The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1849-05-03
NEW ORLEANS:
See Third Page for CRY News, &c.
Burning of Brescia.

A few days ago and the American pubic wa
called on by republished articles from the European
press, as well as by numerous letters written for the
papers of the United States, to admire the skilfu
tactics of Radetzsky and the magnanimous elem
ency of the Austrians in not marching Immediately
on Turin. What commentaries will the sage gen.
tIemen who wrote such articles and letters give us
the bombardment and burning of Brescia
Will they date on the unheard-of mercy of chasing
people to the sanctuary Of theft homes and sending
whole families together from the world instead of
numbering the members one by one, and torturing
the mind with grief much as racking the body
with pain! Will they treat us to philosophical
analysis Of the nature of suffering, and show how
tender must be the hearts of those who are so gem
erous as to burn rebels in their houses rather than
hang them in the fields!
We have been told of the paternal nature of the
Austrian government in Italy. Hitherto we have
given little credit to such tales, but now who can
doubt them! Let Lombardy herself point to the
smoking ruins and smouldering bones Of Brescia,
and like Hugo at the judgment-seat of Azo, excaim
" Her broken hear-my severed head
How trusty and how tender were
Thy youthful love-paternal care !"
Austria has at last made up her mind to be just
and merciful to the Italian people. She has deter
were continually complaining that they were not
rs well off as they should be-,hat there was need
for reform and improvement in the government of
Lombardy. And now with fire and steel she is
bent extirpatiDg all dissatisfaction. Brescia is
the first victim. Will Milan, or Verona or Vicenza
or Padua be the next! Mayhap the gentle Man
fuans may wake up some fine morning and find
their town wrapped in fire which all the waters of
"a he cpp he Jplo or
the opera of yesternight may be chased from their
memories by the sound of a bombardng artillery,
and the fumes of Bacchanalian debauch may be
driven from their brains by the cold steel Of Aus
tran bayonets. Even an idle and pleasure loving
population are not safe from the excited wrath of
the Teutonic soldiery.
There is but one consolation that remains to us |
in the recent reports from Italy. The blood of the
martyrs is the seed of the church. From the bones
Of the Brescans may yet arise the spirit that shall
grow and increase until it strengthens into Italian
independence. Tuscany yet stands with her face
to the foe. Rome does not quail beneath the bulls
that issue from Gaeta, or tremble when she hears
The orders which the Aulc Council sends from Vi
emma. Sicily yet holds out against the degenerate
Bourbon who claims the right to rule over her.
Throughout the peninsula the people seem to be
aroused and prepared to vindicate their nationality
though their soveregns may prove traitors and
their leaders may desert them in the hour of need
Let them struggle but a little while longer and they
shall yet accomplish their wishes.
And let those who sneer at Italian courage-who
repeat the threadbare epthets of cowardly'' and
" freacherous until the words seem invented to
express Italian acknowledgements upon the |
history OF the late seges of Bresca and Genoa Is |
1t cowardly for to have thu houses bombarded
for eight days, and after this, when their walls have
been battered down and their town entered by the
enemy to make stand at the corner of every street
and perish under the bayonets of their adversaries
rather than surrender and enter into capitulaion
Can men be base when the women and children 3
'hut themselves up in their houses and die in the
lanes their enemies have kindled rather than sur.
piye as the captives of their hated foes! Those
who believe in Austrian cemency and mercy can
ford to be creduous in regard to Italian treachery
md cOWardice