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

they would see whether the sentences recorded
| in that country are proDouncsd by impartial
tminds, or whether they are not dictated by
spirit Of vengeance and fanaticism."
The President |" Bat there exists another
/ version for this story. You have been prose
secused for the following crimes: Robbery, O. "a,
United with violence, of sum of LOCO crowns,
Belonging to priest; robbery of horse, ready
saddled, usurpation of public functions nu
nerous acts of peculatfon, robberies committed
to the prejudice of hundreds of peasants and of
priests. These are the deeds for which you
we're prosecuted, and from the consequences of
sbich you fed" x sa's II
II Orsini. al did not fly from the conseq uences
voted the deposition of the Pope, and was
driven out of the Roman States As to ell these
Accusations, they are falsely made by the Ro.
enan Government; but you should understand
what is the situation of chief who has not the
meaes of giving food to his troops such sit
aation is very critical. He is obliged to levy
contributions, bnt, in truth, they are only loans
% the Government"
How did you procure information as to the
lime at which the Emperor went ont, and the
order of his cortege
< 81 one day passed on the Boulevard, and
law a great movement / asked a workman
what occasioned it, and he said, 1t is the EN-
aim? Yes l went forward, and did SO.
| On the l4th January, / saw grand perform
ance announced, and said to myself that per-
| haps the Emperor would be present at it. In
| the evening, about half an hour before the
opening of the theatre, I saw Examinations,
and said to myself, 1T is certain the Emperor
will come ~"
"Where did the $1,000 come from, that were
found ON you? 2"
| 81 delivered lectures in England, and had
numerous audtories and that sum was the
profit of my labor. l also had classes for liter
ature, and gave recital of my misfortunes,
which are also those of Italy"
'sWhat did you reckon on, had the attempt
failed?"
81 had fret said to myself Let us put down
The system; Napoleon is all powerful ia Europe
| if he falls, Italy will rise of herself"
"What you were doing, then, was only with q
revolutionary object, to render to Italy the lib
erty which she enjoyed in 1897"
| COB! i wanted first of all her independence
for Itsly cannot pretend to liberty, if she does
not achieve her Independence. The proof Of
The truth of what assert is, that / wrote to
Count de Cavour that my patriotism did not
| merely consist in words, but in facts; that I
Should be always ready to fight any foreign
Power; and that offered him my boldness and
energy to aid him, before all things, in obtain
ing independence; 80 that, although repub-
ican, ] did not think myself entitled to impose
any opinion on a whole nation. never received
sny reply to my letter."
After the examination of q number of wit
aesses, the Procureur General addressed the
court at length, giving full statement of the
| vholecase, and the part which each of the pris
oners took both in the plot and its dreadful ex
ecution. ,
Mr., Jules Faver, advocate of Orsini, spoke as
| 'ollows:
"Tbe Procureur General had no need to
make an eloquent appeal to call us all to be
Seized with terror and dismay at the recital of the
aangainary tragedy of the 14th January for
before entering here, all hearts were unanimous
in regarding the act with horror. The Procu
seur General and myself may differ in political
opinions. I ask permission not to incline my.
self before the principles and the men he de-
fends, TO preserve in my heart the sacred de-
post OF my Impressions and my convictions
The Procureur General knows as well as /, they
have not assassination and the poignard as their
symbol. / detest violence and condemn force
when they are not employed in the service Of
right. If a nation is so unfortunate as to fall
into The hands of a despot, it is not by means
of a pOignard that it will shake off its chains
God, who counts them, knows the number OF
hours despots have to last, and reserves to them
catastrophes more inevitable than the machi
nations of orspirators. Such is my profound
conviction and yet, when Orsini appealed to
me to be his advocate, 1 did not refuse. 1 knew
what q terrible burden / accepted, how useless
must my defence be, and told him so frankly, a,
Che same time expressing the horror with which
bis crime inspired me. Butas the same time was
moved by his misfortunes, by his constancy in the
/ al ~, Oh Ia L. L.
ais sacrifices of all kinds to his country I said
to him, If I were an Italian, son of country
oppressed by the foreigner, / could have desired
% suffer as you have done for her, to have shed
Ny blood for her! Offer your head as bolocaus,
% the society you have offended, to the Law you
lave disregarded and violated. Your life will
disappear, in order to expiate the crime you
gave committed ! will 20 with you before the
Jury, not to glorify but TO explain your conduct
20 say under the influence of what sentiments
Sou have committed the act which / deplore
ind condemn; will go, in order to cause tc
chine on your immortal soul, which is about tc
eeturn to God, rays of truth which in future
may serve to protect and defend your memory
said that, and therefore, gentlemen of the jury
if my weak hand is about to be extended over
the head of Orsini, it is not to save him, not te
defend him, but to explain what fatal influence
the sentiments which throb in mine.
"Orsini, gentlemen, Notwithstanding what ha,
been and may be said, yielded not TO ideas Of
sel6shness, or ambition, or of hatred. His en-
tire life protests against such imputations; be
has all his life struggled against the oppression
of his country by foreigners. He received love
J of his country with the blood of his father; be
sucked in with his mothers milk the princi
pies for which he has sacrificed himself. His
father served in our glorious army as captain
!, and mixed his blood with the blood OF the sol
, diers of France. When he saw the last sol
der Of the Italian cause fall, he sheathed his
, sword, and you need feel no surprise on being
told that as his son in later years, be wa.
mixed up in all the conspiracies which had fol
their sobject the unity and independence O.
! Italy, and he took part in the instruction O
/ 1881 against the Ponti6cal Government. II
, that rising, one of the principal conspiratorl
: fell beneath the balls of the Sbirri. Felic,
Orsini was then twelve years old be saw that
, and can you wonder that his heart became fill
t ed with bitter, profound, inhsxibIe hatred o.
, the oppressors of his country? He has beer
represented as q Vulgar conspirator, desiring
the overthrow of Governments, in order to seiz
!. power, and lead voluptuous life. But that il
not true As an Italian, could he help seeing tn,
t evils from which his country sufereda Couk
t he hip feeling the weight Of the chains which
\ bear Der DOWN. The idea to which he devoted
. hims ,lf--the union of Italy-was that of Ma
: polesn 1. That sovereign did much toward
effecting it, and be knew that the first thing Il
D be done was the destruction of the tempora
: power of the Pope. That, gentlemen, is tn
idea 10 which Orsini has sacrificed everything
|, and it is it which has led him to the plot TO
a which he was condemned, as yop have beel
e told, ia l845. BE was smnestied, and it ha
Z been said that he almost i'm mediatelY after vic