New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-02-14
ITALY.

FLORENCE, Jan. rs, 1860.
We have just had repetition Of the hide melo-
drama, of which the reactonary party In Florence
gave us the first sample at the ball Of the Governor
of the League, on the LIST of January, and Of which
I sent you brief account in my last. Yesterday
evening, shortly after sunQt four successive 70
ports echoed omnOusly through the city. This is
the hour when every Florentne thinks it his duty
to be abroad, and the streets were full Of the
merry, goOd.humored Tuscan crowd, who are never
tired of gazing at their golden sunsets and purple
hills must tell you that for the last two days, an
idea has got very general hold of the people, that
the hour was fast approaching when the annexation
would be fully recognized from the Throne, and
that the cannon from the "fortezza da bassO"
might at any moment convey the lOng-hoped-for
intelligence 1t was not, therefore, very unnatural
that at the first report the crowd should put their
own construction on the event. The cry "Lan-
nessiOne" was caught up BY the throng, aud ran
amid shouts of "V;va Vittorio Emanuele' from
street to street, the ArnO, far away to the
Porta s. Nccolo and the Roman gate. i was
walking at the time in the Via CalzainOl, the long
street that leads from the Cathedral IL the Old
Piazza della Signora and Arnolfo's tower. In
less than minute a thousand lamps shOne
out upon the fading light, amid forest Of tri-
cOl0red banners. In o few moments. how
ever the general exultatiOn was changed for
q no less general feeling Of resentment and lndg-
nation, when it became known that two bombs con-
tanning several pounds of powder, had been thrown
into the "caserne" of the third battalion of the Ma
tiOnal Guard, and two more had exploded close
under the house of Ricasol the President of the
Council. / never saw a more excited crowd than
poured down with clenched hands and knitted
brows into the Via del COcOmaro, where stands tho
Palazzo Ricasoli. The neighboring streets and the
broad space round the Cathedral were quickly oc-
cupied by the battalOns of the National Guard,
who exerted themselves to the utmost in quoting
Vie passions of the people. In a few moments
RicasO presented himself to respond to the chorus
of excited voices, 'Viva RicasOli, Viva VittOriO
''Emanuele." These he said, were the last efforts
of party who felt that their hour had struck.
Fortunately for the honor of Tuscany their numbers
were as small as their attempts were contemplate.
Let the citizens, however, restrain their natural
Indignation, remembering that the main object OF
this and similar acts was TO carry away the popu-
lace to the commission Of deeds which should COM
promise that calm and digni6ed attitude which
Tuscany had preserved from the first moment OF
her glorious revolution. i believe that only two
persons were injured by the explosions; one ser.
want of RicasOs the other, man who happened
to be passing at the moment Several arrests were
made during the evening, among Others the Sig
u
Noble, OF Grand Dukes Body Guard The Govern
ment had received notice some days before from the
"Campanaro," or keeper of the Great Bell OF the
Cathedral, that an attempt was contemplated This
man had accepted their hundred "lre," TO sound
the ''stOrmo," or tocsin, which in the days Of
the old Florentine Republic was wont to summon
the citizens to assemble M times Of peril or emer-
gency. 1t seems impossible that the reactionary
party should not yet have learned how futile all such
attempts must De- that they should still shut their
eyes to the fact that the movement was entirely ma
tiOnal from the first moment, and no mere surface
storm, got up by powerful party to work out the
ambitious purposes of their employers.
The resignation of the acknowledgements Min.
isry and the return of Cavour TO power is received
with the utmost enthusiasm To an Italian, Cayour
is not only one of the most sklful OF European
politicians he is als) the champion who initiated the
national movement which is 10 restore her liberty
and independence to Italy He was the first who took
her cause out of the hands of demagogues, sectares
and reyolutionists and raised II to the dignity OF
! European question. The peace OF Vniafranea
seemed TO give fatal blow to all the hopes OF tno
Liberal party in Italy Austria was TO retsih
Venice, the Pope, his hands yet red with the nae
Gus massacre OF Perugis, to be raised to The hsnes
lace in an Italian Confederation, while the fTo-
,onsuls Of the Empire were 10 be restored TO the
thrones which their cruelty and oppression naa lost
| Under these circumstances Cavouf, rs repressn.a
live of the national idea of an united free ana III
dependent Italy, had but one course open 10 num-
resign. The late Ministry could never hope 70 %
popular, il rs the offspring of severe cheek gwen
TO the hopes OF the nation-it was the represents,
tive of no definite idea--it was identified WIN 10
question of foreign policy or internal REFORM eus
was mere symbol of that period OF usn s1,"
which was TO elapse between the peace OF snA,
| iranca and the regeneration OF the idea OF iAnap
Indeper dence. The return of Cayoar Is a return
from system of temporizing half measures 70 o.
bold and progressive policy. This great Statesman
is the persoDifcaton Of clear, dehnlfe' ns''o'A