The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-06-02
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of the warl Such was the issue of this mem
orable campaign, begun and ended infive days
The armistice was signed March oath, Just one
year from the time that Charles Albert invaded
Lombardy. Such, then, was the final result Of
all the dreams and hopes of Italian patriots LOT
the expenditure of so much treasure and so
much bloodIi anns~
With the memory Of these things fresh in
mind, can anybody wonder that we feel doubt
and misgiving at the issue Of the war which is
now beginning? Whoever studies the history
of the campaigns of ls4s aud ls49, may antici-
pate, with good degree of confidence, the
course of events. The first attempt, as We see
already, is to repeat the bold stroke of Radetz-
ky in l849, by an invasion of Piedmont. If
this fail, then it is probable that the Austrian
army will retreat, not upon Milan, but upon
Mantua. But there. it will make stand and,
unless the campaign is conducted with great
skill, Mantua and Verona will be the rocks on
which the combined French and Sandman ar
mics will break in pieces. The issue OF the
campaign Of lS48 shows that it will never be
an easy matter to drive the Austrians out OF
Italy. If the people rise again in every city,
and are victorious if the French and Sardin-
ians pour an overwhelming force into Lombar-
dy, still the issue is by no means certain. At
first, these combined forces may carry all be-
fore them. But then it is probable the Aus
trisns will repeat the tactics of Radetzky In
lS48, at Mantua and Verona. And then comes
the tug of war. Here the Austrians occupy
one of the strongest military positions in all
Europe, resting on four strong fortresses, which
are so situated as to support each other. We
roma and Mantua. with Legnago and Peschiera,
stand at the angles of a square, or rhomboid.
Their ramparts, bristling with cannon, appear
like vast battalion thrown INTO hollow square
to repel charge of cavalry. This strong po-
sition cannot be attacked with much prospect
of success, or at least of immediate success. 1t
took the great Napoleon nine months to take
Mantua, and SO well did he know its importance,
that when once he got it, he never gave it up I'M
I'll he lost his throne.
This almost impregnable military position is
in direct communication with Austria by the
passes of the Tyrol. Here, then, an Austrian
army will wait, in all security, as Radetzky
waited, endeavoring only to maintain itself un-
til it wearies out the enemy, or until some I'M
guarded movement enables it to strike de-
cisve blow.
But not only is this very strong position
for defence, it is one of great danger to an en-
envy. An invading army, attempting to drive
the Austrians out of Lombardy, must advance
into this network of fortresses, where any false
step exposes it to destruction. Napoleon once
got caught in it, and extricated himself only by
a succession of battles and victories. All OBJ
stacles were overcome by his extraordinary
military genius. But the Napoleon who now
takes the field, though he occupies the throne
of his uncle, is not the heir of his vast talent in
war.
In default of such marvellous skill, there is
no resource but in an overwhelming strength.
The invading army must be 50 superior in
numbers, that ii can afford to divide, and leave
one great division to beleaguer Mantua and
Verona, while another, aided by feet in he
Adriatic, marches upon Venice, or even upon
Vienna. Otherwise, if the forces are but equal,
as the advantages of position are all on the
side of Austria, nothing but the most extraor
binary military combinations, or some unac-
countable fortune of war, can make the balance
incline to the other side.
Thus, looking at the position of the armies
in the field, our hearts are divided between
hope and fear, as the curtain rises on this great
and bloody drama. We are not sanguine, yet
we are not Respondent. But our faith in
good result comes from something higher than
the plans of Louis Napoleon. Some trust in
horses, and some in chariots, but we trust in
the name of the Lord our God In this awful
hour, while surveying with an attentive and
anxious eye the course of events, we would look
up devouily to that Being who holds the fate of
nations In His hand