The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-04-01

and patriotism Of the Italians, the reason and |
patriotism of Orsini; were justif ed in re-
voting? And now do you not see that what |
be desired was to break asunder the chains in |
which his country was at that time replaced
to put an end to the oppression under which
she now grosns2 We subsequently, find him
in Austria, where he went to enlist soldiscs 10
fight for bis generous cause against the opprss
sor. He goes to Vienna under the name of
Herweg, and the fixed idea still possesses him.
He was arrested and confined to the citadel Of
Mantua, which is q tomb, and he remained
there ten months, under the incessant menace
of an SYNONYMOUS death But his resolution
did not break down, and his judges themselves
were forced to admit that be had only acted
from the purest patriotism. At length he was
condemned, and whilst the scaffold was being
erected, a woman, showing that it was for Italy
he was about to die, resolved that he should
not diel With that tact and devotedness of
which women alone are capable, she tried to
convey to him the instruments of deliversnce.
he, with labor of patience which leave you
to imagine, sawed through eight iron bars and
then, by means of cords made of sheets, he let
himself down from height of about lao feet
He fell injured into the foeses of the citadel,
and remained forty eight hours in partly frozen
water He was then found by some persons
who passed. You see, then, gentlemen, that
God willed that he should not die And why
did he not die? All gentlemen, what can We
tell of the objects and designs of Providence 2
Be they what they may, we find Orsini engaged
in an enterprise abhor. Need l say more ?
Do you think that will descend to discuss test
monies and prooff Arc you not certain that
Orsini only acted under the influence of the
sentiments 1 have referred to? Are you not
convinced, that at that moment he was about
to execute the crime he now deplores, that he
would now undo, if it were possible, at the
price of his blood-he only thought of the wei.
fare, the enfranchisement, the independence of
his country? Gentlemen, in the Cabinet of
Kings there may be men who say to q nation,
Your Government displeases me, and /
change it'll And then a nation precipitates
| itself on another nation, and the Government is
changed.
Napoleon l, in 1916, had, in spite of his power
and prestige, to yield to such thing as that
but was not the Government which other ma
tons imposed on France unpopular and detest.
ed? And was it not constantly conspired
against, by men whose names are now surround.
ed by halo Of patriotism Well, Orsini, an
Italian, conspired for his countryl Descend
into his heart, but do not despise him join
not to the crime he has committed, and which
l do not excuse, the accessory accusation rela-
| tive to the numerous victims which that crime
occasioned For the death of those victims he
must answer to God but he is not called on to
answer for it tothe justice of men; for, according
to the criminal law, crime consists in intention
alone. AS to the reticences which marked his
explanations, and the contradictions into which
he fell in the course of his nterrogatories, what
do they amount to? Does henot offer his head
in expiration of his crimef That he has not
always always been uniform in his explanations,
is true but his co-accused varied in what they
said, and he did the same. But the real truth
is what he now says in the presence of Justice |;
it is now that he speaks his last word, gives his
last explanations, makes his justification and
defence. And he does this by means of written
document, addressed to the Emperor, from his
prison, and which may be regarded as q tesla
ment or prayer. have OBJ ained the Emrsx4-',s
permission TO read it, and beg you 70 listen to
it, and say if his words are those of Boosting
or of weakness" The learned gentleman then
read the following document;
TO Napoleon III, Emperor ofMe French,
The dispositions which have made against
myself, IN the course of the political proceedings
which have been instituted on the occasion of
the attempt on the l4th January, are sufficient
| to send me to the scaffold; and shall submit to
my fate without asking for pardon, both be-
cause l will not humiliate myself before him
who has destroyed the reviving liberty of my
unhappy country, and because, in the situa.
ton in which am now placed, death, for me,
| will be q relief.
Being near the close of my career, wish,
however, to make last effort to assist Italy,
whose independence has hitherto made me pass
through so many sacrifices. She was the con.
slant object of all my affections, and it is that
idea which l wish to set forth in the words
which | address to your Majesty.
| In order to maintain the balance of power
In Europe, it is necessary to render Italy indie
pendent, or to loosen the chains by which Austria
holds her in bondage. Shall ask that, for her
deliyerance, the blood Of Frenchmen shall be
shed for Italians2 No. do not goso far as that,
Italy demands that France shall not allow Ger
man, to support Austria in the struggles in
which she may, perhaps, be soon engaged. This
is precisely what your Majesty may do, if you
are 80 inclined; on your will, therefore, depends
the welfare or the misfortune of my country, the
life Or death of a nation to which Europe is in
a great measure indebted for her civilization.
"Sach is the prayer which, from my cell,
dare to address to your Majesty, not despairing
but that my feeble voice may be heard. be-
seech your Imperial Majesty to restore to Italy
the independence which her children lost in
l049, through the very fault of the French. Let
your Majesty call to mind that the Italians,
among whom was my father, joyfuly shed their
blood for Napoleon the Great, wherever he
pleased to lead them; and that, so long as Italy
ahall not be independent, the tranq utility Of
Europe and that of your Majesty will only be
| vain illusions.
May your Majesty not reject the last prayer
OF patriot, on the steps of the scaffold May
you deliver my country, and the blessings Of
twenty-five millions of citizsns will follow you
to posterity. FELICE ORsINI
Prison Of Mazas, llth February, 1853"
"Such," said the learned counsel, in conclu.
sion, 81 are the last words of Orsini, and you
see they are in accord with all the acts of his
life. No doubt, it may be said that it is
great piece OF temerity on his part to address
himself to him whose life was an obstacle to the
realization of the perilous enterprise in which
he wss engaged he has inclined himself before
Tod, whose DEGREES condemned it. And nov
he is about to diel From the brink of his
tomb he addresses himself to him against whom
he has 10 sentiment of hatred to him who
may be the saviour of his country and he says:
Prlncel you glorify yourself in having come
from the very midst of the people; of having
been elected by universal suffrage Well,
adopt the idea of your glorious predeces-
sorsl Prince listen not to hatterers be great
and magnanimeus, and you will be invulnera-
bleP Such are his words. will abstain from
comment on them. have neither the power
nor the liberty to say here are ell that I have
In my heart. But the words of Orsini himself
explain clearly the opinions on which he has
acted, and which led him to embark in his fatal
enterprise. You have no need, gentlemen of
the jury, of the adjurations of the ProcureuF
General; you will DO your duty without pas
sion and without weakness. Bot God, who is
above all God, before whom must sppear the