New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-05-12
CROSSING OF TIE TICINO.


There can be no doubt that the evening of Tues
dny The .tih the rnAu Austrian army, sail I" be
IL UU strong, crossed the lclho III three great Vls-
iops and NV ade,i the Pr,imont@s. territory lnus
began the war with which Europe has been so hong
tfeaioIcd aud uf which no man can preict the ehi
We NAV row cease from the expression Ot moral ahd
political opinions. Whether Napoleon Ill. he an an
tiiIous and subde putentate, ur whether lie De lie
Chan pon Of suffering humanity l. matter oi little
iui,ftrLce. Whether Austria ud rght III sending an
utiu alum to SARDINIA, whether II Wa her duty 10 wAt
until Lun Malu esbury had made some fresh PROPOSE
tou and FraLce and Russia had inierposed another
series f bubbles aud DELAYS, are now matters "uch
We mry as well forget. They are Of as little Import
suce the controversy respecting the breach ot the
Peace # Aiiien-.
III, great fuct wh ch Europe has TO consider is that
france Las c,mmeucrd IA war with the aVowet pur-
Lose Of tearing up the treaties oi lslJi anu that
treaty, ar con, euuu, understandings l. III eNStence
b,twe,I the " esten aud Eastern despotsus Tor the
coelclun. perhaps the spoaIon, OF GERMANY ana tue
re-selt a., IT 81 the Continent. Every step III the
march IT events must have the deepest interest for
country he Guns, which the common object oil envy
ara difke 10 the Powers that now assume to remodel
the map ( Europe. Austria viii have la bear Tue
first shock oi the conflict. France aud Snriina are III
arms on the one side the other, Russia will at enSt
take up sn attitude of hostility such a. Austria OBJ
served toward her III tie Eastern War
I,ylaIs indeed Al, AaIdcr may So far yield TO the
il starcos ii his vudictve counselrs a. to throw
away biz Influence III Germany by an actual Invasion
If the Austrian States. To meet these dangers, Aus
tria f The first two mouths, at least, must trns 10
Lerref alone The Ministers Of Francis Joseph nave,
We should think fresesn and calculated On this neces-
sty In fact Count Buo has said ~ much 10
OF of his notes, and the imnense preparations the
lich tone ard the rapid action Of the Niennese Cabl-
Indicate that, Ill the olhion OF It's ruler Austria
able to carry a successful struggle with French and
Fremont, Sc armies in Italy. II row remains to be
seer how far these hopes are well founded.
week will determine the nature of the campaign
whether Aus ria VII, maintain the offensive or content
herself i'll protecting her Italian POSSESSIONS; whether
Gen. Hess and Gyula will march on Turin and be-
se,e Alessandra, fall back On the system of Lo-
bard foriresses, which il has been the work OF fr'y
years to construct. Two open To the Aus
tnau Government. The one is ~ do no more than
enter the Iedn"ltere territory, aud thus commit
f1u al net If war; for the purpose Of bringing matters
to crisis and forcing France and Frances allies to
dec-Ie themselves. This step would not preclude the
general plan of tbs campaign from being defensive,
The INVASION BEN political ami not military move
meIt The other plan is likely find much more favor
with youthful Emperor, and An army sore with pro-
vacations. II L. If c, urse to press on with every
available battalion to Turin ~ destroy It pOssble the
Sardrlan amy before the French can come np; 10
crush the latter as they descend weary aud disorered
from the passes Of the Alps; ia fine, Ia carry out such
Il campaig the Great Napoleon would nave done II
lie had had ~ ,tOJ men in line, aud his euemys capt.
tal Lad been only 50 niles away.
Whether this bold policy Will be adopted il more
than We pretend to say. The Austrians have
shown such contradictory qualities III their military
history that we have 10 means Ut juiging how they
the slowress and pedaltry Of 1896 the energy
1919. Another week may see them patrolng Turin
on giving orders for the abandonment of Milan. few
DAYS since they might have struck heavy bl w; bat
by the Wen esGay before Easter il was known that
tie HH mdtmm was to be presented, aud within ~
hour, tie french began 10 move. Then came the
three days Of grace aud consequently the French
es ed ,eary wssk to the h ds wat, 'rse III t1sIs
pieat d,al Def, sufficient body Of French troops
could con" to the ASSISTANCE OF their allies. Bet seen
Il Austrian frontier and Turin the country Ii plan;
d ere obstacles to al enemy march, AMI Victor
III anuel would be under the cruel necessity ut
tbOndouiug his capital, or fighting desperate battle
with Inferior forces against ole Of the most petey
equipped arn les If the Continent
In the event, however, OF such determined tactics,
il il probable that the Sariinans will sacrifice every
Ting IT, the paramount ueces'ity OF saving their army
They would doubt, fall back OF Alessaudria, and
from this base await the assistance Of the French
tIocps WHO are being rapidly transported to Genos.
We ny presume that by this time some 900 Strd
Iisus concentrated at Aessandria and tina: the
rect If tie amy are reTeauhg before the Ausnans,
e-ceayOrii much possible To avoid COLLISION.
Tie question Of greatest importance however, i the
nOven cit Of the French armies; and here W. must
pay tribute to the nation which lately ally.
fT,Lchnep may hot be superior ~ Germans, they are
certainly not equal To Engsbn-n III strength, endur
sIce and tho qualities whicl-cUurage being sup
posed equal-are likely to decie the fate Of battles.
But in the great military quality OF promptness they
without an equal
The manner IN which the French troops have been
dill aich-d to the Alps since God Friday is mo lei
fer the study If officers. The very Of entering
railway carriage and di-posiug Of his knapsack aud
his usket has been Taught the soldier part of his
drl. We may be assured that nothing that euergy,
&C eLte and skill can accomplish for the speedy con-
eeItrston # French armies al Turn and Genoa will
be Leglected. But the difficulties in the way Uf the
Emperor Napoleon troops are uutiew. The sea,oI Is
BAG - ard; Mott Gems is covered with snow. Tne
vast army of the French has been pushed forward
without preparation the comlnsaria il deficient the
country they euter is poor, there is very Little If last
years to be had, and this years will not b. nj for
the harvest for three months al the least. La thls
there will be making the support the
l. us Napoleon must To great extent, take hi pro-
ysiors with him, or pay for what he requires ont OF
the fluids which his obseduiOus sembi les have yOe.
Then, there is The loss which inevitably attends
rapId marches in snch Indictment regions, aud it may
be predicted ii az the ambulances which follow the
of the army will hav. plenty IT occupants befJre
H., plains of Piedmont resched. But there H.
tie other hand, a more favorable picture The French
have the command If the II may be said, with
c,ufdeLce, that If France could only reach Italy
across the Alps, the Aus,rsns might seize the country
and crush each division e-ged from the passes
But the town and harbor of GeEoa shnnst inprvgra.
bic, in the hands Of the Sardinians; may say
ipGeed, in the hands Of the French. French troops
arriving daily and IN few days these will con-
stiiuie army, which, in CONJUNCTION with the Sar
dIians at Ales-aDdra, will be too formidable 10 be
left in the rear Of invading force.
II there be thing which especially shows the
military genus If the French, il is their transport of
troops by sea. In the Ru-saa War, while We hal our
Himaayss and Jssons, they had ouly their little
trading vessels, most Of them engaged in their Channel
eabctage.' Yet in every little bng, which probably