The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-06-02
A KINGDOM TWICE LOST.
Will it Now be Wonq

80, then, war has come at last. After months
OF truitless negotiation, Europe is plunged into
q tremendous conflict, and the fate of Italy is
again to be decided By the sword. The Aus
TRANS have struck the first blow Anticipating
the advance of the French over the Alps, they
have invaded Piedmont, with the hope of de.
stroylng the Sandman army before their allies
can arrive. If they succeed in forcing a battle
the result cannot be doubtful The undoubted
bravery of the Piedmontese troops could avail
little before the immense disparity Of numbers
Their only hope is, to make an immediate re-
treat, even if obliged to sacrifice Turin, and to
throw themselves into the fortresses of Alessan-
dria and Genoa, and there wait the arrival OF
the French. Better suffer their capital to be
| occupied for few days by the enemy, than
rIsk-@n encOunteF 0f which the result would be
almost certain destruction. If the Austrans
have pressed on their march, it is not improba-
Bile that they are now masters Of the Sandman
capital.
But this is not the end Of the war; Ii is
hardly the beginning. Scarcely did the Aus
TRAN hussars issue from the gates of Milan, be-
fore the French were on the march for the Alps.
1t Is but few months since we crossed the
Mont Cents, the chief route for the troops, and
every turn of the pass is distinctly in mind.
We can almost see the files winding up the
rocky gorge, and clustering in brilliant array
on the cold heights where hannibal stood two
thousand years ago. At the same time, auoth-
er column takes the route of the Maritime Alps,
while the Mediterranean is already black with
steamers conveying troops from Marseilles and
Toulon to Genoa. When these hosts appear
on the scene of war, it is quite probable that
the scales will be turned, and that the Aus
TRANS will evacuate, not only Turin, but Milan,
nd 4 D.. :, IL
the end of the war? Sangune patriots believe
that the combined French and Sandman army
will soon make an utter end of Austrian do
minion in Italy. Heaven grant it may prove
so But we should be more hopeful were it
not for some recent experiences which we can
not quite forget. That we may not be too san
guiRe, 1t may be well to recall events not far
distant, which have occurred on this very field
We have lately passed over both the scene of
the campaign of lS48, and the battlefield of
Novara, and seen and talked with many famil-
lar with all their details. Twice has the hope
Of Italian liberty been Iost-will it be realized
now?
Ten years ago, it seemed as if the set time
of God to favor the nations had come. The
spring of that memorable year was hailed as
the dawn of universal liberty. The revolution
in Paris was the morning gun that startled Eu-
rope, but even that hardly caused such aston
ishment as when an echo came back from Vi
emma. Then the people of Milan rose upon the
Austrian troops. They fought from house to
house, aud from street to street, and even on
the roof of the Cathedral, till the popular fury
prevailed over disciplined soldiery, and Ra-
detzky, with his whole army, defiled out of the
city gates by night, and retreated across the
plains Of Lombardy. Then, indeed, it seemed
that the great battle was won. Italy was free,
and. the Joy of the people knew no bounds.
With eXultant hearts they throDged the Cathe-
dral, TO give solemn thanks to God for their
great victory.
To swell the general triumph, hardly had Ra-
detZky fed from Milan, before Charles Albert
crossed the frontier with a Sandman army in
hot pursuit. At the same time the Italian regi-
ments in the Austrian army deserted their flag.
Thus weakened in numbers, and dispirited by
defeat, Radetzky withdrew his shattered troops
within the walls of Mantua, while the King of
Sardinia mustered ali array of nearly hundred
thousand men, in all the confidence of victory.
Little did he think that, in few weeks, that
magnificent army would be scattered like the
autumn leaves
At that moment it seemed to human eye as
if the the power of Austria in Italy was broken
forever. Indeed, the Cabinet of Vienna itself
felt that the battle was lost, and sought, in
terms almost abject and humiliating, to make
peace with the victorious people. A commits
sioner from the Emperor appeared with form.
al proposition to Charles Albert to give up the
whole of Lombardy, if she would but assume
her portion of the public debt. Austria offered
to divide the territory of Northern Italy by the
line of the Adige, surrendering Lombardy to
Sardinia, while she retained only the Venetian
territory. The King, who knew the hazards of
battle, was strongly inclined to accept these
terms, but the fiery Italians denounced the pro-
posal as betrayal of Venice. They would
have all of Italy or none. And so, finally, they
had none.
All this while the veteran Radetzky kept be-
hind the walls of Mantua and Verona, biding
his time. Charles Albert, distracted by these
negotiations, and not knowing very well how TO
conduct vigorous campaign, sat down before
the walls of Mantua. Now, siege of Mantua
is about as hopeless an undertaking as would
be siege Of Gibraltar. 1t is surrounded with
o network of streams, and can only be approach
cd over bridges. Here the old Austrian chief,