Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1859-05-20

when IN power do not practice the economy which
they loudly profess but are guilty of more extrava-
gance in federal expenditures than any other party ever
has been in the history of the Government
Last War Between Austria nj Sardinia.
At the present crisis everything concerning Austria
and Sardinia will be perused with peculiar interest," and
may therefore not be out of place to recall the last
sion when the armies of the two powers upon the battle
field and when the gallant little kingdom of Sardinia
not, now aided by the gigantic support of France
Scarce decade has passed since the plains of Novara
reechoed to the thunder of the artillery and dark
ened with the dust and smoke of battle Many of our
readers will vivdly remember this great conflict and
the interest it excited but with the majority the past
ten years have dmmed the recollection of the previous
European crisis and the battle of Novara to them
but an Historical tradition The following from the
New York Evening Post however briefly recapitulates
the particulars of that eventul conflict:
The battle of Novara, nearly fatal to the ambitious
schemes of Sardinia as Pultowa was to Sweden, or
Waterloo to Bonapare took place on the Oath of March,
l849, near Novara, city of Piedmont, situated
hill about twenty-seven miles west of Milan. 1t ap-
pears that the morning Of the Goth the Pedmontee
troops, commanded by General Chrzanowski, had con-
centrated in force about fifty thousand at Novara
and at of that day received marching orders from
Turin.
| In the meantime Charles Albert was in the immed
ate vicinity, about to advance to Pavia and take pos
session of that place. By sratgecal movements, Rad
etzky cut off communication between the forces COM
manded by the general and the king and then pursued
the latter. Finding themselves unable to retreat the
Sandman troops faced the pursuers and were on the
2ls discomfted at Verceli and hastily retreated to-
wards Turin. On the oath the Ausrians and Pied
monese again came into collision. Then ensued the
battle of Novara Radetzky in his official dispatches
to his government gives the following account of the
struggle:
"The hostile army already Ton the oath of march,
cat off from what in reality, their line of retreat,
determined with force of fifty thousand men, again to
try the fortune of war in position near Oengo close
to Novara. The second division, which forms the
guard under Gen. ASPIRE, marched on the 23dtoWards
Olengo and there encountered the enemy, whose
peced force made the battle doubtful for some hours
had placed the fourth division the right flank of the
enemy and behind thai the first in order to take him
completely in the the other side of the Agoyna.
The Archduke Abrecht, commanding the vanguard di
vision, kept the enemy at bay until Baron ASPIRE and
Baron Appel, with the third DIVISION brought up their
forces the two wings of that commanded by the Arch
duke Abrecht, while ordered up the fourth division to
support the centre. We succeeded in facing the enemy
until the fourth division under Field Marshal Lieuten-
ant Thurn acted so successfully the enemys right
wing, the other side OF Agoyna that this decisive
manuvre made the enemy retreat on all sides in great
disorder and seek shelter in the mountains the drec
I tion of the north.
"Our trophies are twelve cannon, a standard, and
about two three thousand firearms The loss of the
enemy is, far yet known, two generals killed, six
teen staff officers killed and wounded and from three to
four thousand men, The regiments and battalions in
the first line of battle had each from ten to twenty staff
and other officers killed and wounded; the total loss
amounts to between two and three thousand But it
was impossible to keep any one back. 1t was not
enough not to be the last every wanted to be first
The battle lasted from ten in the morning until ad
e vanCed hour of the night
1t appears that owing to the mismanagement of Gen
eral Chrzanowsk, Charles Albert almost without
artillery when he forced to encounter the Austrians
and this made the victory for the latter much easy
than if the Sardinans had been fully provided, Rad
ezky had upward of one hundred field pieces which
abed him to ply the Pedmontese infantry with grape
shots and destroy thousands of hem His victory was
complete, and the Piedmontese army was completely
routed.
The Sardinians, both officers and men, fought noby
The Duke of Genoa the Kings son, had several horses
shot under him. but his efforts were useless The King
was in the thickest of the fight, but though balls whis
tied around him, and several were killed at his sde
he was uninured. At nightfal the Piedmotese were
obliged to retreat but during the night Charles Albert
continued to direct the defence. General Durando in
vain tried to take him by the arm and lead him away.
General" said the King, it is my last day-let me
die.''
But death does not always come when sought The
King still unhurt, and when he saw that the army
could hold out no longer, he was forced to demand
suspension of hostilities The blow was however too
severe for him to endure. If the Charles Albert
not dead he determined that the disastrous day
of Novaa should end the existence Of the king Charles
Albert At Turin he called his and officers, and said
to them no longer render my country the SER
vices to which have consecrated my life After mature
: reflection have resolved to abdcate His friends eli
> deavored to combat this intention. No., he replied
with great frmness, my resolution is takenI no
longer king the king is Victor Emanuel" 1t was
owing to the disastrous result of the battle OF Novara
and to the singulary dramatic action the part of the
disappointed monarch that the present King of Sardinia
J. then Duke of Savory was prematurey raised to the
K throne.
II Austria, assuming the abdication of the king as
sufficient apology for what she termed his unjust deca
rations of war; proposed armistice, according to
which Victor Emanuel on the part of Sardinia agreed
to dsband the Hungarian Polish and Lobardan regi-
ments or condition of their receiving complete amnes
ty from Austria to allow certain specified military
cupaton of Lombardy including that of the fortress of
n Aessandra, by Austrian troops to withdrawher fleets
D of Sardinia from the Adriatc, and her troops from
D. Venice and to conclude prompt and durable peace,
and reduce the army to peace footing.
Ten years have elapsed since these events took place
u The shrewd political writers of England then foretod
that the worst consequences of the overthrow of Charles
Albert would be felt not in his dominons but in North
ern Italy while in the South the King of Naples would
be encouraged by it to indulge in acts OF despotism he
would not dare otherwise attempt These predictions
have proved true and at the present moment Lombardy
Is is in another erment of excitement and the King of
Naples after following out the tyrannc bent of his in
clinations is lying at the point of DEATH hated and de-
Il spsed by all Europe. Even as write the hand of
death may have drawn veil between the eyes OF the
ecrated monarch and those visions of imprisoned and
murdered men whose memories have disturbed his dying
hours like the ghosts of the outraged queens and princes
that fitted before the usurper Clos
We ter and bade him despair and die" Even now the
Alpine heights that stand like giant sennes guarding
the wide plains of Lombardy may look down upon that
rich and fertile tract and scarcely discern through the
d. dust and smoke of war the accustomed shmmering OF
C. the misty olive groves By the Porches of Lombard