Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-06-19
PROGRESS OF THE TNSURHECTION IN
SICILY.


SICILY
The Fan Of the city Of Palermo---EIistorY
Of she P1ace---1nteresflRE Facts in EEela.-
tion % the two sicilies.
The news thatPalermo had fallen that GARlBALDI
had entered the city and established his headquar
tiers therein after a fierce combat; that the royal
palace had been taken BY the populace from the
royal troops and burned, and that the bOmbardmsnt
Of the city By the Neapolitsu forces still continued
at last adyices, naturally excites intense interest,
and whets the appetite for further particulars"
The city Of Palermo (the chief city Of Sicily is
one Of the most picturesque in Europe. It's situa-
tion is admirable for commerce, and undera LIBERAL
fostering government it would become one Of the
most important points in the Mediterranean. It's
population $ about 600, and it contains many
extensive manufacturing establishments. It was
wei fortified and garrisoned by troops
Palermo has had an egentful history having been
founded BY the PhGnicians, when they were the
great coIonizug and trading people Of the Mediter-
rauean and the world. Carthagenians Romans,
Cloths, Saracens, Normans. Germans, French and
spaniards have st various times held it. and with
nearly every change there was terror and blood
shed. The scene of the somewhat mythical msssa-
ere known as " The sieilian vespers /" was in Paer
mo, and this event, whether truth or fable, still, af
ter the lapse Of nearly six centuries, imparts q
strange interest to the beautiful city. But Of all the
horrors that Palermo has endured in the course Of
many centuries, scarcely any surpassed those Of
IS4s when it was bombarded by the forces Of FER
DfAND II 1t waL for the atrocity Of that act that
the world nick-naued him King BOmha." His
son. who inherits the cruelty and bigOtry Of King
Bomba, is likely to suffer for his fathers and his
own crimes by the loss Of the fairer part Of his
dominions if not Of his throne itself
INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THE TWO sICnIEs.
The Kingdom Of the Two Sicilies-more common
" known as the Kingdom of Naples-is nearly as
large in area as the State Of New York. and contains
nearly thrice as many inhabitants. The Continental
portion alone has an area Of 1885 square miles,
whilst the Island of Sicily viii add about onethird
of that area more to the kingdom. The mainland
part Of the Two Sicies contains, by the last census
Of 1856 6.SsG,030 inhabitants. while the insular or
island portion has population Of 34l O3O The
receipts from various imports III 1886 were, for the
whole kingdom, 81, 1863 ducats, The ducat Of
Naples is not equal TO our dollar. The expenses
every year since 1856 must have gone many millions
beyond the receipts The total debt OF the country
is now more than one hundred and forty millions Of
dollars But the resources Of the Two Sicilies are
so great that, under liberal government the whole
debt would soon be wiped away.
Sicily. the largest island in the Mediterranean
(vhere Garibaldi is now Operating) is separated
from the Southern extremity Of Italy by the Straits
of Messina and surrounded by several groups OF
small islands. Il is about lSs miles in the largest
part-that is, from east to west-Varies from 81 tC
100 miles in width is 344 miles round, and 10 ,875
square miles in superfees.
Sicily is divided into seven prOVinces-PalermO
2vr
and Trapani The first three, the most importantly
a military view, are united by a road which runs
along the northern coast Of Grgenti and which viii
one day be extended around the whole coast Of the
lsland Palermo the chief town, is the residence Of
the GovernOr-General of Sicily, and is the seat Of
the government. It is handsome town. about five
miles round, containg some fine monuments, and il
protected by strong Notifications, among which are
the forts of Castel LuciO and Castellamara Il /.
situated at the bottom Of the gulf bearing its name
and on the banks Of the OsetO its population being
about 900 souls. Messina, situated a gulf Of
the same name possesses the best port in the Medi
terranean 1t i defended by formidable forhfca
tons among which are the Citadel, Fort st. Saliva
tore, and the BastiOn Real Alto, completely com
manding the entrance of the port On the heights
at less than one thousand yards from the Citadel
are the forts Of GOnzague, Castel LuciO, and Capu
cin The Straits Of Messina, separating Sicily from
the kingdom Of Naples, are more than four miles
across in the widest part, and upward Of one mile
BY a number of batteries, well situated and well
armed The town of Messina is the most important
military position in Sicily and in fact decides the
possession Of the whole island. Warlike operations
are difcultn Sicily. Cavalry and artillery cannot
be easily moved and very strong force of infantry
is requisite to attack the numerous fortified places
The fate of the country must be decided in the
provinces of Palermo, TrapanI and Messlna, espe-
cially the latter it is there that the enemy must
employ the greatest efforts, and there are the prn-
cipal strategcal points. A Decentralization on other
parts Of the coast would not produce any result an
enemy might maintain himself for a long time in
the South or in the interior Of the island but would
be wasted in detail without attaining his object In
the wars and instructions of which Sicily has been
the theatre at different periods, entire bands the
interior have persisted Of hunger Sicily cannot be
attacked with success without the cooperation Of
navy the command of the sea giving its defenders
vast advantage.
The population of Sicily are Catholics They are
intelligent gay and witty possess brilliant imagi
nations strong passions entertain ardent love OF
their country, are very fond of religious speCtaces
and much attached to their religion Their patriot
ism makes them consider themselves superior TO
other nations; among themselves, moreover, they
are engaged in conflict for pre-eminence and this
conflict is particularly strong between Messina and
Palermo In addition to its natural advantages, 81
ciy by It's situation in the Mediterranean is mill
tary position Of the first order.