Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-06-24
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We do not think that the struggle Of Poland thirty
years ago, or Of Hungary in ls49, gave proofs Of
greater energy Of puEpose than the struggle which
has now lasted for two months on Sicilian ground.
The cauee Of this indOmtable resistance it is worth
while 70 examine. One can c0nceiVe how nation
oppressed by foreign rulers threatened BY foreign
invaders should rise IN rebellion, how patriotism
should overcome every consideration Of private
ease and private advantage, how Spaniards should
wage war 70 The death against King Joseph, Rus
SLAMS burn their capital 70 roast the Grand Army,
and Germans rouse themselves from their habitaal
lethargy to overthrow the Dictator Of Europe. But
in Sicily Italians are fighting Italians; the whole
people are IN arms merely 70 subFert dynasty
and 70 transfer their Government from one native
sovereign to another This IS strange, inasmuch as
the history Of domestic reVots shows that they arc
generally shOrt-lived. Political agitation may cause
a % three davs - as IN Paris, or humble the unld
sovereign Of Prussia; but if firmly checked, itsoOn
burns OUT It must succeed by coup de main or not
at all. Now, in Sicily they are lighting week after
week with a desperation which surpasses 0eilefs
and all against native Prince belonging to family
which sixty years ago found refuge in Sicily and
for fifteen years afterward was cherished BY the
Siciians as the representative Of nationality against
a foreign oppress0f. What can have taken place to
change attachment into hatred bitter and to IN
spire an indolent southern people with the uncon-
querable stubb0rness Of martyrs! GarlDaldl IS
with them but they fought for weeks before he came.
Even with the Generals assistance they are dread
fully overmatched by their enemies. They are I'M
disciplined; the Royal troops have an ethelent or
gauiZatiOn They want arms; powder they have in
very insufficient quantities, and It is only by snug
Cling it on shore from sympathizng merchants that
thew can obtain ID. But the most important of all
the wants is cannon. Garibaldi has, we believe none
except few field pieces which he captured near
Marsala The Kings army, on the other hand, Is
well supplied, and, the NeapOlitans have the COM
mand Of the sea, they can re-enf0rce their troops
not only with men, but with every munition Of war
Yet such is the courage and devotion Of the people,
49, IL
Government that they very likely TO succeed
and even defeat would only subject them for short
time longer to NeapOiitan rule. From all that we
can learn from the island it is plain that the rule Of
King Francis is doomed, and that no reconciliation
can take pace between him ami his subjects. The
cause Of this state of things has been often alluded
to- but it involves details revolving and so incred-
be that though yOuched for by Italians Of the high
est note though the subject Of indignant denuncia
ton BY Mr.. Gladstone, though corroberated by the
official dispatches Of the Engish Minister at Naples,
though made a reason four years ago, for breaking
off diplomatic relations with the Court of the Two
/ Scilies yet we hardly know to speak OF u EN-.
Statements, have however, been published IN PaTls
which, If true, leave no doubt that the horrors en-
/ acted in Naples have been far surpassed by the
crimes which have driven the Scilians into rebellion
The capital and the adjoining territory are chastlsed
/ with whips, but Sicily with scorpions. We may
express our conviction thai the facts we are about
10 narrate essentially trEe certain details may
/ a
deeds which only stupidity horrible; but the eyi-
dence from so many quarters is concurrent, and the
names and dates TOO fully partcularized and the
charges have been too long uneontradieted for US
to doubt their accuracy. The Government OF the
/ King Of Naples must be convicted of crimes COM
pared with which the brutahties Of Ferdinand VII,
the iusanites Of the Crank Duke Constantine are
/ Insignificant.
On the first of FEBRUARY in the present year, the
Minister of Police at Naples, AjOssa, sent circular
. IL A.
/ had deigned to continue during the whole Of the
/ year the commissions instituted for applying the
/ bdstORHGde 20 the disturbers of the public peace.
/ This open announcement prepares us for anything
that may follow. Ii is evident that when such di-
| rectiOns are officially given from the center of
authority, the subalterns in remote province wlH
! not be very scrupuous to their proceedings So
has it been with Sicily. This Island is, or was until
/ the breaking out Of the insurrection, under the
power Of certain ManiscalcO, Director Of Police.
This police is entirely independent of the regular
Judicial administration SO that it may be that man
is the prisoner Of the police, and not Of justice
phrase not meant at all to be satrleal, but Of most
| serious import as many unhappy wretches have
found since an imprisonment IN this case cannot be
interfered with by any constituted authority except
| ManiscaleO and his myrmidons- Monreale near
/ Palermo, is the headquarters Of this tyraat and
| hunger darkness and torture, chiefly hOgglng, are
used 10 extract avowals of completely IN political
| plots. Recently an old man and his daughter, far
/
1 n January of this year certain Giovanni Wen
| ma of Messina was arrested for carrying a letter
| in cypher. As he could not or would not state to
whOm.it was addressed, he was placed in boat be-
longing to the police, and conveyed TO the desert
/ shore Of Cape Zeierana. There his hands and
| feet were tied, he was pat into sack, plunged
Il into the water, and held until he could move no
longer. He was then restored and exhorted to con-
fess but he had nothing to tell, he was put again
for a time in the water and when taken back to Pa
ou1vr hOd 10 ia
to have since died In 1913 it is said that the peo
pie making themselves masters of the police build
ings found rooms which bore traces of the enormi-
ties there perpetrated The of a sort Of thumb
| screw, and of q tOurniquet applied to the head,
which makes the eyes start forth and almost drop,
is attested by many witnesses II the following his
tories are correct, as we have no reason 70 doubt
the diabOGcal instruments must be brought into
rather frequent use.
/ One Cassimer ArsimanO was accused of liberal
principles. He took flight and his wife, sons and
daughters were arrested as hostages, and subjected
to the torture.
Pontillo, Lieutenant of Maniscalco has invented
an arm chair in which the victim is seated on sort
of gridiron, under which is pan of Goals. Bruno
another officer of pOliae, ties the head of his victim
between his legs and leaves him in that position I'M
til he states what is desired of him. Louis Manis
| Calico a namesake of the Director, has invented
what is called in the slang of the sbirr the angeiC
instrument in which. by turning screw, the limbs
! Of the victim are crushed. On one occasion man
was suspended in the air his being tied to one
wall and his legs to another and in that position an
officer Of the police jumped upon his body and beat
I him.
! The suspected persons are turned out of their
houses on the smallest pretext; fines, considerations,
and pillage ruin all who fall under the anger of the
| Director of Police. The wonder is, not that the
Sicians rebel but that they have borne such hor-
rOrs so long It is equally wonderful that the BOur-
/ bOns having so fine a country, with so obedlent a
people should not have known how to govern it. but
should have endangered their crown so that no one
/ would give two years purchase for it. These poor
Sicilians the least political and revolutionary of
| mankind have been driven into rebellion by sheer
desperation. They wanted only peace and just
| government; agents of police have converted them
| into theOrizers and Republicans.