The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1853-03-25

FSom The London Times.


From the London Times. ~
Il Is impossible to reconcile the procl amatians
and assertions Of the Austrian authorities in Lom-
hardy on the breaking out of the late insurrecton,
with the unexampied and indiscfiminaling figof
Of the measures they have taken since the termi-
nation OF it. When these distur Dances occurred,
the public was Informed that handful OF foreign
emissaries had invaded the tranquility OF the city
of Milan, and succeeded for short time in intimi
dating the we-affected portion of the population
There is every reason to believe that such was the
true history of this foolish and wicked attempt.
The bulk OF the population Of Lombardy, and even
OF Milan, took no part in it. The contest in the
streets was very brief one, and, though few
senries were surprised and basely assassinated al
their posts there was appearance'o of Systematic
| resistance. The Lombard refugees on the other
side OF the Ticino, which is the frontier of Pied
| mont, loudly disapproved these scandaious out
RACES, and the Piedmontese government very pro.
perly took effectual means to prevent them, any
of them, from quitting the kingdom. The Swiss
canton OF Tessin was more compromised, and it is
not improbable that the authors OF the plot had
abused the hospitality Of the Swiss territory to
| make their preparations; but the moment the fact
was known, active measures were taken by the
FEDERAL government to put atop to this mischief,
and 1t cannot be alleged that the Swiss have in any
way knowingly abetted this criminal scheme. The
Ausrians themselves do not pretend that their au-
thorty in Italy has been at all shaken by this fee
Bile and ll-contrived effort for, the contr sry,
was calculated to make every one feel greater alb
| horrence of the selfish and INSCRIPTIONS means
employed by those who profess to have at heart the
welfare and independence of the Italian nation.
Under such circumstances the utter failure of the
instruction was its appropriate condemnation,
and 1T seems to US that the wisest policy of the
Austrian government would have been to treat
such assailants with contempt.
Such being the case, it seems hardly credible
that the imperial authorities in Lombardy should
have seized this opportunity to display far greater
degree of Yindictive feeling to nlict more severe
| and wholesale punishments, and to address them
selves with more severity to the governments OF
the adjacent States, than they had done on any
former occasion, even when the whole country
took up arms against its sovereign. The first
measure was the Immediate execution, by the
gibbet, OF seventeen or eighteen persons said to
have been actively engaged in the ARRAY of the
9th of February, and if it were proved that these
persons were the same who assassinated the sem
tries, they well deserved their fate; but we have
reason to believe that even these summary execu.
tions were ordered with very little regard to posi-
tive evidence or personal identity. The whole city
of Milan was then placed under martial law with
unexampled rigor. Sentines, posted at the corner
Of every street, were expressly ordered to their
arms against any person coming behind them, or
within thirty yards of them. The gates were
closed for several weeks, and are even now but
partially opened to traffic. The whole town wore
the aspect of place under siege. Police regula.
tiona, of the minutest kind, were enforced, and a
military contribution of about G4 900 tDeek was
tice. The object of the government was evidently
to strike terror into the city, discover, if posi-
Bile, the ramif cations of conspiracy, if any ex
listed, among the more respectable classes, and to
punish the population at large for offence which
was expressly stated to have been committed by a
small band of foreign emissaries. T. 500
But this Wholesale measure of injustice did not
stop here, and the Imperial government proceeded
the most arbitrary, painful, and odious measures it
has ever been our duty to record. The authorities
of the Swiss canton of Tessin had already provoked
the Austrian government some short time before
by the expulsion of certain Capuchin friars belong
ing to two monasteries situated in that canton
1t ia not our intention to defend that MEASURE fur
Their than by saying that the new Helvetic League
since the Sonderbund war, would seem to recog-
cantonal authorities. This ground of complaint
was, however, much increased by the facilities
which Mazzlni was supposed to have found in
Switzerland, and especially in the canton of Tes-
SIN, TOR the preparation of his plot. Accordingly
without more inquiry, and almost without warning,
the Austrian Governor of Milan decreed the imme.
diate expulsion from Milan and the territory of
Lombardy of all the Themes emigrants who mis- ht
be found IN the country 1t is stated that not less
than 10 900 unfortunate Swiss citizens are the vic.
Tins OF this cruel, wanton, and unjustifable man.
date. Every one knows that the Swiss are hard
working, money getting, and ingenious people,
largely contribute by their labor to every branch
of industry in the neighboring territories Thew
are to be met with in large numbers in the dairies
of Lombardy, in the class of domestic servants,
and as journeymen in the towns. The natives of
Tessin, being Catholics, and speaking Italian, are
naturally the best suited to these employments in
the north of Italy, and accordingly they cross the
lakes in large numbers for this purpose; and these
helpless, inofensive, and industrious persons are
suddenly converted into the victims of political
persecution. 1t is among this useful class of stran
gers, who have sought work and protection in the
Emperor's dominons, that the Austrian military
ponce expects to lind an atonng sacrifice for MAJ
zlnrs crimes. 1t ls a razzia of cowards-a pro-
scrpton OF the least excitable portion of the whole
community! If the sub ject were not one involving
the suf1erings and ruin of several thousand per-
sons guilty of no imaginable crime, we certainly
should be tempted to treat with the bitterest ridi
Guile such mode of enforcing the rights of the
Imperial government; but the barbaro1s injustice
of the act far exceeds it's absurdy, and it has lust
~ excited the deepest indignation not only in all
Switzerland, but throughout Europe.
Yet this is not all. The result of the campaiens
OF lS4S and l849 has been, as is well known. The
retirement into the Piedmontese dominions of
several of the chief Lombard families, who had
taken part in the insurrection of that time, more,
we believe, for the sake of checking the fury Of
the democratic party, than from any intense hos
tility to the Imperial government. It would have
been the policy and the duty of wise admins.
this class of its subjects by an amnesty No such
overtures of peace have, however, been made to
them, and they have continued to reside in Turin,
or Genoa, without taking any part in public
aiIaHs. MANY Vi tue persons 10 WDOm we allude,
such as the Counts Litta and Borromeo, belong
to some of the most opulent and illustrious
families in Europe, and had lived till lately on
good terms with the Austrian government. Their
detestaton of hazzini's party, and the revolution
which be advocates and represents, VIGOROUSLY
stronger even than their aversion to the Austrans;
and they judged rightly, for Mazzini has proved
their worst enemy. Nevertheless these eminent
persons, utterly unconnected with the late disturb.
ances in Milan-strongly hostile to the sanguin-
airy demagogue who gave once more the signal
of these crimes-living in foreign country,
where many of them have received letters of ma
turalization from more liberal power-have,
by monstrous act of oppression, been summa
riiy and collectively punished for proceedings
with which they had nothing in common, and
which they vehemently disapproved. By decree
OF the Emperor of Austria, dated February 49, the
vast estates of these exiled families row living out
OF the imperial territories, are sequeetrated, and
commission has already assembled in one of their
palaces in Milan to take possession of their pro-
perty. Conhscation would have seemed to us an
lmpotic and VI just penalty, even after the events
which drove these families from their homes; but
what is to be thought of government which pro-
ceeds to these extremities five years afterwards,
without an attempt to show that any fresh charge
whatsoever can be made against the parties who
are punished without being heards The Austrian
government in Italy is playing desperate game
Sincethe restoration and extension of their autho-
flty, alter what We held to be a base ana unfair