Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-06-02
Movements at the seat Of War.
r,om the London Times, May l8.

i.mn.nies the Austrian army. gives con-
narratiye of the events which have taken
'S since its first invasion of the Piedmont
E',arr;tory, three weeks ago. On the 10th
the Austrian headquarters were at
Wnrtara, Vercelli having been abandoned,
.rJ the Sesia recrossed the day before
Am intelligence received up to the present
I:,"a we learn that the Austrians have re-
.roJ from Noghera and C~asteggio. on the
9TH e the Pc, and there can be no little
I',ht that the invasion of Piedmont may now
S'" .or .idered at an end. The consequences
,h;. moyement seem to have been small in
3,.j in a military point of view. 1t has
rr;eJ on the war, and 80 far may have been
liable to Austria, and it has allowed Cen
"naI G>ulai to strip the entire east Of Pied
"n, ss far as the Dora Baltea, of all kinds
:, nro,isions and forage; but the strategical
.%a.n,lts have been very triHing. From the
UNITS we publish, it would appear that the
,,striaps have all the scientific skill and
completeness of appointment which are ut
,,ihu,ed to them. They constructed bridges,
med masonry, discovered the mines OF their
gl,.rsaries, marched, and foraged with all
,ha experience of Il veteran army. 1t re-
mains 10 be- proved whether these qualities
Ar. accompanied by that vigor and endurance
which will enable them to hold their ground
ogsjpst II force of French and Piedmontese,
winch, perhaps, may soon considerably out
nHmber them.
All accounts agree that the incessant rains,
the rising Of the rivers. and the flooding OF
,Lr low grounds have been more serious obsta-
,lr. 10 the Austrians than the defensive dispo-
.;rons ofthc Sandman generals. For a fort
pi,ht the troops of Gen. Gyulai seems to have
royeA where they pleased. from the spurs OF the
Alps 10 the plains south Of the 20, and hard
Is an attempt was made to stop them. Even
the artificial foundations which can be pro-
duccd in the low grounds were not resorted
~ and only the powers of nature stemmed
th, tide Of invasion. But the Austrians,
though affecting great Indignation at the
three days delay imposed on them by diplo-
matte interference, may think themselves
fortunate in having escaped the consequences
Of a march on Turin. They would probably
have missed capturing the Sandman army,
which would either have sought shelter un-
der Alcssandria and Genoa, or fallen back to
the most western limits of the kingdom, and
thew would have been taken in the rear by
the French from Alessandria, while the state
Of the country would have prevented a retreat.
The mere distinction of capturing and plum
dering a capital city would have been dearly
purchased by such dangers as these.
This great army, over which the Emperor
Francis Joseph himself is shortly to take
supreme command, which is directed by the
most distinguished generals Of the empire,
and which is filled with officers taken from
noble houses of Germany, is now shortly to
be matched against the democratic jevles
which own the rule of the Emperor Louis
Napoleon. Plebian vigor and ambition are
to be pitted against aristooratic pride
Schwartzenbergs and Stations will COM
mand in opposition to children Of the people
who have passed their lives in barracks and
estaminets, or in the camps of Africa. The
campaign will have an unusual interest tor
ourselves, to whose army are attributed ma
nv of the faults which may diminish the
efficiency Of the Austrians. Yet there Is
one signal difference between them. Among
us the individual soldier is Of excellent ma
terial, and requires only skilful generalship,
which he sometimes fails to find, while the
Austrian military organization is confess
edly excellent, but the men, though ro-
bust and active, want the spirit which edu-
cation, nationality. and u common language
can alone give. The course of the cam
paign, it is of course impossible to predict
IL is probable that the Allies will not respect
the neutrality of Parma, although the revolu-
tionury movement in that duchy proved O
failure, and the Duchess Regent was restor-
ed to power by her own army and people,
A small State has as much right to indepen-
dence and neutrality as a large one; but then
the possession of Parma and Modena would
allow the French to turn the position OF the
Austrians, and perhaps insure the abandon
ment of Milan. We may expect therefore,
either that the territory of these States Will
be crossed on some pretext, or Thai distor'
Dances will be fomented to produce an lmi'
tation of the Tuscan revolt. The French can
afford to allow the neutrality of the Papal
Safes, for the Pc in its lower course is almost
impossible against an enemy; but the begin
ming of the campaign will probably coincide
with some political movements which Will
give the French a more extended line OF OPP
e~rations than the course of the Ticino. The
Austrians seem to expect an attack on their
left, for the latest intelligence represents them
as hard at work in the neighborhood OF Stra'
della, on the right bank of the Pc, a little
below the confluence of the Ticino. In this
direction the first blow will probably be
struck.