The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-05-11
The Thousand or MarsaIa.

On MAY II fifty years ago a couple Of
broken down tramp steamers slipped
into the harbor Of MARSHA Al the eX-
treme western tin ~ the island ~ Sicily,
landed a small body of men. about a
thousand in number. unframed. III
equipped. poorly armed. BEFORE the
Decentralization was fully completed the
vessels we're captured ~ a squadron
% Neapolitan warshlps The thousand
scnrried inland out If reach of the
engmy's guns and within three months
had overrIn the whole kingdom of the
TwO Sicilies and entered Naples, the
carital. The most amazing adventur"
In modern history had been carried out
successfully and was to he crowned
soon after by the iulhlment n Italian
hopes and wishes in the union 81 all
Italy. GARIRAInI and his Thousand
had won their eternal fame.
With Italy one Of the great Powers. a
factor tn be reckoned with in tho poll
tics Of Europe. unied and fairly homo
geneous nation. il Is difficult IN believe
th4f the beginning was made only a half
oensury ago. IN the vean Immediately
preceding the American civil war To
he generation that Jaw II Il SEEMED
almost a miracle, and the Italian peas
ants could hardly be- blamed for their
belief that GARIRALDI had superhuman
poger and that his hOdy could not he
harmed. To the students who have in
-osllgated ne Siciiian expedition with
oaimer and more critical minds ~ ,uc-
cess remains ineXphcablc History ~
b. sure has other records # the achipve-
ments Of small bands again,, tremen-
dous odds. hut these usually were aided
by superior armament or knowledge.
Here - 49, middle " civilized Europe. a
State of the second order. which WAS
thought strong enough N resist the en-
larged Kingdom Of Sardinia. was over
thrown in a few weeks nv a handful n
adventurers. There were only too many
instances in Italian history u desperate
efforts by few enthusiasts "a rouse the
people against tyranny that failed "a a
matter II course This one. equally
foolhardy. succeeded
The latest historian II GARIBALDI. Mr..
@. ~ TREvELYAN. has recorded the
hopeless condition Of the expedition
when Il started. Even GARrBALDI him
seN heeitated TIL the last moment. and
with good reason The PiedmOntess
authorities would give him no coun-
tanance, fearing 70 lose what had been
gained by the 1859 campaign The arms
and ammunition that had been counted
upon were held back, and the expedition
took by force from a remote station
what IL carried with il. The reports Of
the Sicilian patriots who were urging
his coming were untriihful and Carl
nALDI suspected them. His few cannon
were shams When he had landed he
found that the Sicilian peasants did not
know who he was or why he came. and
In the first fighting ROsOLIlto PHO.
the Sicilian insurgent who had drawn
GARTBALDT on and whom the peasants
trusted, was killed. The fight AT Gala
tahni was very nearly drawn battle and
there were times when the Sicilians
were a. likely 70 turn against the Thou
sand a. to help them. Still. GARTRALrG
did hold out: he made his way into
Palermo under difficulties that seemed
insuperable; there at last he obtained
arms and equipment and REINFORCE
ments: from thar time on Sicily and
Italy were behind him and his rel shirts
and the rest Of his triumphant progress
was comparatively easy.
To Italians divine assistance seemed
manifest through him. "a II did "a medi-
wal France through JOAN OF ARC. To
the historian who knows GARIBALpTs
later history his remuneration Of power
IN King VICTOR Emmanuel in isG0 seems
also wonderful. Always magnaninious
be- rarely was 80 amenable N practi-
cal sense. II was a heroic epic in the
middle n a prosaic century. and Italy
has cause for wonder A. we'll ~ thank
hllness, when she celebrates the ami
versary Of GARIBALDTs thousand