The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1866-07-28


therefore. is not to be thought OF in any
event 1t must either be forced, or the
Italians must 20 t. Germany, and seek, in
conjunction with the Prussians, the conquest
Of Nenetia there.
1t is, of course, impossible to say whether
il is practicable to force the Quadrilateral
at any available point or not. 1t Is not diii>
cult TO decide that such available point is not
between Mantua and Legnano-that is, on
the south line. 1t is, therefore, Peschiera
that you must take, not Mantua. Your liue
of communication can be much easier kept
oper by way of Peschiera than by way of
Mantua. You can reach Verona much
easier from Pescbiera than from Mantua !;
and what is much more important is, that if
YOU are master of the Peschiera and Verona
line, YOU isolate the Mantua and Legnano
line. and tend to isolate the Legnano and
Verona line. But, on the contrary, If you
were master of the Mantua and Legnano
line, you would still have t. make yourself
master of the Peschiera and Verona line be-
fore you could 60 ahead about your business
that is, to fight q battle, probably upon the
field Of Caliiers, little east of Verona
and afte. you had won that battle, proceed
ing to form the siege of Venice. On the
other hand, if YOU were defeated in such bat
tie. YOU could still fall back upon Verona
and Peschiern.
Such is the military problem which the
respective attributes of Austria and Italy
seem to present, and such is the apparent
solution of that problem. If that solution
is correct, the Italians would seem TO have
been wise in their resolution to force the
Quadril: teral but whether the point select
cd by them was the one that OUGHT to have
been selected o. not, or whether a coup dc
main. Instead of a siege. was the proper
mode to be empIoved in breaking the Ouai>
rilateral. are questions about which our pres
eut information does not seem TO be sulfi-
cieut to authorize 4 dsfnitive i,,lri. ut.
There are some facts, however, that are
known, which must eut into the formation
OF q correct defniti9e Judgment on this
question. l. beipr certain mat VOC must he
master cf Tezehe-,s. bef re Won can proceed
further. il is neccsS,rv 10 examine tie situs>
ton Of that fortress and voar means Of car
rvi"., it.
This fortress. .hen. s si;uE Etcd j.. the shall.
low water of the lake. st the very poiu.
where the Nincio issues fro,n it. The aogle
of the oceraiious Won can cary on ara1nst
il X suLteuded bv an are Of no, more than
90 or IODo.-that Is from the west hank Of
the MTncio to where such arc would strike
the west Fanl; of the lake. 1t is true that
this arc embraces the most favorable ground
for operating against the fo1 ress that can be
.guni on the line of the inI I,.giuary ca-ieute
-au nav draw around it. but still j, u OBJ
vious that il IS insufficient. You must. there's
fore. force a passage across the lake, or
maintain A 1otila battery there. or-you must
fu+cc the Miuci,. anywhere Within Eve or six
miles of Peschie,a, in order 10 be able &c
take that fortress. The two first alternatives
are prfbabIv inpract;cable: |: but if the last
o. either of them can be realized with force
sufficiently large to make d .ad grains, aav
rrIie-ing i..rc.. tie Au,trf:.ds can 6r,nr u9.
Pesrh:qra must fail. for it has no cytrlorli,
nary strength of 5osition. G xccpt the barrier
that the Mincio interpcscs. AGAINST vo.r op.-
rating uron auy more than u qua.ier e. it.
c.rcl,Ds.rerce. In all re.prcts !; is NOR,
easy t., cap.ure it than it is to capture Man,
tua or Verona. unless Won hai previously