct to
tell who the crowd are and which way
they go. But such gatherings are more noisy
than effective, and we believe the mass of Americans
know who they intend to vote for, and will vote as
they intended, the Singing Republican Soldiers and
the Shouting Democrats notwithstanding. Light
will, however, immediately begin to illuminate the
subject ; dim and distant rays at first, but rapidly
becoming stronger. Tennessee has just voted,
Vermont is to vote next Tuesday, California next
Wednesday week, and Maine on the 14th Septem-
ber. During October, Nebraska, Ohio, Indiana,
Pennsylvania, lowa, and West Virginia will vote, and
on the 3J November New York, New Jersey, Dela-
. ware, Maryland, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Min-
nesota, Mis.souri,Kansas,Nevada, and Massachusetts.
Thus in nine weeks there will be 23 elections, be-
sides the Presidential. Although we have little
faith in indications, we are fully alive to the im-
portance of the New York, Herald's change of
front ; for, if any thiug in the States has a faculty
of getting into and swimming away in the midst of
popular currents, it is that newspaper, which the cor-
respondent gives as his eighth reason. But this he
contrasts with another, which he considers equally
important, the decision of ANDREW JOHNSON to sus-
tain SEYMOUR and BLAIR. We know what a happy
knack the PRESIDENT has of sustaining his friends, and
it is probable that on reaching this determination
he wrote the Message proposing a Constitutional
Amendment, when he illustrated his argument by a
hard hit at SEYMOUR'S government of New York.
It is altogether too early for those without Granny's
gifts to predict, and we believe, as we before stated,
that the battle will be narrowed to the Key-Stone
State, the indications being that the Republicans
may win in spite of Pennsylvania, but not the
Democrats. We allow the force of what our re-
spected contemporary says—for we do respect the
Standard, and like it, notwithstanding its high Tory
principles and our own " chaff "—that the state of
affairs is too unsettled for any decided conclusion,
but the Democrats have lately made most running.
—Anglo-American Times.

Col. Berdan, of sharpshooter fame, has been bre-
veted a major-general of volunteers—rather late in the
day, one would suppose —for gallant and distinguished
conduct at Chancellorsville and Gettysburg. He was
strongly recommended for this honour by Gena. Hooker
and Sickles.