The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1859-06-25
Tho Italian Question.

To the present time we have discussed
this question freely and unreservedly, anc
| elucidated as best we could, the governing
motives and true principles involved in it
| and now, # not before, becomes an alb
, sorbing, if not an all important question
Having arrived at the iuncture OF action
point wherein the great armed forces o.
the contending parties are in juxtaposi
ton, and where they have commenced in
earnest their strategical evolutions perpar
atory to the first great battle, the result OF
which Is vastly important, and may now
be daily looked for (June l4th, 1852 with
expectation, and which is to test to the
utmost the skill and science of the gen
eral officers, and prove the personal brave
ry and prowess OF every man engaged on
both sides. We propose to give the num-
bers, positions, movements, fortresses tri-
umphs and defeats of each army To the
present time, and some general idea OF
their future movements. Before however,
entering upon these details, 1--WE disavow
being prophet or the son OF prophet J
we surely may be permitted to call atten-
ton, without egotism, we trust, to the al
most exact, SO far, fultllment Of events to
our representations. The details of the
present position and relations of govern
ments and people, numbers Of the respec-
tive armies, and the political state OF the
questions at issue, with the relative bear
ing of the Italians and lIungarians and
their chiefs Garibaldi and kossuth TO these
questions, are almost exactly as we have
predicted, indeed, we may truthfully say,
the parallel of result to prediction is quite
remarkable and perfectly satisfactory. We
feel then prepared for the various aspects
OF this question at large and as TO the mi
nor details, must expect them TO unfold
themselves according to the exigences of
the strategy and genius of the brave men
of both armies who immediately guide
the storm and rule the whirlwind OF bat
tie. The movements and counter-move-
men:s, skirn shing and outpost attacks,
Will be more or less rapid and successive
az the armies approximate each other, and
these are the interlude, as we have before
noted, to the grand outburst that Is To
come
First--Thc numbers of the armies con
tronted, and who will operate directly and
Indirectly, IN action and in reserve, IN the
present anticipated great battle or battles
tho we anticipate but one for the present,
which may properly be called q gred; bat
tie The French, as before stated by Us.
rnay be put at 100000 men OF all arms
the intrepid and brilliant Garibaldi, al
10000, and the Italians proper, including
refugees and volunteers AT full 100 OUU
men This total of allies now in the field.
all along from Genoa TO Lake Mag,iore,
but not Is we enormously stated in
No. I, exclusive Of garrisons, though soon
will be, and train guards depots and new
recruits, and outside of the from. of the
enemy line, make the round number OF
$4,000 men. Attached 10 this army there
are, and to be, when their armament is all
III the field, Jour hpadre3 pieces ct cannon,
exclusive OF two heavy scige trains num-
berng Sirty pieces, with resources for re
newsl OF this immense force Napoleon
III has ia front OF him and which he can
concentrate within l. hours upon any CIV
en- point within point within - miles OF
Allessandria or Noghura lsOV00 French,
donna S~~@i;,.i~.-ar 49,! IA "A I-aIiai.s n
force more than equal the combined ar
mics in collision at Waterloo commanded
by Napoleon lst and Wellington
The Austrian force is composed of the
Cd. Sd, 9TH par,..of the 9th lih, eth, and
a part Of the 9th army corps, numbering
at the ieas, 10000 men, concentrated Oh
both the Sandman and Lonlbaroy side OF
the Po and Ticino, with 2j,OOU men at
Milan, being a total Of 55:.JJ, 900 men, nearly
1000 Of which are in the saddle, and all
Of which may be concentrated AZ any Civ
en point Oh the north bank of the Po or
east of the Ticino, in from Is to 90 hours.
II Is said the number OF cannon TO the
Austrian army corps Of 10000 men Is l2u,
which would give them, with the above
force, full Seceq h.0ircd Cannon now in the
field We think, however, the true uunI-
ber Is about 80 to 6UO pieces. Their cav
airy are also said TO be heavier and much
superior IN appearance TO that OF the al
lies In addition to the above. the Aus
trian force said TO be in Lombardy is about
l6oO0U men.
Second-the position OF the troo is OF
the allies is about as follows: The right
wing east and south OF AllessaIrlria is
commanded 10y its chief Marshall Bara-
quay de Hilliers, the centre. from Allessan-
dria to Nercelli, by Marshall Canrobert,
and the left wing, from Nercelii to Lake
Magciore, by General McMahon. The
Emperor Napolepn III, with his brilliant
staff, has his headquarters with the CEN
tire OF the army, principally at Allessandria,
but now at Casall and the King Sardinia
with the right of the left wing and last
at Nalenza The French reserve land
this is understood to mean the allied re-
serve) Is stationed between Genoa and AL
1essandria, and commanded by General
Regnault St Jean d Angely
The Austrian ri ght wing is from Milan
to Eercelli, and is commanded by Prince
Schwarzenburg the centre from Vercilli
to Nohera and commanded by Count Gyulai,
and the left wing from Nohera to Piacen-
"a commanded by Count Seichsteinstein
The Emperor Francis Joseph has his head
quaters with the centre, near to Count
Gyulai and includes in his also brilliant
staff the celebrated Baron General Hess
as his chief adviser
We would also call the attention of the
reader to the highly important strategic
movement of the Prince Napoleon with
the neucleus of a force landed at Leghorn
on which it is to he organized in connec-
lion with the revolutionary force at Tus-
cany, Parma and Modena corps de arnee,
t. cut off the retreat Of the Austrians via
city of Mantua This movement, too, if
successful, must be regarded as eminently
strategical and worthy of the genius of
the lst Napoleon and taken in cpnnec-
cion with the movements of Garibaldi on
the very extreme of the left flank, with
the sure and constantly forward movement
of the Sardo-French armies from the cen
tire, contining the Austrians to constantly
narrower base of operations, all must be
acknowledged as demonstrating the cool
and determined sagacity and military ge-
MUS OF Napoleon Ill to be of the highest
order.
The Austrians are being hemmed by
wall OF men that they cannot pass I'M
scathed, and by which they. may be abso-
lutely crushed and wiped OUT Garibaldi
and revolution on the North, Prince, Ma
poleon and revolution in the South. and
the Emperor Napoleon III. and King Vic
tor Emmanuel in the Centre, and constant
ly pressing forward with no reverses but
continued success, how can the Austrians
escape? We can see no way.