The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-07-09

RuSsELS LETTERS TO THE "LoND0N TINES
"BERGAMo, June 14.-"You will, of course ask
yourself what can have to do in this rather out of
| the way place. The answer is simply that wish
ed to have look at the Italian movement in its ev
cry day garb On all the line where the great ar
my of the Allies passes itspreads such halo around
it that everything else is made obscure for miles
and you nothing but this colossal symbol OF
force and determination. Nor can it do otherwise;
there is grandeur in the very sight of large
armed force which imposes and subdues. How much
more must this be the case when it comes with the
prestige of victory and in the name of freedom. 1t
must eclipse everything else Besides in this spe-
cial case must remember that the initiative had
! lou1 before the war even began, been taken out OF
| the hands of the people. 1t was in order to regu-
late the Italian movement, and not to let it run
| wild, as it did in lS48, that the two Sovereigns
| have put themselves at the head of it. They kept
/ down systematically all fermentation, prevented
agitation, and the people, trusting to their power
full interference gave scarcely any sign of life while
| their fate was being decided. One must keen this
always in mind for had it not been for the assuran-
ces from France and Sardinia should have seen
repetition of many of the scenes of 1S4S. As ii
was, the people had not trusted in vain, for town
after town and district after district were rid the
Austrians by the gradual advance of the Allies and
without any danger or sacrifice their part
! There were, indeed, numbers of youths who, even
before the war broke out, went over to Piedmont
and enlisted, but this the act of individuals
such, and not of the people collectively
| 'Ihese latter had hitherto only had occasion to
plays OF welcome and gratitude towards the Allies
Wherever, therefore, the Allies have passed on their
line OF advance hitherto the Italian movement is
| only as it were beginning.
1.-The slopes of the mountains to the North form
! however, an exceptions; here the popular element
was called early into play. Garbaldi, the renown-
ed partizan chief of Italy, was sent over long be-
fore the allied armies moved, to rouse the popula-
ton OF the hills and to drive out the Austrans with
their assistance. With body of about 1000 or
| 5000 men, among whom was large number who
| had come over from Lombardy, Garibaldi was the
representative as it were, of the popular element;
MS mission Deing TO make diversion on the flank
of the armies which still occupied the country in
force, 1t could only be accomplished by the asss-
lance of the people.
"Here, then, if anywhere in Lombardv, is. for
the moment the place to see whether an Italian
movement, which, like every other, must imply
risks and sacrifices, exists or not 1t has not ONLY
been left to ITSELF but stimulated to show ITSELF
Remember now the facts which tell more than any,
thing else Before the allied forces stirred from
the 20 Garibaldi with his troops was at Varese
between the Lago Maggiore and Como Before
| they had crossed the Sesia he had gone to Como
| before the Allies entered Milan he was at Lecco
before they stirred from Milan he had entered Ber-
| gamo, and while they crossing the AIDA he
was already in Brescia. That all this did not hap
pen without yicissitudes and losses is natural but
this does not impair the great facts
"No doubt, to the boldness and resources of the
commander and the bravery of his troops this sue
cess IS due in the first instance. There was ALWAYS
an apprehension abroad that the Italians would not
| night very desperately. The bravery of the regu-
lar Pledmontese army of course no one doubted
but the volunteers had rather dubious renown
from ls4S, when, with some brilliant executions
they did not show much fight. Garibaldi's troops
formed then one OF these exceptions, and certainly
the Caccatorl dele Alpi keep up the renown of
their chieftain. To any commander but above ali
to the leader of light troops like Garibaldi's, the
confidence of the soldier is one of the most neees
sary qualifications. The leader of the Cacciatori
dalln lrnrt
seems to know how to inspire every one with blind
obedience and unbounded trust in his skill and
luck. Hence it arises that all the more enthusiast
TIC OF the youths, many among them of the best
Italian families, have entered into his troop which
unlike other volunteer corps, may be looked upon
rather as corps delte. The result of this is that
if anything, too great daring is their fault
80 such body of men it was alone possible to
undertake the hazardous mission which it received
to throw itself on the right flank of the enemy on
the slopes OF the Alps, and the population in
those parts. If the people did not rise and if the
Austrlans sent an overwhelming force, there was
| no outlet but to surrender or be killed. The Aus
trians did send, you know, General Urban with
division to catch Garibaldi, and he would possibly
have succeeded in forcing his troops to Withdraw
| into Switzerland and be dsarmed had it not been
TOR the good spirit of the population. As it was,
Garibaldi kept him back by continual skirmishes
and clever marches, until the advance of the Allies
forced him to withdraw. The whole expedition of
Cacclatorl was rather one of those adventurous
modern warfare, and it will read almost like ro-
| nance when all its details are known Aided nv
the hardness and the spirit of his roops Garhsld;
was able to realize the mission of light troops to
perfection Now on the flank now on the rear.
now in front of the enemy, and appearing ON nonts
where he was least expected, he owed to this mo-
| bility his escape from the superior forces which
| were sent against him.
"But all this would, perhaps, have as little avail
| ed him as the bravery of his troops had he not
! found the people ready to side with him. He had
worked here IN lS49, and his name was well known.
1t was one of the few which had come out without
stain from that war. He was therefore the man
| for the work
| 'lf you look at the map, you will find ON the
northern slopes of the Alps number of larger or
smaller towns scattered about, with a population
ranging from 5000 to 10000. Most of these towns
| are oil old origin, and not few AMONG them ha va
played considerable part in history as the heads
OF one or another confederation of Lombard towns
Although centuries have passed since thew lost
neiI inaepenoence SO strong seems the vitality of
freedom that the traditions of it are religiously
Kept up, and spark of the spirit which once ami
mated them has survived centuries of subiection
IL was natural to suppose that, if anywhere, here
cause.
| Nor was this superstition wrong; for thew who
would have stirred sooner had they not had orders
10 remain quiet, lost no time in answering the sig
nal Tor rising. AS as Garibaldi's troops
showed themselves in the neighborbood of one NJ
these towns the Austrians thought it time to omit
In order not to expose themselves to be attacked in
town in revolt. Arms of the existence of which
t no one knew, were rapidly forthcoming. A ma
tlonal guard was Immediately organized barri-
cades thrown up to resist, in case the Austrians
tried to return, volunteers were enrolled means of
subsistence as well of transport organized for the
friendly troops and information collected about
the movements of the Austrians. And this spirit
was not displayed in one town or two. but in all
without exception. -
"There was but class which, as body, did
not join in this general movement, and this was
the clergy, which is strong in numbers and infu-
ence over the peasantry in the villages. This was
especially the case at Bergamo, which is the seat of
an ancient bishopric and possesses an incredible
NUMBER OF converts. Too weak to make head
against the stream, most of its members apparent
~ follow it, but in reality exert their influence Sc
cretly against it. As this is known, the feeling
against the whole class is very strong in the towns
anu II ever the movement should take revou-
tionary turn it will end i'll for them
''rhe peasantry in the villages although minis
takeabiy worked upon by the priests, have shown
themselves neither forward nor backward in the
national cause they do what they are told. but
with that dlstrust this class usually shows AGAINST
40 innovation, they keep back not to compromise
themselves too early, and to see which way things
are turning Here, everywhere else the history
a. mas peen 10 favor the peasantry against
the towns and the great proprietors Hitherto this
went only so far as to exact a far greater nronor
ZION OF taxes from those classes which were known
to De hostile to Austrian rule 1t seems now that,
>-S Va +" AioihS VI lne lOWnS oil L0mDardV,
it was decided to excite if possible the jealousy and
rivalry OF the different classes-a system which had
had signal uccessn Galicia in 1S48 There are GER
tain signs that crusade has been preached against
the landlords. This is more apparent in the plain.
where the greatest number of large properties ex-
lst but even there it can have no effect, unless
Communistic turn is given to the agitation The
position of landlord and peasant is here simply that
which exists in England between landowner and
farmer, and between this latter and the laborer.
The only difference is that the rents is paid in kind
and not in money--so many measures of wheat for
each acre, so much silk for each mulberry tree and
SO on There Is no trace of forced labor, or any
other remains of the feudal SYSTEM That the idea
OF becoming proprietors instead of aborers nav be
made palatable and find admirers among the peas
antry there can De no doubt butin the meantime it
eminent is established it will die of ITSELF
"Here at Bergamo the priestly element has its
neaa-quarters in the upper town. Bergamo main
Alps, between the valleys of the Brembo and the
and the Serio. The old town, surrounded bys high
hr~-IA