■■W n9K'' ,.''-lllli iBhS. f^'m ,^f\h^h fi^nH'r^^'^f^ ^t^M^, ^^"^A-OM' -^r.^::^*;;^ -^>^^^^^ >r'^^rC>- :-:^^"A^.^.p^?^C^^^*^|?i ,^.^^^' .r^'^ r^' _ j^ -^' ^Ajrin :4^f^^^^ ^km .i^':f:\. fm Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2011 with funding from The Library of Congress http://www.archive.org/details/italywarof185900marg Jfai/i.^ ^ K^cLJiaLiioji . ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. WITH BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES OF SOVEREIGNS, STATESMEN, AND MILITARY COMMANDERS ; DESCRIPTION AND STATISTICS OF THE COUNTRY; CAUSES OF THE WAR, &c. BY JULIE DE MAEGUEEITTES, Author of "The Ins and Outs op Paeis," "The Match Gikl," " Pakisian Pickings," etc. WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY Dr. R. SHELTON MACKENZIE "WITH MAP AND PORTRAITS. PHILADELPHIA: GEO, G. EVANS, PUBLISHER, NO. 439 CHESTNUT STREET. 1859. Entered according to the Act of Congress, iu the year 18o9, hy G. G. EVANS, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. STEBEOTYPED AND PRINTED BY RINGWALT & CO. 34 SOUTH THIRD STREET. b^ TO MY FATHER, A. B. GRANVILLE, M.D., F.R.S., OF THE COUNTRY OP HIS BIRTH AND OP THE STRUGGLE POR FREEDOM, THAT FREEDOM FOR WHICH IN EARLY DAYS HE SUFFERED, AND WHICH IN MATURER YEARS HE AIDED BY HIS INFLUENCE AND INTELLECT, is inscribed by his daughter, Julie de Marguerittes. PmiADELPHiA, JPNH 25, 1859, INTRODUCTION. BY DR. R. SHELTON MACKENZIE. With a strong faith in the wisdom of old proverbs, I am confident that, as regards the volume which is here laid at the feet of the public, the adage, " Good wine needs no bush," might be quoted, to show that Italy and the War OF 1859 needs no introduction. Yet I cannot restrain from expressing my opinion that such a book is desirable, and will be useful, if not necessary, at this crisis, when the fairest portion of Europe appears likely to regain her nationality, when Napoleon III. is heading French armies upon the battle-fields upon which his illustrious uncle achieved his first renown, and where Austria, so long tho heartless and cruel oppressor of the Italians, has already sustained many defeats, and appears on the eve of expul- sion from Lombardy and Venice. Madame de Marguerittes, the author of this book, well known on account of the ease, grace, and spirit of her vi INTRODUCTION. writings, and her intimate acquaintance — by residence — with the countries whose armies are now battling for or against Italian Independence, compliments me by a desire that, in consequence of my presumed familiarity with foreign lands and foreign politics, I should officiate as Master of the Ceremonies, and introduce her, in her new, and somewhat difficult position, as historian, politician, statistician, and biographer. Her design was to describe Italy in general, as well as each distinct Sovereignty and State ; to show the extent, resources, power, and political situation of each ; to de- scribe the leading members of each royal or reigning family ; to point out the relative bearing of every State, each to each, and also each to Sardinia, France, and Aus- tria, the combatants in the battle strife ; to represent, with sufficient fullness and fairness, the military and financial condition, as well as the social and moral standing of each people ; to describe cities and scenery in which she resided, or through which she had travelled ; to state the causes, progress, and probable results of the War ; and to give personal sketches, descriptions, and anecdotes of the lead- ing personages — sovereigns, statesmen, and command- ers — with many of whom, in other days and scenes far distant from this country, she had been more or less acquainted. Undoubtedly, this lady's opportunities of INTRODUCTION. vii acquiring tlie information necessary to produce such a book as tMs were neither few nor far between. Besides, having observed closely, and remembered well and much, she has read a great deal, and has " combined her infor- mation," to use the words of the immortal Mr. Potts. The result has been an agreeable volume, in which, while a great deal of solid information is given, to satisfy the minds of the more exact and exacting readers, will also be largely found personal sketches and anecdotes, recollections and on dits, which are always acceptable, and particularly in this country, where there is a prevailing curiosity — an heirloom from Eve, I presume — to learn everything about every body. Whoever expects Italy AND THE War of 1859 to be, from its subject, essentially a heavy book, will be greatly and pleasantly disappointed. It touches, lightly and gracefully, upon a variety of sub- jects, and enters searchingly and minutely enough into many more, all collateral to the principal theme of the work. Although necessarily written ^jvith great rapidity, the following pages rarely exhibit traces of haste. Indeed, I can bear personal testimony to the industry as well as the ability with which the book was written, and the author's scrupulous anxiety to be accurate upon all matters of fact. Viii INTRODUCTION. The statistics of different States, here given, will be found full and accurate, and brought down from the latest published data. To enhance the interest of the book, portraits of the principal Rulers now engaged in the War, have been in- troduced. Also, for the purpose of reference, a map, on which the course of the belligerents can readily be traced, and by which the boundaries, comparative extent, and bearings of each Italian State can readily be ascertained. Neither Author nor Publisher have neglected anything which appeared likely to add to the value or interest of the work. At all events, whatever the issue, the honest and earnest endeavor has been to deserve success. R. S. M. Philadelphia, July 2, 1859. i ?j^\\ r ■-^^^ CON-TENTS. CHAPTER I. Former Position of Italy — The Past and Present of Sardinia — Origin of the House of Savoy — Humbert, the First Count — His- tory of Acquisitions — Piedmont — Assumption of the Title of King of Jerusalem — On what based — Emanuel Filibert — Genoa — Revolt in 1849 — General Delia Marmora — The Island of Sar- dinia — Geographical Boundaries of the Kingdom — Area — Popu- lation — Lakes — Anecdote of Napoleon I. — Rivers — Climate — Fertility — Revenue — Army — Navy — Institution of Royalty — When and how — The Spanish Succession — The Quadruple Alli- ance. . . . . . . . .13 CHAPTER II. Victor Emanuel I. — Abdicates — Carlo Felice succeeds — Charles Albert — Prince of Carignan — Education of Charles Albert — Ascends the Throne — Lombardy revolts — Charles Albert at Milan — Defeat at Rivoli — Shameful Retreat — Tuscan Volunteers — Montanelli — Novara — Tragic Scene — Abdication — Retires to Oporto and dies — Victor Emanuel and his Father — Mental Characteristics of Victor Emanuel — His Habits — Dislike to the Clergy — Attachment to the Dogmas of the Catholic Faith — His Court — His Queen and her Mother — Intrigue of the Latter with Marchese d'Adda — Death of the Queen — Her Children — Death of Victor Emanuel's Brother and Mother — His Personal Appear- ance. - . ... ... 24 1 2' CONTENTS. CHAPTER III. Lombardy — Early Invasions — Rivalry between France and Austria concerning its Possession — Title to it discussed — Royal Mar- riages of the Bourbons and Hapsburgs — EflFect of Alliances with Austria upon France — Austrian Treachery to Napoleon — Treaty of Utrecht and Others — Treaty of 1815 — Anecdote of Sir Robert Wilson and Francis I. concerning Lombardy — Policy of his Suc- cessors concerning it — Geography of Lombardy — Its Provinces — Number of Square Miles — Population — Chief City, Milan — Its Rivers, Lakes, System of Irrigation — Rail Roads — Productive Powers — General Description thereof — Manufactures — Austrian Army during Peace — Revenue and Taxation. . . .33 CHAPTER IV. The Royal Family of Austria — Francis Joseph, Present Emperor — His Ancestry — His Wife Elizabeth — Abdication of his Uncle — Refusal of his Father to accept — The Archduchess Sophia — His Uncle Ferdinand — Vienna and the Revolution — Intellectual Ca- pacity of Sophia — Anecdote of Franz Josef relative to the Acces- sion — Count Schwartzenburg — Count Buol — Personal Appearance of the Emperor — Raab — General Schlick — Order of St. George — Archduke Maximilian — His Wife — Eugene Beauharnais — His noble Refusal — Count Gyulai — His past History — Anecdote of Radetzky — The Archdukes Stephen and John — Description and History of the Iron Crown — Anecdote concerning it during the Present War. . . . . . .40 CHAPTER V. Venice — Origin of Venice — First Doge — Henri Dandolo — Gradenigo — Change of Government — Hereditary Aristocracy — Acquisition of Brescia, Bergamo, Padua — The League of Cambray — Queen of the Adriatic — A Spanish Bride and Venetian Admiral — The CONTENTS. Turks — Defeat of the Ottomans — Morosini — Loss of Candia — Takes the Morea — Decline of the Republic — Discovery of the Cape of Good Hope — Peace of Passarovitz — Neutrality of Venice — Submits to the French — Restored to Austria by the Treaty of Vienna — Reminiscences of Venice — Rome and Venice — Piazza di St. Marco — Body of St. Mark — Curious Mode of ti'ansporting it from Alexandria — Patron Saint of Venice — What became of it — Disturbances of 1848 — Daniele Manini — Nicolo Tommaseo — The Italian Legions defeat Austria — Viva Venezia — Viva Italia — Venice declares her Freedom — Manini Dictator — Peace — Desire for War — Six Volunteers — Surrender to Austi'ia — Death of Manini — His Son — Geographical Boundaries of Venice — Population Territory — Taxation-:^ Venice and its Commerce. CHAPTER VI. Origin of the War — Motives of France, Austria, and Sardinia — The Manifestos of Francis Joseph, Victor Emanuel and Louis Na- poleon. . . . . . . . .59 CHAPTER VII. Louis Napoleon — The Self-deception of the World Relative to his Talents — Early Career given to elucidate the Causes of the World's Ignorance of his Abilities — His Birth and Birth-place — Decree of Banishment — His Mother, Hortense Beauharnais — Her Re- treat at Lake Geneva — Description of it — His Teachers and Edu- cation — The Attention of his Mother to these things — His Early Character — Augsburg — Arenburg — His Republicanism — Effects of Mountain Scenery upon his Mind — His Brother Napoleon — Reconciliation of Louis and Hortense — Conspiracy of the Broth- ers relative to Italy — They join the Romagnian Insurrection — Appointed to the Supreme Command — Resign it — The Bolognese, to flatter Louis Philippe, compel them to retire to Forli — Death 1* CONTENTS. of Napoleon — Supposed Criminality of Louis Napoleon a gross Error — Fever at Ancona — Ruse of his Mother to conceal him from the Austrians — Escape to England — Offer of Talleyrand — Return to Switzerland — Becomes an Author — His Intercourse "with leading Men — His Attempt at Strasburg — Louis Philippe's Knowledge of the Plot — Failure — Shipped to the United States — Anecdote of Joseph Bonaparte — Correspondence with his Mother — Affianced to Mathilde — Conduct in the United States — Love to his Mother — Reverence for her Memory — National Air of France — Driven from Switzerland — Goes to England — Recep- tion in London — Count D'Orsay — Lord Eglintoun's Tournament — Impression he made on great Ladies — Faculty for Child's Play — Financial Embarrassments — Boulogne Expedition — Ham — His Escape — Return to London — His Friends — His Political Convictions — Manner of living in London — Literary Work — Death of Louis, Ex-King of Holland — The Revolution of 1848 — Louis Napoleon Special Constable — Proposed as Deputy to the National Assembly — Elected by four Departments — Scene in National Assembly — Re-elected — First Speech in National As- sembly — Election for Presidency — Conduct during Election — Elected President — Inauguration — Rebillot — General Petit. . 66 CHAPTER VIII. Louis Napoleon as President — The Difficulties of his Position — How he quelled the Insurrectionary Spirit in Paris — Violations of the Constitution — Contest with the National Assembly — Leon Fauchet — National Assembly Dissolved — Its Successor — Repub- licanism in Paris in 1851 — Bourbons and Orleanists — President vs. the Assembly — St. Arnaud — Presidential Proclamation — Meeting of the National Assembly — Its Dispersion — Oudinot — — Berryer — The Coup d' Etat — Louis Napoleon's Election to the Presidency for Ten Years — Elevation to the Empire — His Mar- riage — Carola Wasa of Sweden — Alliance with England — War with Russia — The Empire — Attempts at Assassination — Pianori and Orsini. . . . • . • • .88 CONTENTS. 5 CHAPTER IX. The Family of Napoleon III. — The Empress Eugenie — Her Ancestry and Birth — Her Personal Charms — Peculiar Traits of Character — Unblemished Reputation — Her Courage — Prince Jerome, her Confidential Counsellor — His Marriage with Miss Patterson — His Son — His Grandson — Divorce — Princess Fredrika Caroline of Wurtemburg — Elevation to the Throne of Westphalia — Obtains Money from the Jews — Quarrel with Napoleon — Abandons his Kingdom — Waterloo — Napoleon's Exile — The Father-in-law of Jerome — Title of Prince Montfert — Residence in Florence — In Paris — Marshal of France — Prince Royal — President of the Council of Regency — Prince Napoleon — His Birth — Education — Visit to Paris — Member of the National Assembly — Quarrel with Louis Napoleon — Ambassador to Madrid — Dismissal — Senator — Major — General in Crimea — Attack upon the Plan o^ the War— Expedition to the Polar Seas — His Villa — Unfitness for Military Affairs — Appointment to Algiers — His Marriage — The Princess Mathilde — Her Birth — Character in Early Life — Af&ancedto the Present Emperor — Her Marriage — Prince Demi- dofi" — Separation — Presides at the Court of Louis Napoleon — Victor Emanuel's Passion — Her Residence — Sons of Lucien and Joseph — Lucien Bonaparte — Pierre Bonaparte — Service under Santander — Character — Desertion — Degradation — Present Resi- dence — Joachim Murat — His Character — Aspirations to the Throne of Naples— Alboni — The Son of Joachim Murat. . 98 CHAPTER X. Count Baraguay d'Hilliers — Commanding Officer under Napoleon — Birth — Education— First Military Service — Military Exploits — Political Opinions — Character — Count Randon — General March- and and Napoleon I. — Algiers — Military Talents and Character — General Adolphe Neil — Brilliant Career — Character — General Canrobert — Constantine and African Campaign — Aid-de-Camp to the Emperor — Canrobert and St. Arnaud — Prince Napoleon — CONTENTS. The Crimea — His Character and Capacity — M'Mahon — Origin — Constantine — The Kedan — Character and Capacity — Marshal Vaillant — Birth — Exploits — Services in Algiers — E.oine — Char- acter and Capacity — Pelissier — Birth — Exploits — Algiers — Crimea — Character and Capacity — General Forey — Algiers — Crimea — Career — Capacity. ..... Ill CHAPTER XL The Sardinian Generals — Garibaldi — Serves in the Sardinian Ma- rine — Bey of Tunis — Republic of Uruguay — Rio Grande — The Italian Legion — Revolutionary Party in Italy — Career in North- ern Italy — Defence of Rome — Defeats the Neapolitans — Fall of Rome — Escapes from the Austrians — Returns to America — Goes back to Genoa — Commands a Merchantman — Present Position — His Character — General Ulloa — His Birth and Education — His Services in 1848 — His Present Position — Genei'al Alphonse Delia Marmora — His Education — Plans of Military Reform — His First Services — His Rapid Promotion — Minister of War— Reduces Genoa — Reorganization of the Army — Services in the Crimea — Lord Hardwicke's Opinion of him — Foreign Honors — His Elder Brother — Present Position — General Durando — His Early Life — Commands the Roman Army — His Conduct — Anecdote of Pius IX. — His Desertion of General Ferrara — Defeated by the Aus- trians — Joins Charles Albert — Opinions — Present Position — Curious Description of the Organization of the Sardinian Army. 135 CHAPTER XIL Austrian Generals — Baron Hess — Birth — Early Services — Rapid Promotion — Served under Radetzky — His Strategic Talents — Anecdote with the Elector of Hesse — With the Emperor — Probable Position he will assume in this War — General Benedek — His Services — Gallicia — Italy — His Qualities as a Soldier — CONTENTS. General Wimpffen — Count Stadion — Edmond Prince Schwartz- enburg — Prince Charles Frederic Schwartzenburg — Their Family — Prince Frederic Charles Leichtenstein — Prince Edward Leich- tenstein — General Zobel. ...,-. 150 CHAPTER XIII. Sardinian Statesmen — Count Cavour — Position of his Family — Prince Borghese— Anecdote of Count Cavour's Father — Prince D'Carignan — Cavour's Travels — Return to Sardinia — Enters Politics — Attaches himself to the Liberal Party — Congress of Paris — Count d'Azeglio — His Character as an Artist — His Ser- vices to Sardinia — His Position in Italy — Ratazzi — Brofiferios — Valeric, Leader of the Liberal Party. .... 158 CHAPTER XIV. Austrian Statesmen — Count Buol — Schauenstein — His Early Career — First Service at London — Rapid Rise in Rank — Attains the Premiership — Peace Congress — Retirement-^ Views of Domestic and Foreign Policy — His Talents — Count Rechberg — His Descent — Sketch of his Life — His Character and Proclivities — Count Hubner — Connection with the Royal Family — Embassy to Paris — Count Grunne — Military Talents — Present Position. . . 166 CHAPTER XV. French Statesmen — Count Walewski — His Relationship to Napoleon — Friendship with the Duke of Orleans — Enters upon a Military Career — Failure in the Drama — Success as an Author — Rise in Diplomacy — Present Position — Count de Morny, reputed Half Brother of Louis Napoleon — Education — His Military Career — Beet Speculation — Share in the Coup d'Etat — Rapid Rise — Financial Speculations — His Appearance — Duke of Padua — His S CONTENTS. Traditional Sympathies — OflBce — Present Position — Persigny — Present Position — Early Poverty and Struggles — An Editor — Strange Changes in Politics — Introduction to Louis Napoleon — Their Connection — Position in the Republic and Empire — Mar- riage — Review of the Characters of de Morny, Walewski and Persigny. ........ 174 CHAPTER XVI. Duchy of Modena — Boundaries — Population — Resources — Revenue — Army — Metropolis — Its Early History — Conquest by the French — Its Return to the Hapsburgs — Its Present Ruler — His Character — Mirandola Carrara — Present Position of the Duchy. . 185 CHAPTER XVII. The Duchy of Parma — Geography — Extent — Productions — Gov- ernment — Army — Revenue — Chief City — University and Students — History of its Early Rulers — How the Bourbons became its Sovereigns — Abdication of Duke Charles — His Early Life — Eccentricities — Baron Ward — Empress Mai-ia Louisa — Her Last years — Duke Charles III. — His Brutality — Louise de Bourbon The Revolution of 1859. . . . . . .190 CHAPTER XVIII. Grand Duchy of Tuscany — The Recent Revolution — Prince Napo- leon at Leghorn — His Proclamation — Extent of the Duchy — Population — Geography — Productions — Elba — Government — — Trade — Revenue — Army — The City of Florence — Its Palaces — Pitti — Medicis — How Tuscany came under the Influence of Austria — Leopold II. — 1848 — His Conduct, Then and Since — A Proclamation — City of Leghorn — Its Appearance — Pisa — Her Present Condition — Population. ..... 196 CONTENTS. ^ CHAPTER XIX. The War — Events immediately preceding — Italian Disposition to Conspiracy — Mazzini — Remonstrances of the Western Powers — Declaration of the Emperor — Debate between Palmerston and D'Israeli — Austria and Sardinia Arming — Speech of Count Cavour — England's Interposition — Lord Cowley — Sketch of him — What Conditions Count Buol would accept — Russia proposes a Peace Congress — The Five Great Powers consent — Sudden Invasion of Sardinia by Austria — The French hasten to the Assistance of Victor Emanuel. . . .... 203 CHAPTER XX. The French and Austrian Armies — Their Navies — French Prizes — The Zouaves — History of their Origin — Marshal Clauzel — The Duke of Orleans — The Appearance of the Zouave — Zouaves in Italy — Anecdotes — The Third Regiment — The Turcos — General Yussup — Turcos Encampment — Notice of General Bourbaki — The Croats — Their Character — Tyrolese Sharpshooters — Their Actions in Italy — How the French Soldier is Fed — Changes in the French Military Costumes. . . . . .211 CHAPTER XXI. More Austrian and French Generals — The Staff of Napoleon — General Roguet — Duke de Montebello — His Wife and the Empress — His Brother — Edgar Ney — His Elder Brother — General Fleury — General Reille — Baron Tascher — Marquis de Cadore — M. de Bourgoing — Conneau — Larrey — The Army of the East — Course of Bavaria — General Schramm — General Rostolan — General St. Jean d'Angely — Distinguished Volunteers — The Prince de Rohan — Duke de Chartres — Feeling of the French People relative to the War — Father Lacordaire — His Discourses to the People — Counts Clam-Gallas and Schaaffgottsche — Marshals Castellane and Magnan. ....... 226 10 CONTENTS. CHAPTER XXII. Former Wars between Austria and France — Napoleon's Campaigns against Austria. ....... 241 CHAPTER XXIII. The Papal States — Area — Population — Army — Revenue — Trade — Agriculture — Government — Rome — The Vatican — The Quirinal — St. Peters — San Marino — Pius VII. — Ravaroli — Consalvi — Leo XII.— The Sanfedesti— Revolt of 1831 —National Colors of Italy — Gregory XVI. — Gaetano — Lambruschini — l^ius IX. — His Re- forms — Ugo Basso — The Pope's Private History — Count Rossi — Revolution of 1848 — Flight of the Pope — Countess Spaur — Antonelli — Gasperone — Antonelli as Premier — Mamiani — The Administration of Antonelli since 1849 — Mazzini — His Early Life — Expulsion from Italy — The Bandiera and Moro — Sir James Graham — Mazzini's Part in the Revolution of 1848 — His Life Since — The Recent Manifesto. . . . . . 250 CHAPTER XXIV. Naples — Montanelli's Description of it — Boundaries — Population — Physical Features — Agriculture — Trade — Government — Army — Sicily — Etna — Early History of Sicily — City of Naples — Its Public Places — The Lazzaroni — The King's Palaces — San Carlos — How the Bourbons came to the Throne — Don Carlos — Ferdi- nand I. — His Queen — Acton — Ruffo — The King's Vacillation and Treachery — Francis I. — Caretto — Code — Ferdinand II. — Poerio — Francis II. and his Queen — General Filangieri. . 287 CHAPTER XXV. The Franco-Russian Alliance — Manifesto of Gortschakoff — Win- dischgratz — England and Prussia — The Minor German Powers. 313 CONTENTS. 11 CHAPTER XXVI. March of the French Army to Piedmont — Their Numbers — Their Routes — Anecdotes of the Soldiers — Departure of the Imperial Guard from Paris, and Reception in Piedmont. . . . 317 CHAPTER XXVII. Napoleon's Departure for Italy — Greetings of the People — Recep- tion at Marseilles — Genoa — Enthusiasm of the Piedmontese — Ladies of Genoa and the Empress — Spirit of the People in Paris — The Marseillaise in Italy — The Late Battles — Beuret — Cialdini — Espinasse — Conclusion. ..... 322 APPENDIX. Bulletins of the Battles — Battle of Montebello — How General Beuret was Killed — Count Gyulai's Official Report — Garibaldi's Descent on Lombardy — The Battle of Palestro — Additional De- tails — The Battle of Magenta — French Official Report — Austrian Account. .... . .... 341 CHAPTER I. FORMER POSITION OF ITALY — THE PAST AND PRESENT OF SARDINIA ORIGIN OF THE HOUSE OF SAVOY — HUMBERT, THE FIRST COUNT — HIS- TORY OF ACQUISITIONS PIEDMONT ASSUMPTION OF THE TITLE OP KING OF JERUSALEM ON WHAT BASED EMANUEL FILIBERT GENOA REVOLT IN 1849 GENERAL DELLA MARMORA THE ISLAND OF SAR- DINIA GEOGRAPHICAL BOUNDARIES OF THE KINGDOM AREA POPU- LATION LAKES ANECDOTE OF NAPOLEON I. RIVERS CLIMATE — • FERTILITY REVENUE ARMY — NAVY INSTITUTION OF ROYALTY — ■ WHEN AND HOW — THE SPANISH SUCCESSION — THE QUADRUPLE ALLI- ANCE. Italy, from a very early period, has occupied a large space in history. When the Phrygians, Tyrians, and Greeks — the ancient filibusters of the Eastern Seas — roamed at will, they were attracted to her shores by the salubrity of her climate, the beauty of her skies, the fertility of her soil, and the abundance of her wealth. But it was not alone whilst sea-kings ravaged her soil or despoiled her people that she attracted the attention of the world. Her own sons in turn became the invaders of other lands ; called into existence the magnificent "mother of empires," con- quered the world, and brought home the spolia opima of nations to adorn her palaces and clothe her temples in gorgeous splendor. Through the long line of warriors and Caesars, the poison of extravagance and corruption was slowly enter- 13 14 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. ing the veins of the great Roman Empire, until it wrought exhaustion and decline. From its grave arose a new des- potism — that of the Papal Hierarchy — under which, though the Arts have flourished, Freedom has not revived. The medieval times witnessed short intermittent resur- rections of the old Roman spirit of endurance, of firmness, of fiery energy and generous aspirations. Venice, Genoa, Milan, Florence, and other sovereign municipalities, strove to eliminate the cultivation of liberalism. At one time even Rome itself, under the lead of Rienzi, seemed to see a return to the days of her pristine power. But these efforts seem to have been irregular and spasmodic, and now, as for a long time past, pontifical, kingly, or foreign rule, presses Italy with the worst and deadliest forms of personal oppression and political slavery: — to use the striking phraseology of another, "they have produced universal terror and desolation, and call it a return to peace and social order." One little kingdom in North- Western Italy alone forms an exception to this dominating despotism. That kingdom is Sardinia. Bound to Austria by many ties of kindred, and largely bordered by her territory, Sardinia has had the courage to forget the traditions of the past, ignore her family connexion with the House of Hapsburg, and em- brace free constitutional government, with fervor and energy. Pursuing the last ten years a persistent and de- voted course of devotion to liberal principles, she has been a living protest against the Austrian system of misrule, a fiery reproach to her outrages upon humanity, and beacon- light of hope to all the aspiring, generous hearts of the ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 15 Peninsula. By her bold course she has, in recent years, attained an unusually high position in European affairs. She has even been admitted to an equal voice and vote at the same continental council board with her haughty and hated rival, Austria. Within the last few months she has once more thrown down the gauntlet of defiance to this old and potent empire, and a second time entered the lists of combat with her. The stake is her existence as a Na- tionality : the prize if victorious — Italian redemption from the misrule of the Emperor Francis Joseph. Such a con- test challenges the attention, and claims for her the sym- pathies, of the civilized world. The past history of Sardinia is as curious and interest- ing as her present. The former receives its interest, how- ever, from sources widely differing in temper and tone from the latter. Her early annals are marked by the energy and vigor of her chiefs. A long line of illustrious diplo- mats, second to none in their skillful use of all the Machi- avelian subtleties which characterized the different inter- national policies of the Middle Ages ; stern strategetic warriors who have left names imperishable on the records of blood ; and rulers ever anxious to steal territory from their neighbors, and thereby consolidate their power and aggrandize the House of Savoy. To trace rapidly the origin of the Duchy of Savoy, the union consummated with Piedmont, the various other ac- cessions of territory, and the consolidation of all these into the kingdom of Sardinia is necessary here. The founder of the House of Savoy was Humbert of the White Hands. He lived about the beginning of the 16 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. Eleventh Century. He seems not to have been troubled with any nice scruples as to the rights of property. He had raised himself, as most men of those days did, by the strong hand, to a countship, marquisate, or some title of equivalent rank. Of his origin or descent little or nothing is known. The probability is that it was plebeian. Up to this time, Savoy had been governed by a number of bishops of the Church of Rome, each independent within his own diocese, and owing feudal allegiance to Conrad of Germany, surnamed the Salic. Whilst this Emperor was absent in Hungary, one of the Counts of Champagn, of a race notorious throughout centuries for turbulence and revolt, induced these pastoral lambs to rebel. Humbert of the White Hands fought the bishop of a mountain dis- trict of Savoy, called Maurienne, and conquered him. As a reward for this service, he received from the Teutonic Emperor the investiture of the county of Maurienne. The fourth Count of Savoy married fortunately, and obtained thereby the Marquisate of Susa and Duchy of Turin. When the dynasty got possession of Chamberry they made it for awhile their capital. Turin did not be- come the residence of the ducal family until 1484. Piedmont, one of the largest and finest provinces of the Sardinian Monarchy, lies South of Savoy. It descends from the tops of the lofty ranges known as the Cottian and Maritime Alps, and from the Appenines, in splendid terraces, to the fertile vallies which gently undulate until they are lost in the magnificent plains watered by the Po. It was slowly absorbed by Savoy, whose rulers were ever on the alert to "annex" territory from their neighbors. ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1869 17 This proclivity is certainly the best proof which could have been given of the truth of the theory of one who spent years in writing a huge folio to prove that the Princes of that family were of Saxon origin. Sometimes they lost what they had gained ; and then, after years of patient tigilance, recovered their spoil. Divided, as Pied- mont was, into small Duchies, Marquisates, Lordships and Republics, it easily fell a prey to a race of princes who were ever ready to buy, obtain territory by marriage, diplomacy or conquest. A great addition of power was thus gradually imparted to this dynasty. It obtained a larger population from which to recruit its soldiery, more revenue to carry on its wars, more respect abroad and more regard at home. It raised its Dukes to the position of a first-class power in Italy. Even the greater magnates, such as the Emperor, the King of France, and the other Continental Powers, began to court their alliance about the beginning of the Sixteenth Century. Indeed, Emanuel Philibert, who won the battle of St. Quentin in August, 1557, defeating the Constable Montmorenci and a French army, had his friend- ship and influence sought after by the leading potentates of Europe. His splendid civil and military abilities made him the ablest Italian ruler of his day. So well did he cultivate and promote the interests of his people that historians agree in declaring him the first King of Sardinia, though that title was not nominally conferred until given to Victor Amadeus, nearly two centuries later. Charles II. of Spain died November, 1700, and, to the surprise of every monarch in Europe save Louis XIV., he B 18 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1869. left his dominions to the Duke of Anjou, second grandson of the French King. The death of a Bavarian prince, the destined heir of the crown of Spain, had preceded that of Charles II. France and Austria had then made a secret partition treaty, by which the Spanish crown was assigned to the Emperor's second son, Charles, Archduke of Austria. The King of Spain, made aware of this treaty, bequeathed his dominions, undivided, to the young Duke of Anjou, who was immediately proclaimed King, as Philip V. Thence arose what is known in history as "the War of the Spanish succession." Philip and his relative the Duke of Burgundy, then heir presumptive to the French crown, had married daughters of Victor Amadeus II. of Savoy. When the war broke out in 1701, Louis depended principally on the activity and skill of Victor Amadeus II. of Sardinia for the preservation of the Span- ish dominions in Italy. In a moment of bitterness and passion he broke with the Duke of Savoy ; the latter was thus forced into an alliance with the Imperialists. The war closed with the treaty of Utrecht, in 1713. This important treaty, so often named in European history, was greatly to the advantage of the Duke of Savoy, for Philip v., in the event of his own line failing, acknowledged Victor Amadeus II. as heir to the crown of Spain. Sicily was given to Victor, with the title of King, and he was crowned here, on Christmas Eve, 1713. Other Italian princes obtained territory out of the Spanish possessions in Italy. The Duke of Savoy, also, gained Montferrat, and wrested possession of the passes of the Alps from France. ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 19 The restless intrigues of Cardinal Alberoni, the Prime Minister of Spain, caused a renewal of the war, in 1717. In the midst of profound peace, Philip V. surprised and conquered the Island of Sardinia. Sicily changed hands for a short time in 1718, but was reconquered next year, and was finally reunited to Naples. The quadruple alli- ance (consisting of England, France, Austria and Victor Amadous) opposed and defeated Spain. Victor Amadous, Duke of Savoy, sensible of his inability to retain so distant a satrapy as Sicily, exchanged it for the Island of Sar- dinia in 1719, when the war of the Quadruple Alliance closed, and the political map of Italy was entirely recast. From this last acquisition, Victor Amadous was formally recognized, from 1720, as King of Sardinia. Like many of his ancestors, he was so vain as to claim the empty title of King of Jerusalem and Cyprus, which empty title is still retained by his reigning descendant. This claim is based upon the marriage of Charles I., Duke of Savoy, in 1482 with Bianca of Montferrat, last descendant of Guy de Lusignan, so well known, in the history of the Crusades, as the last King of Jerusalem. Genoa, surnamed "La Superba," from its magnificent location, from its proud palaces, fro^ its crescent-shaped and beautiful bay, now forms an integral part of Sardinia. Her history of a thousand years is brilliant with the glory of enterprise and achievement. But for more than two centuries preceding its transfer to this monarchy, it had served as a plaything for royalty and a shuttlecock for rival princes. Its people were no longer the conquerors of the Moor, the terror of the Turk, the scourges of the 20 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. Mediterranean, and the rivals of Venice. Perhaps amid their degeneracy, it was well for them that they found re- pose in the bosom of a growing and powerful state. Since its last annexation to Sardinia, in December, 1814, the Genoese have evinced by feverish fits and starts some of their ancient pride in their country's glory, and have sought to reestablish her independence. They lack the continuity of purpose and effort, necessary to achieve such a result. But it required the presence of a large army under Delia Marmora to reduce the city to obedience in 1849, after the defeat of Charles Albert by the Austrians. Since that time Genoa has cheerfully submitted to Sardin- ian rule. Piedmont and Savoy and Genoa with the Island of Sardinia, to which the royal family retired after the battle of Marengo, and where they remained until 1814, constitute all the great provinces of the kingdom of Sardinia. There are some minor districts, such as the County of Nice, which surrounds the little Lordship, or rather Princedom of Mo- naco, and the Duchy of Montferrat, once a constituent part of the Duchy of Milan. The Continental portion of the Kingdom is surrounded by Switzerland on the North, Switzerland, Lombardy, Parma and Tuscany on the East ; it has the Mediterranean on the South and France on the West. Its greatest width is two hundred and one miles, and its greatest length, two hundred and forty-five miles. For administrative purposes it is divided into eleven portions, and sub-divided into thirty provinces. The total area of the mainland provinces is 18,884 miles, and its population 4,537,580. The area of ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 21 the Island from whicli the Monarchy takes its name is 9,235, and its population 552,685. These estimates of population are taken from the census of 1852. It is prob- able that the population has increased about five per cent., if not more, upon the totality since that time, or within seven years. The principal lakes touching the territory of the Con- tinental States are Geneva and Lago Maggiore, though neither of them are properly denominated Sardinian. Of the beauty of either it is almost useless to speak. It has been celebrated in history, in song, and painting. Apropos of Lago Maggiore, it is said that Bonaparte and his staff dined on Isola Bella, the self-created Paradise of Prince Barromeo, the most lovely and enchanting of all the islands that seem to float upon its bosom, a few days before the battle of Marengo. This hero, impatient of forms and chafing with activity, rose between the courses, and wan- dering to a neighboring tree inscribed upon the bark ^'Victory." But one letter of this word remains, the capital "V." Will Napoleon III., be able to reinscribe the remainder? The principal rivers are the Sesia, the Dora Baltea and the Lanaro. The Ticino is the outlet of Lago Mag- giore, and until it disembogues itself into the Po, forms through its course the dividing line between Sardinia and Lombardy. All these rivers are shallow and can scarcely be called navigable. The climate of these provinces varies from eternal frost and glaciers to perpetual summer and almost tropical lux- uriance. Savoy is not so productive as Piedmont. The 22 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. latter province is perhaps the most fecundant in Italy. Its fertility has been vastly increased by the system of artificial irrigation which so largely prevails there. Up- wards of 400,000 acres are subjected to this process of increasing their fertilization. The revenue of Sardinia, according to the latest esti- mates, approximates $30,000,000 per year. The expendi- tures exceed the receipts, because of the immense standing army which the King has been forced to keep up since 1848. From the period of his accession until now, nothing but an apparent friendship has subsisted between him and Austria. Deadly hatred, thinly masked under the guise of courtesy, has rankled in the hearts of himself and Court and pervaded all ranks of his people. Hence the army has really been always upon a war footing. One authority estimates the army upon the peace estab- lishment at 48,000 men ; upon a war footing at 140,000. A more recent and apparently better-informed authority declares that the regular Sardinian army in the field did not exceed, upon the first of May of this year, 75,000. To this was to be added some 20,000 Volunteers or National Guards. The probable force of the Kingdom, all told, would, according to this estimate, be about 95,000 men. The Navy of Sardinia consists of a number of small vessels, including a few steamers ; mounting in all about one thousand guns. With such an army and navy, and with only the extent of resources indicated, Sardinia would enter into a single- handed contest with Austria, without the shadow of a hope ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 23 of ultimate success. Victor Emanuel profited by the sad experience of his father and wisely declined to enter upon the combat, without the aid of a powerful ally, such as he has found in Louis Napoleon. CHAPTER II. VICTOR EMANUEL I. ^ — ABDICATES — CARLO FELICE SUCCEEDS — CHARLES ALBERT PRINCE OF CARIGNAN — EDUCATION OF CHARLES ALBERT ASCENDS THE THRONE LOMBARD Y REVOLTS CHARLES ALBERT AT MILAN DEFEAT AT RIVOLI — ^SHAMEFUL RETREAT TUSCAN VOLUN- TEERS MONTANELLI NOVARA TRAGIC SCENE ABDICATION RE- TIRES TO OPORTO AND DIES VICTOR EMANUEL AND HIS FATHER MENTAL CHARACTERISTICS OF VICTOR EMANUEL HIS HABITS DIS- LIKE TO THE CLERGY ATTACHMENT TO THE DOGMAS OF THE CATHOLIC FAITH HIS COURT HIS QUEEN AND HER MOTHER INTRIGUE OF THE LATTER WITH MARCHESS d'aDDA DEATH OF THE QUEEN HER CHIL- DREN DEATH OF VICTOR EMANUEL's BROTHER AND MOTHER HIS PERSONAL APPEARANCE. Victor Emanuel II., the present King of Sardinia, was the son of Charles Albert. Victor Emanuel I., who abdi- cated in 1821 rather than accept the Constitution offered to him after the revolt in Turin in 1821, had four daughters, who were severally married to the King of Naples, the Duke of Lucca, the Duke of Tuscany, and the Duke of Modena. The heir of Victor Emanuel I. was his brother, Carlo Felice; but neither of these brothers having male heirs, Charles Albert, then Prince of Carignan, the repre- sentative of the younger branch of the House of Savoy, became heir presumptive of the crown. At the accession of Charles Albert to the throne in 1831, Victor Emanuel, his son, took the title of Duke of Savoy, that being the title conferred by custom and courtesy, on the eldest son 24 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 25 of the Kings of Sardinia. Charles Albert was educated at a Jesuit Seminary in Paris. The policy and education of the princes of Piedmont had remained ever the same, spite of circumstance and progress. The same narrow- minded and despotic principles which had influenced and destroyed the elder branch of the Bourbons had character- ized their rule. Charles Albert, educated like his father, by priests — and Jesuits at that — had not imbibed the germs of modern enlightenment nor of liberal principles. For more than seventeen years the traditions of his family and the Jesuitical tenets of his education, swayed Charles Albert, making him a bitter enemy and persecutor of liber- alism. Imprisonments, condemnations to exile and actual bloody executions mark the first years of his reign. It is difficult, in the sudden change which came over Charles Albert, and made him the champion and hope of Italian liberty, fully to decide whether he was inspired by fear or ambition. Certain it is, however, that in 1848, when all Europe was shaken by the great revolution of France, Charles Albert offered a liberal Constitution to his people. But, then, so did the King of Naples, the Dukes of Modena, Parma and Tuscany ; and how have they maintained them ? The Constitution of Charles Albert, though of no avail whilst the Austrians ruled in Italy, roused the hopes of the Lombards — ever ready to shake off the Austrian yoke, but never bold enough to attempt it without the support of some allied power. For years, ever since they had been returned to the Austrian rule, by the treaty of Vienna, the secret hopes of the Milanese had been fixed on France ; but France, through the reigns of three Kings, Louis 28 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. XVIII., Charles X. and Louis Phillippe, had been too much engaged at home to think of sending an army over the Alps. Eagerly, therefore, they seized the hope held forth to them of an ally, separated from, their capital by less than one hundred miles. Insurrections broke out at every point, and at length the Milanese, by an heroic effort, rising en masse, compelled thirty thousand Austrians under the command of Radetzky, to retreat and to take shelter in the fortified city of Yerona. No sooner was it known that the revolution in Lombardy had been successful, than Charles Albert crossed the Ticino, and at the head of se- venty thousand men marched to Milan in aid of the Milan- ese and liberty. Scarcely had he arrived at Milan before he appeared to have forgotten the cause of his advent, and neglecting the Austrians still in Verona, to have set about intriguing to establish the fusion of the States of Italy and to obtain for himself the supremacy of Northern Italy. Meantime he was neglecting the great object — that of pre- venting the troops sent from Austria to the succor of Radetzky, from reaching him at Verona. By Charles Albert's neglect, a body of Tuscan volunteers who had rushed to the aid of the Milanese at the first news of the revolt, were cut to pieces by the Austrians, between Man- tua and Verona. Amongst these volunteers was Monta- nelli, a distinguished member of the University of Pisa, who, however, survived his wounds and is now known to the world as the translator of the tragedies of Racine and Corneille into Italian, now played by Madame Ristori. The King of Piedmont, however, still, with all his hesita- tions and blunders, maintained his hostile position towards ITALY AND THE WAE OP 1859. 27 Austria, and having met with a defeat at Rivoli, he shut himself up in Milan, determined to defend it to the last. But whetlier he grew timid, or whether family ties which united han to the house of Austria began to assert their claims, or whether educational scruples overcame him, (for we must not forget that Charles Albert had been educated by the Jesuits,) or whether seeing he had no chance of the supreme sovereignty of Italy, he resolved to save his own kingdom, and so turned traitor, must remain in histo- rical doubt. Certain it is, that whilst openly defying Aus- tria he secretly negotiated with her, and though there were then fifty thousand men in the citadel of Milan, and that, too, when five months before the Milanese, without a single soldier, had conquered Radetzkyand the Austrians, Charles Albert ignominiously evacuated the place, abandoned it to the Austrian general, and withdrew within the limits of his own territory. This conduct, whatever may have been its motive, lays Charles Albert open to the accusation of treachery. He felt it himself, he sunk under the blow, and in the midst of the execrations and contempt of his people he abdicated in favor of his son Victor Emanuel, the present king. The moment of his avowal of his pur- pose to abdicate forms one of those dramatic episodes that poetry so often seeks to invent for the great catastrophies of history. It took place on the battle field of Novara. Charles Albert felt at this battle more unfortunate than Francis I., who, at the battle of Pavia, declared that "all was lost but honor," — he had lost all and honor with it. During this disastrous day, rendered fatal by the misman- agement of Krzanowsky, as the day of Waterloo was by 28 ITALY AND THE WAR OP 1859. the treachery or misconception of Groucny, Charles Albert, in the thickest of the fight, evidently sought in an heroic death a shelter from the accusations of posterity, but though many fell around him, there was no ball nor sword for him. Being, then, still forced to endure life, towards nightfall, when the Piedmontese were obliged to retreat, resting on General Durando's arm, surrounded by his staff, and in the presence of his son, he exclaimed, ''My resolution is taken — from this hour I am no longer King. Your King is now Victor Emanuel." After the necessary formalities at Turin in confirmation of his resolution, the king, bent with premature age, sorrow, despair, perhaps remorse, retired to Oporto, where he died of what is called a broken heart, his mind having preyed on his constitution and brought on early death. Victor Emanuel has been accused of coldness towards his father. Many have gone further and taxed him with treachery at the battle of Novara, in order to force affairs into the train they ultimately took. Nothing, however, justifies such suspicions. The Savoyards are renowned for simplicity, honesty and truth. The Piedmontese bear in Italy a high reputation for dissimulation and wiliness. Yet Victor Emanuel, whilst he affects to speak Piedmon-- tese exclusively, appears to deserve, in every way, the soubriquet conferred on him of il re galantuomo, "the King of his word," — a contrast with the name bestowed on his father, who was nicknamed "Tentenna," (King See-Saw.) His tastes all indicate an open, manly spirit. Although educated by priests, Victor Emanuel has no pretensions to ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 29 learning nor scholarsliip. He prefers the "tented field" to the cabinet, field sports to literature or the arts. He is not a superstitious or bigoted monarch. Contrary to the laws established in Italy, he tolerates the free exercise of the Yandois Protestant religion and the establishment of Protestant Temples, even in his Capital. He is a Catholic, believing steadfastly in the dogmas, but having no faith in the Church and Priesthood. All his actions tend to diminish clerical revenue and clerical power. Still, there is neither in the king nor the people any disposition to swerve from the Roman Catholic faith; the aim of both is merely to attack and destroy the temporal power. Even with the liberty of the Press accorded by Victor Emanuel, all attacks upon the dogma, all Voltairienne attempts at skepticism or ridicule, in matters of religious faith, would be deemed sacrilege and not tolerated. The great problem to be solved, which will come after the political freedom of Italy shall be obtained, will be how to conciliate it with the overbearing despotism and temporal power of the Church of Rome. Victor Emanuel, as a King, has all the elements of popularity and is beyond all doubt exceedingly beloved by his people. His very want of courtly refinement, his dislike of the trammels of etiquette, his undeniable bravery, all tend to make him the hero of the people. He is fond of going about under various disguises, alone in the streets and taverns of Turin and studiously aff*ects always to speak the Piedmontese dialect, giving an Italian rather than a French atmosphere to his com't, though in his parliament the Deputies from Savoy and Nice, discourse in the French language. 30 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. Victor Emanuel married in 1842, Maria Adelaide, daughter of the Arch-Duke Regnier, then Viceroy of Italy. This Princess was a rare example of excellence, intelligence, high principle, and amiability. Brought up at Milan, in the seclusion of her father's court, under the auspices of her mother, a Princess Carignan and a woman of cultivated mind and generous instincts, she may be said to have been utterly unfit for royalty, which condemned her to circumscribed inactivity. Her mother, a woman of sorrows, which were no mystery to the Milanese, and which without tarnishing her reputation, had involved one of the noblest patrician famlies in disgrace and suffering, rarely passed the palace gate. Amongst the Italian nobles who had accepted office at the vice-regal court, was the Marchese D'Adda, appointed chamberlain to the Vice-Queen. The Grand Duke of Aus- tria, Regnier, Viceroy of Italy, though a- man of excellent instincts, and possessed of a kind heart and some talent, was neither amiable, attractive, or agreable. The Princess Carignan, his wife, was an accomplished, young and handsome woman, but withal a woman of high principle. It was said, that she confessed her passion for the Marchese D'Adda to her husband, and that in con- sequence of this confession, which should have inspired none but generous feelings, the Marchese was arrested and secretly imprisoned. As for the Vice-Queen, she retired utterly from all courtly ceremonies, neither appeared at fetes nor theatres ; dedicating herself to her children and to religious observances. Years passed on. The Arch- Duchess was in the last stage of consumption, when all at ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 31 once, the Marcliese D'Adda re-appeared at Milan. He had been liberated as he had been arrested, without any apparent cause, and summoned to Vienna, and courteously requested by the Emperor to consider that this episode of his life had not occurred. The Marchese, restored to his family (for he was a married man,) never returned to the Court, and retired judiciously, until after the death of the Arch-Duchess, to Piedmont. This was the Austrian way of settling a love affairS. On her two daughters the Arch-Duchess centered her affections and hopes. Maria Adelaide, the wife of Victor Emanuel, was perhaps over refined and sensitive ; and in the earlier days of her marriage suffered from the absence in her husband of those qualities of which she had the ex- cess. Still she obtained a great but gentle influence over him. He loved her with truth and devotion. She was the mother of five children : Clothilde, now in her seventeenth year and lately married to Prince Napoleon, the son of Jerome Bonaparte, and, at the beginning of the war, the Commander of the Fifth French Corps de Arme^ in Italy and heir presumptive to the throne of France, should there be a failure of direct male issue, — and of four younger ones. Her second child is Humbert, called after the founder of the dynasty. He is now fifteen years of age, and although so youthful, has accompanied his father to the seat of war. The death of Maria Adelaide much affected the King. He is said to have vowed to remain faithful to her memory, and will therefore, enter into no second marriage. Almost at the same time, the mother and brother of the King, Per- 32 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1869. dinand, tlie Duke of Genoa, also died. Overwhelmed by all these domestic calamities, he remained in seclusion for several months, apparently losing all interest in the affairs of state. He was however too robust in health, and too vigorous of constitution, not to rally again. Much as he seems to enjoy the activity which his present life presents to him, his most intimate friends aver that he plunges into scenes where the display of the greatest energy is required, in order to escape from himself. Victor Emanuel is now in his thirty-sixth year, with a fine soldierly-looking presence, rotund and fair-haired. The Teutonic characteristics of his dynastic descent are developed rather than those of the Italian race. The King of Sardinia has created the Prince Eugene de Savoie, Lord Lieutenant of the Kingdom. Eugene de Savoie is a distant cousin of Victor Emanuel, being a prince of the younger branch of Savoy-Carignan, and was entitled by Charles Albert, by royal decree in 1834. He is besides, Commander in Chief of the Sardinian National Guards. He was born in 1816 and is unmarried. CHAPTER III. XOMBARDT — EARLY INVASIONS — BIVALRY BETWEEN FRANCE AND AUSTRIA CONCERNING ITS POSSESSION- — TITLE TO IT DISCUSSED ROYAL MAR- RIAGES OF THE BOURBONS AND HAPSBURGS EFFECT OP ALLIANCES WITH AUSTRIA UPON FRANCE AUSTRIAN TREACHERY TO NAPOLEON TREATY OF UTRECHT AND OTHERS TREATY OF 1815 ANECDOTE OP SIR ROBERT WILSON AND FRANCIS I. CONCERNING LOMBARDY POLICY OF HIS SUCCESSORS CONCERNING IT GEOGRAPHY OF LOMBARDY ITS PROVINCES NUMBER Of SQUARE MILES POPULATION CHIEF CITY, MILAN ITS RIVERS, LAKES, SYSTEM OF IRRIGATION RAIL ROADS — - PRODUCTIVE POWERS GENERAL DESCRIPTION THEREOF MANUFAC- TURES — AUSTRIAN ARMY DURING PEACE — REVENUE AND TAXATION. The fair and fertile district of country known as Lom- bardy, has, for more than twenty centuries, been coveted by those living West and North of the Alps. Its rare fertility, genial climate and beautiful scenery, made it appear like an earthly paradise, a perfect garden of Hes- perides, to the rough, uncouth Uauls and long haired Teutons who were wont to issue, in great shoals, from the dense, dark forests of Northern and Western Europe. Erom the time that the capitol alone, in all Rome, re- mained unconquered, and Camillus rebuked Brennus for his insolence, and overthrew his forces, until Marius slaughtered holocausts of Cimbri; from its conquest by the Longobards until their power was destroyed by Pepin le Bref; from the invasion of Otho the Great down to the days of the First Napoleon, it has, century after century, 33 C 34 ITALY AND THE WAR OP 1859. been a fief, in one form or the other, of the crowns of Germany or France. Each have alternately won and lost it. For brief periods it has been in the hands of native rulers and of the Spaniard ; but the law of its existence seems to have been a gravitation between those two power- ful monarchies. If repeated conquest and occupation can alone confer title, then both are possessed of admirable and indisputa- ble claims. Austria, however, as lineal successor to the rights of the Germanic empire, would seem to have the better title ; confirmed, as that title was, upon the recon- struction of the map of Europe, at Vienna, in 1815. That treaty, however, was forced upon France by the sword. May it not be the ultimate design of the present Emperor of the French to revive the claims of the First Empire to these Provinces ? The modern rivalry of France and Austria was deeply intensified from the time when Charles YIII. of France and Maximilian, son of Frederick III., Emperor of Ger- many, became rival candidates for the hand of Mary of Burgundy. Philip the First, of Castile, was' the ofi"spring of the Austro-Burgundian alliance. He was the father, by the mad Joanna of Castile, of Charles V. of Germany. The latter was the rival of Francis I. of France, for the Imperial crown. The consequence of his success over the French monarch was that series of long and bloody wars with which these competitors desolated Italy, and caused her rivers to run red with gore. Three times has the Austrian royal family given queens to France — Anne of Austria, wife of Louis XIII., Marie ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 35 Antoinette of Louis XVI., and Maria Louisa of the Great Napoleon. But in neither case has such an alliance suf- ficed to allay the national hatred of the French to the House of Hapsburg, and in each case has such a union been most unpropitious, either for the royal partners or for the French na>tion. There has been no cordial alliance between them for more than a century, save that which they formed against the great Frederick of Prussia, and that was full of reverses and disasters to France. Five times did Austria, either in coalition or single-handed, attempt to overthrow the French Revolution and its first- born, the Empire. She deserted Napoleon, in the face of Europe, in 1813, and thus incurred, most deeply, the hatred of his family. Besides, as if to crown the disgrace of that family, allied to her by marriage, Austria assented to, if she did not propose to the Congress of Vienna, that celebrated treaty enactment by which the family of Bona- parte were to be forever excluded from the throne of La helle France. The portion of the conduct of Austria which most galls and wounds the memory of Frenchmen is, that she furnished 30,000 of that army of occupation which held France in subjection for three years after the defeat of Waterloo. Lombardy, or at least that portion of it, known as the Milanese and Mantua, was retroceded to Germany by the Bourbons of Spain, at Utrecht, in 1713. Her title to this territory was confirmed by the general pacification of 1735, and again by the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle in. 1748. It continued to be held by her until wrested from her by the victorious army of Napoleon the First. As before 36 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. remarked, it returned to her when the repartition of the Italian provinces took place, in 1815. A singular anecdote is told about this return of Lom- bardy to Austria. Francis I., who first resigned the title of Emperor of Germany in 1802, and took that of Emperor of Austria, remarked to Sir Robert Wilson, British Commissioner at Vienna, that "he would not have an inch of Italian territory." This able and experienced monarch felt that the possession of Lombardy by Austria had been a drain upon the treasure and blood of his em- pire. There is no doubt that he was sincere in the utter- ance of this opinion. But the Congress forced it upon him, contrary to his will. Whatever may have been his ideas relative to this province, his successors have not sympathized with them, for they have shaped their policy toward universal dominion within the limits of the Penin- sula, with perhaps the single exception of the States of the Church. Lombardy is bounded on the North by the Tyrol and Switzerland, East by the Venetian Provinces of Austria, South by Modena, Parma and the Sardinian States, and on the West by Sardinia and Lago Maggiore. The Ticino divides it from the last-named State on the West, whilst the Po divides it from the Kingdom of Victor Emanuel and from the Duchy of Parma on the South. It embraces the Provinces of Sardinia, Pavia, Mantua, Milan, Lodi-e- Crema, Cremona, Como, Brescia and Bergamo. These contain an area of 8,313 square miles, and a population of 2,725,740. These figures are taken from the most recent census. The chief city of Lombardy, in point of import- ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 37 ance and population, is Milan. There the Austrian Vice- roy resides and holds his semi-regal Court. The popula- tion of Milan was estimated differently by two authorities in 1846; one placing it as high as 189,380; another as low as 161,966. In this latter number was said to be in- cluded no less than 17,000 strangers. The rivers Mincio, Oglio, Adda, Lambro and Ticino, drain the Southern and Western portions of this Depart- ment of Lombardy and they all discharge themselves into the Po. Out of the East and North the Tagliamento, Brenta, Piave, Adige and Bacchiglione, flow into the Adriatic. Nearly all the large Lakes of Northern Italy are either wholly within its territories or touch its borders. The former class includes Gard, Iseo, Idro and Como, so im- mortalized in prose and verse ; the latter, Lugano and Maggiore. The same system of irrigation which prevails in Pied- mont prevails here. The length of the great canals used for this purpose, as well as for navigation, together with their principal lateral branches is estimated at nearly if not quite five thousand miles. Kailroads have, to some extent, been introduced into both Lombardy and Sardinia; one of these ^'Chemins de fer'' already stretches itself from Milan to Como, another is completed part of the way from Mantua to Verona, a large city in the Venetian Department. The Provinces of this Department, have ever been cele- brated for their productive powers. During the forty years of languid peace which followed the conclusion of 38 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. the Peace of Aix-la-Chapelle, ihej recovered most wonder- fully from the desolation of nearly two centuries ; so that when the French lances gleamed in the Alpine passes, upon their first invasion of Italy, after the Revolution of 1789 broke out, they looked down upon a country of marvellous beauty and richness. It has enjoyed peace since 1815, broken only by the short revolutionary episode of 1848. The whole surface of the country waves with fields of Indian maize, wheat, rice, the vine, flax and hemp. Everywhere, the Lombardy poplar, mulberry and peach tree abound. The roads are magnificent and are shaded on each side with rows of beautiful trees. The manufactures are varied and large. The richest manufacture is that of silk ; Europe to a vast extent is supplied by the Lombards with this article. The other chief exports are corn and cheese. The number of troops which have been kept in this country since the year 1848 by the Austrians, previous to the breaking out of the present war, has been variously estimated by various persons. Some have placed the number as low as 60,000, and others as high as 80,000. There seemes to be no accurate mode of determining this question, unless access could be had to the military rolls of Count Gyulai, or the archives of the Military Chancellerie, at Vienna. The amount of revenue which Austria has drawn from Lombardy, for many years back, is very great. The rate of taxation is appalling. A writer who has investigated the subject fully, declares that "the Austrian Treasury draws from Lombardy eighty millions of lire annually. If ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 89 the whole empire were taxed per head at the Lombard rate, it would exceed a revenue of eleven hundred millions of lire. Instead of this, it had (in the year 1854) seven hundred thirty-six millions. If we look only to the direct tax upon lands, then, at the Lombard rate, the empire would have yielded four hundred millions, whereas in 1854 it yielded two hundred and three millions." ^'But it may be thought that the wealth of Lombardy redresses the balance. Well, in 1850, the agricultural products of that country, were stated at three hundred and sixty millions of lire : those of the whole empire, at three thousand, nine hundred and eighty-five millions. But Lombardy pays some thirty millions of land tax, out of two hundred and three millions, or more than a seventh, instead of about a thirteenth. If the real value of the Lombard crops be given, it raises from three hundred and sixty to four hundred and fifty millions ; but a similar rectification might, we apprehend, be applied to the rest of the empire." These statements are based upon publications made and sold in the Lombardo-Yenetian States. They exhibit a more wonderful disproportion between the amount of taxes levied upon this department and the balance of the empire, than any one not fully acquainted with the subject would have believed. It is no wonder that the Lombards are impatient of the Austrian yoke, and long for a deliverer. Very little, however, of this great revenue, ever finds its way into the imperial treasury at Vienna. The im- mense military and civil establishments which Austria is bound to support, in order to keep the Italians in subjection to her rule, almost wholly exhausts it. CHAPTER IV. THE ROYAL FAMILY OF AUSTRIA — FRANCIS JOSEPH, PRESENT EMPEROR — HIS ANCESTRY HIS WIFE ELIZABETH ABDICATION OF HIS UNCLE REFUSAL OF HIS FATHER TO ACCEPT THE ARCHDUCHESS SOPHIA HIS UNCLE FERDINAND VIENNA AND THE REVOLUTION INTELLECTUAL CAPACITY OF SOPHIA — ANECDOTE OF FRANZ JOSEF RELATIVE TO THE ACCESSION — COUNT SCHWARZENBERG — COUNT BUOL — PERSONAL AP- PEARANCE OF THE EMPEROR RAAB GENERAL SCHLICK ORDER OP ST. GEORGE ARCHDUKE MAXIMILIAN HIS WIFE EUGENE BEAUIIAR- NAIS HIS NOBLE REFUSAL COUNT GYULAI HIS PAST HISTORY ANECDOTE OF RADETZKY THE ARCHDUKES STEPHEN AND JOHN DE- SCRIPTION AND HISTORY OF THE IRON CROWN ANECDOTE CONCERNING IT DURING THE PRESENT WAR. The present Emperor of Austria, Franz Josef, was born on the 18th of August, 1830. His father was the Arch- duke Charles, son of the Emperor Erancis L, who had four wives : the Archduke Charles being the son of his second marriage with Marie Therese, daughter of the King of the two Sicilies. In 1848 his brother, Ferdinand I., having abdicated, he, the Archduke Charles, became heir to the throne, but refusing to accept it, he made over his rights to his son, the present Emperor, Franz Josef, who on the 2d of December, 1848, was proclaimed Emperor of Austria. His mother is Sophie, (born in 1805,) daughter of Maximilian, King of Bavaria, twin sister to the Dow- ager Queen of Saxony, as well as sister of Louis of Bavaria, renowned for his love of Art, who abdicated the 40 ^'Ul // CLix. _ foAeJLll . ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 41 throne in Marcli, 1848, in consequence of the discontent occasioned by the exercise of power he had allowed to the notorious Lola Montez. Franz Josef was married in 1854 to Elizabeth, daughter of the Duke of Bavaria, (a younger branch of the house of Bavaria, called Bavaria Birkenfeld,) who was born in 1837. The end of the long reign of Francis found the Austrian people, who had become enlightened, weary with the old narrow-minded policy of the former Emperors. They had, however, a personal love for Francis, which had maintained them in their allegiance. The weakness, almost amounting to imbecility of Ferdinand, and the continuation of the same restrictive measures, gave the discontented an excuse for revolt. Vienna fell into the power of the people, headed by the students, and though Jellachich and Windisch- gratz restored it to the Imperial power, some conces- sions were unavoidable, and a change of Sovereigns was imperative. Ferdinand and his wife, the Empress Mari- anne, (daughter of Victor Emanuel I. of Sardinia,) pious, good, inoffensive people, with very little intellect and without the slightest conception of the importance of their position, still believing implicitly in divine right, were easily persuaded to renounce the throne. The next heir was the Archduke Charles, a man to whom the education •and custody of the Duke de Riechstadt had been most especially confided. The Archduke Charles was not a man of brilliant talent, but of sound common sense, and totally without ambition. His wife, the Archduchess Sophie, however, possessed a capacity for intrigue, a shrewd intel- lect and an undaunted spirit. She was much in advance 42 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. of the arriere policy of the House of Hapsburg, and had tact enough to understand that the branch on ^'hich Aus- tria's new destinies were to bloom forth, must be the greenest and freshest possible. She, therefore, preferred being the mother rather than the wife of the Emperor, and advising her husband to follow his brother's example, the Imperial Crown devolved on her eldest son, Franz Josef, then in his nineteenth year. Accordingly the Arch- duchess, seeking her son, fell at his feet and was the first to salute him as ^' Mein Kaiser,'' "My Emperor." The boy, staggering under the glorious weight thus thrust upon him, is said to have hidden his face on his mother's shoulder, whilst in a voice of deep emotion he exclaimed, '' Meine jugen ist hem," ''My youth is over." On his accession, Franz Josef promised a free and con- stitutional government to his people ; and by the advice of Prince Schwarzenberg, he attacked and subdued the power of the aristocracy, making himself the head of the cabinet, and by this means propitiated the mass of the population. With the aid of new men, such as Bach and Von Bruck, he carried on a series of fiscal and commercial reforms. These reforms, however, applied only to Austria proper ; the conquered territories, including Italy of course, shared none of their ameliorations. Schwarzen- , berg having died suddenly in 1852, his place was supplied by Count Buol, who shared the counsels and possessed the confidence of the young Emperor for some years, until after the declaration of the present war, when he resigned. Franz Josef is in person tall, slight, dignified and grace- ful in his movements. The expression of his countenance ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 43 is reflective, serious, almost sad, like one impressed with the responsibility of his position. He has proved that he possesses great personal bravery : at the taking of Raab, where the Emperor commanded in person, he was ever found in the thickest of the fight ; after the outer works were passed it was found that the passage to the inner works was impracticable, the bridges having been burned. Schlick, who was the General in command, left the Em- peror, to order the reconstruction of one of the bridges. Scarcely, however, had Schlick left him, before, followed by Count Grune, Count Gyulai and Prince Felix Schwar- zenburg, Franz Josef, without troops to protect him, dashed across and entered the town. For this feat of personal courage Franz Josef received from the Emperor of Russia the order of St. George, which is almost the only order he ever wears. The stain upon the Emperor's character is a spirit of cruelty, which allowed him to sanction the barbarities of Haynau and R-adetzky, as well as those executions, imprisonments and flaggelations of women, which he himself commanded in Hungary. The Provinces of the Lombardo-Venetian Kingdom are governed by a Viceroy, supposed to possess despotic power, but who really takes all his orders from Vienna. This Viceroy was, at the time of the breaking out of the war, the brother of the Emperor of Austria, the Archduke Fer- dinand Maximilian, born in 1832. He married, in June, 1857, the Princess Charlotte, daughter of Leopold, King of Belgium, and of Louise, eldest daughter of Louis Philippe. The Princess Charlotte, named after her father's first wife, the Princess Charlotte of England, whom he has never 44 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. ceased to venerate, is a most accomplished and liberal- minded Princess, and is said to have conciliated, during her brief reign, many of the noble Milanese families vrho had hitherto kept aloof from the Austrian Court. But Austria has never condescended to conciliate where she can command. During the reign of Napoleon, the Viceroy of Italy was Eugene Beauharnais. He was much beloved by the Milanese, and at the fall of Napoleon, when the Italians, exhausted by taxes and drained by contributions of men and money to the wars of the Emperor, revolted against him, Eugene was offered the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Lombardy, including Venice, Parma, and a portion of Piedmont. But the chivalrous Prince Eugene, faithful to his oath of fidelity to the Emperor, peremptor- ily refused, and shared the fate of the Bonaparte family, sinking into comparative insignificance as Duke de Leuch- tenburg. Foremost amongst the important personages now con- cerned in the command is the name of General Gyulai, a Hungarian, but firmly devoted to the House of Austria. Pie is, as a soldier, the pupil of Badetzky, a strict disci- plinarian, unrelenting and cruel. In 1848, when the revolt of Milan was threatening, Gyulai was Radetzky's aid-de-camp, and second in command. Meeting the old Marshal one day in the streets alone, Gyulai remonstrated with him concerning the imprudence of going about with- out escort. "I am perfectly safe," said the Marshal, "as long as you are alive." " How does that protect you? " ITALY AND THE WAR OP 1859. 45 " Because the Milanese know that if they kill me, you will succeed me, and they dread your severity more than mine." Count Francis Gyulai is the son of a Field Marshal in the service of Austria who died in 1831, and who was a Magyar of Transylvania, elevated to the rank of Count of the Empire in 1804. The present Count Gyulai was born in 1799. He was Minister of War in 1849 and Commander of the Adriatic coast, where he displayed his genius in the fortifications of Trieste and other maritime cities. In 1856 he was sent on a special mission to St. Petersburg, relative to the Eastern question. The two most remarkable Princes of the House of Aus- tria besides those mentioned, are the Archdukes Stephen and John, the great-uncles of the present Emperor, bro- thers of the Emperor Francis I. Stephen was Governor of Hungary at the time of the Revolution of 1848, and John is Governor of Styria, and has contracted a Mor- ganatic marriage with a peasant woman, whom the courtesy of the young Emperor has created Countess de Meran. John was the first who announced the resignation of Met- ternich to the people of Vienna ; he was Regent of Ger- many in 1848, and is altogether the most liberal of the Austrian Princes. The Emperors of Austria take the title of King of Lombardy, and for their coronations still make use of the celebrated iron crown. This crown, which is a richly chased golden circle enriched with gems, is, however, said to be lined on the inside with iron battered out of one of the nails of the holy cross. This crown had encircled the 46 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. heads of all the sovereigns of Lombardy, whether by con- quest or descent, from Charlemagne down to Napoleon I. A superstitious importance is attached to it, and at the first news of the landing of the French at Genoa, the crown was taken from the palace of Monza, where it is kept, and sent by the Austrian Government, under strong escort, to Mantua, one of the most impregnable fortresses in Italy. It cost Napoleon nine months to get possession of it. Besides all the members above mentioned of the Aus- trian family proper, the Princes of the House of Austria reign over several other states of Italy, such as Parma, Modena, Lucca and Tuscany. CHAPTER V. VENICE — ORIGIN OF VENICE — FIRST DOGE — HENRI DANDOLO — GRADE- NIGO CHANGE OF GOVEMNMENT HEREDITARY ARISTOCRACY AC- QUISITION OF BRESCIA, BEGAMO, PADUA — THE LEAGUE OF CAMBRAY QUEEN OF THE ADRIATIC A SPANISH BRIDE AND VENETIAN ADMIRAL — ■ THE TURKS DEFEAT OF THE OTTOMANS MOROSINI LOSS OF CANDIA TAKES THE MOREA DECLINE OF THE REPUBLIC DISCOVERY OF THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE PEACE OF PASSAROVITZ NEUTRALITY OF VENICE SUBMITS TO THE FRENCH RESTORED TO AUSTRIA BY THE TREATY OP VIENNA REMINISCENCES OF VENICE ROME AND VENICE PIAZZA DI ST. MARCO BODY OF ST. MARK CURIOUS MODE OF TRANSPORTING IT FROM ALEXANDRIA PATRON SAINT OF VENICE WHAT BECAME OP IT — DISTURBANCES OF 1848 DANIELE MANINI NICOLO TOMMASEO THE ITALIAN LEGIONS DEFEAT AUSTRIA VIVA VENEZIA VIVA ITALIA VENICE DECLARES HER FREEDOM MANINI DICTATOR PEACE DE- SIRE FOR WAR SIX VOLUNTEERS — SURRENDER TO AUSTRIA DEATH OP MANINI HIS SON GEOGRAPHICAL BOUNDARIES OF VENICE POPULA- TION TERRITORY TAXATION VENICE AND ITS COMMERCE. There is a magic in the name of Venice wliicli evokes an ideal world, looking new, strange and magnificent, — beauti- ful, yet differing in its beauties from all else that is beautiful in the loveliest countries of beautiful Italy. Venezia la bella, as she is called, — Venezia, once the greatest republic in the world,- — Venezia, in whose ports the flags of every nation have streamed, — Venezia, who conquered the over- bearing Turk, — Venezia, who monoplized the commerce of the world, — owes its origin to the persecution of the de- vastator Alaric. Flying from the sword and flames that 47 48 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. enveloped their cities in 421, the inhabitants of Padua, Aquileia, and other smaller Roman Colonies along the coast of the Adriatic, fled to the marshes situated at the extremity of the Adriatic Gulf, and driving piles into the unstable soil, so laid the foundation of Venice. At first the colony was governed by Tribunes, but its increase of importance, its extent and its prosperity, at length obliged the people to concentrate the authority. They accord- ingly, in 697, elected Paulas Lucius Anafesto to the office of Doge. The government did not, however, cease to be democratic, but instead of three Presidents it had one. It increased rapidly in strength, importance and wealth, during six centuries, when in 1204, under Henri Dandolo, the forty-first Doge, it astonished the world by one of the greatest achievements of a century which was es- sentially an age of military glory. The Doge Dandolo, being then in his ninety-fourth year and entirely deprived of sight, with a fleet of five hundred sail and forty thou- sand men, which he commanded in person, laid siege to Constantinople and planted the standard of the Republic on its towers. Refusing the Imperial Crown of the East- ern Empire, the noble old warrior laid all his conquests at the feet of the people of Venice. The Morea and Candia were added also to Venice. In 1297, under Gradenigo, the forty-ninth Doge, a great change took place in the government of Venice. From an elective democracy it became an hereditary aristocracy ; a government which at first nobly sustained itself by opposing victoriously the potentates of Europe and the Ottoman forces Avhich threatened the possessions of the Republic in the East. ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 49 From 1338 to 1508 the principal Italian cities com- prised between Lombardy and the Adriatic recognised the Venetian power. Bergamo, Brescia, Padua, Vicenza and many lesser States, all formed a portion of the terri- tory of the Venetian Republic. In 1508, Pope Julius II., having imprisoned Caesar Borgia, extorted from the Venetians all his possessions and estates, taking at the same time violent possession of the Venetian territory in Romagna. Not content with this, the Pope, jealous of the power of Venice, entered into a league against her with Spain, France, Germany and the petty princes of Italy. This league is known in history as the League of Cambray, from the place in which it was signed. Still chivalrous, powerful and courageous, the Venetians withstood successfully these numerous enemies, and though they lost their possessions in the Morea, the isles of Cyprus, continued to be prosperous and great. Such was the power and influence of this State that when, in 1630, a Princess of Spain desired to pass up the Adriatic Gulf to Trieste to marry a son of the Em- peror of Germany, her Senate refused permission for the Spanish fleet to pass. The only manner in which this daughter of Spain could reach her affianced husband was to fight her way through blood and fire. The Spaniard^ haughty and powerful as he was, felt that it was no trifling matter to measure strength upon the ocean with the skillful commanders and practiced seaman of "The Queen of the Adriatic." Indisposed as the Spanish Court was to ac- cede to this claim of exclusive jurisdiction over this inland sea, it was finally obliged to yield. The gay and gallant D 50 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. Venetians dispatched a squadron of eight vessels, under one of their most distinguished Admirals, Palasini, to con- voy her in safety to her destination. The Princess is said to have fallen in love with the Venetian commander and ever afterwards to have had affectionate regard for him. Perhaps the most trying and terrible contest in which the Republic was ever engaged, not excepting that with Genoa, was her struggle for the maintenance of her sove- reignty in Candia. In 1645, the Turks, under the pre- tence of attacking the Knights of St. John in their strong- hold of Malta, fitted out and dispatched a fleet of three hundred and forty-eight galleys, on board of which were fifty thousand choice troops. The expedition was in reality destined for the conquest of Candia, then the most important of the foreign possessions of the Republic. The Venetians were taken by suprise. Slight successes at first rewarded the suddenness of the Turkish attack. In the first campaign they took Canca, a place of importance ; but thirty thousand Ottomans left their bones bleaching under its walls. For twenty-five long years this desperate contest went on. For many years, although greatly inferior in numbers, did the Venetians blockade the Dardanelles, permitting no Turkish vessel, during the season of active operations, to pass into or out of the port of Constantinople. During the years 1655, 1656 and 1657, the Turks were fool-hardy enough to risk naval engagements in the Dardanelles for the pur- pose of clearing a passage to the open sea, but in each in- stance they were terribly beaten. But the resources of the Sublime Porte were too great for those of this little maritime State. Worn out, exhausted, she was ultimately obliged ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 61 to succumb to superior force. It was in vain slie appealed to the great States of Christendom for aid. It was given so sparingly and in such stinted measure as to be of little avail. Even the forces of France, sent to her assistance at a critical moment, were in part led to a sanguinary death by the rashness of their leaders, and a part shame- fully deserted Morosini at the most trying hour of his life. Thus the whole island of Candia, save only two or three ports of minor importance, passed under the Turkish yoke in 1669, after 120,000 Osmanlis had perished side by side with 30,000 Christains. Thus one of the most im- portant and richly productive Provinces of the Republic passed out of their hands. She found an ample revenge for this loss, fifteen years afterwards, in wresting the Morea from the Turks. In 1T18 begins her decline. The conquests of Moro- sini in the Morea and in the East, were the last achieve- ments of Venice. At this time, too, the discovery of the Cape of Good Hope took away from her one of the greatest sources of her riches. Through Egypt, Venice had for centuries the monopoly of the commerce with the East ; now the seas open it for England, France, Spain and Portugal. Her people, degenerate from luxury and the very excess of prosperity, urged an undignified and ignoble peace at Passarovitz, which restricted her territory, and almost blotted her from the map. The glory of Venice had departed. In order to maintain a mere existence, Venice was reduced to a tame inactivity in the wars which now broke out between France and Austria. But even this, with all its humiliating consequences, was insufiicient 52 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. to preserve its nationality, for in 1T96, the victorious French army having entered its territory, the Council of Venice laid doAvn its power and surrendered to the French. In the possession of the French it remained until it was included in the treaty of Vienna, which gave it, with Lom- bardy, to Austria. But Venice, though despoiled of her political import- ance, remains with Rome the most magnificent and poetical monument of that part of the world. In comparing one of these great cities to the other, Lannazo says that " Home is the most wonderful example of the genius of man, but that Venice appears to be not the work of human hands, but seems to have been created by the gods themselves. Seated on one hundred and twenty small islands, united by no less than four hundred and eighty bridges, her streets of palaces are washed to their marble porticos by the waters of the Adriatic, down w^hich, agile and swift, her gondolas glide in crowds like carriages in the streets of other capitals." Venice is under the patronage of St. Mark the Evan- gelist, who gives his name to the principal piece of terra- firma called the Piazza di St. Marco. It is on the Piazza di St. Marco that the former glories of Venice are vividly recalled by its columns in porphyry and marble, its oriental gems, its flag staffs whence floated the conquered banners of Candia, Cyprus and the Morea ; the wide Adri- atic before it, over which none dared dispute her right The Venetian traditions assert that the remains of the Evangelist were actually conveyed to Venice in the year 829, under the most singular circumstances. Two Vene- ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 53 tian merchants, named Bono and Rustico, being in Alex- andria, where the Mahometans had begun a persecution against the Christians, ascertained that one of the churches contained the body of the Evangelist. They contrived by bribery and stratagem to gain possession of the holy relic, and in order to get it out in safety concealed the body in a basket covered with pork. When the Mahometans be- held the flesh of the accursed animal they investigated no further, and so the Saint was safely brought to Venice. He was deposited in the chapel of the Doge, and declared the patron Saint of the Republic, and the lion, which in the vision of Ezekiel is supposed to repre- sent the Evangelist, was emblazoned on all their stand- ards. But the most curious circumstance of all this is that the body of the Saint was actually privately sold. After it had achieved its reputation, it was deemed, prob- ably, by this commercial people, too expensive a capital to lie dormant. This neat little bit of bargaining was of course never publicly acknowledged, and in order to allay all inquiries, the place where the holy deposit rested was declared to be a State secret ! Venice was governed by Austria in the same manner as her other Provinces. Wearied at length with thirty-three years of tyranny, they ventured in 1848 to raise their voices, and to demand some concessions. These petitions were scoffed at. At the same time, the greatest tyranny and barbarity were exercised towards some of the most conspicuous of the malcontents. At this juncture Danielo Manini and Nicolo Tommaseo, men of great capacity and courage, raised their voices in harangues to the people 54 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. against the Austrian oppression. They were immediatel}'' incarcerated. In the midst of the excitement caused by this arrest, news of the Revolution of Vienna reached Venice. En masse the people presented themselves be- neath the windows of the Governor and imperatively de- manded the liberation of Manini and other political prisoners. The Governor dared not refuse, but feeling danger at hand, ordered out the Civic Guard in addition to the regiments already in the town. But it was unfortu- nate for the Austrians that these regiments were mostly Italian. They all, with one accord, throwing away the Austrian colors, took part with the people, so that Zichy, the Military Governor of Venice, was obliged to resign his power into the hands of the people. Meantime Manini, at the head of the multitude, had got possession of the Ar- senal, was elevated to the chief command, and in reply to the cry of "Viva Venezia" he substituted "Viva Italia;" thereby involving the whole of Italy in the same cry for liberty. For nine months Manini, created Dictator of the Re- public, kept Austria at bay, and governed wisely and with moderation. It cannot be denied that the eyes of Italy were all fixed on France, with hope and reliance. This peculiarity has always characterized the revolutions of Italy. The counter revolution in France, the defeat of Charles Albert, and the presence of the Austrians at the outskirts of Venice, made the condition of that city ex- ceedingly critical. In these. perilous moments, Manini, never losing his presence of mind, and foreseeing that a catastrophe was at hand, addressed the people on the ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 55 Piazza St. Marco. "Whatever may come to pass," said he, " friends and citizens, when you speak of me, say he deceived himself, but never, let me implore you, say this man deceived us, for to you and my country I have been true." To all these dangers the cholera added its horrors ; and news of the defeat of the Hungarians, and flight of Kos- suth, from whom they had received assurances of succor, plunged the Venetians into profound discouragement. On the 24th of June, 1849, the Provisional Government, with Manini at its head, declared that its functions had ceased, and Venice accepted the conditions offered by Radetzky, and, after eighteen months' struggle, it surrendered to the Austrians. The safety of the chiefs of the insurrection having been stipulated, Danielo Manini left Venice and pro- ceeded to Paris, where, like another Dante lamenting over the fall of his country, he died, surrounded by the esteem and admiration of the most distinguished men in France ; men who had striven in vain to console him in his exile. However much the people of Venice may have desired liberty, and been inclined to all sacrifices, there is a very curious fact related with regard to their disposition to fight. In the month of August the Venetians assembled in the Piazza St. Marco, tired of Manini's Fabian policy, and demanded to make a sortie en masse. Manini ha- rangued them in the following terms : "You want to fight. Do so. Who ever forbade you? But I confess that, though I have heard very loud talking, until now your words have not been borne out by acts. Now we shall see." 56 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. Manini, accordingly, had a table placed on the Piazza St. Marco, where every man who wished to venture upon this forlorn hope was to sign his name. At the end of many hours twelve names only adorned the page, six of which were effaced the next day. A son of Manini, who appears worthy of the name he hears, is a distinguished officer in the Franco-Sardinian army, now threatening to overthrow the power his father once banished from '■'•Venezia la hella." The territory embraced in the Austrian Generalship of Venice is bounded on the North by the Tyrol (another Province of Austria,) East by the Adriatic Sea and the Kingdom of Illyria, South by Modena and the Papal States, and West by its coterminous Department of Lombardy. It embraces the following Provinces: Vicenza, Friuli, Venice, Verona, Belluno, Rovigo, Treviso and Padua. The population of this Department was at the last cen- sus 2,281,732, and its area in square miles is 9,198. Thus it will be perceived that, whilst it embraces more territory than Lombardy, it has less population. Venice, its chief city, contained in 1846 a population of 127,925. The population, although the city passed through a most terri- ble siege in 1848, is perhaps greater now than it was when the census of 1846 was taken. The rivers which flow eastwardly out of Lombardy, and debouch into the Adriatic, also water this Department. Venice is the great seaport of the Lombardo-Venetian provinces. It once was the great entrepot for the com- merce of the East, but that commerce has long since sought other channels. The local trade of this port is ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 57 Still considerable ; there cleared in 1853, 816 vessels, of an aggregate tonnage of 129,811 tons. The coasting trade of that year was carried on in 3,694 small vessels, tonnage 299,883; and there arrived 876, tonnage 134,444, besides 3,908 coasters, tonnage 286,651. Its trade is much aifected by its contiguity to Trieste, the waters of whose harbor are much deeper than those of its own. Nowhere can more than sixteen feet, at the highest rise, be obtained in any of the numerous entrances to that harbor. Indeed, the most frequented pass into its lagunes is at Malmoco, and there is a bar outside of it which vessels are compelled to cross, the deepest water upon which is ten feet. The statements made in a former chapter, relative to the levying of taxes and the raising of revenue in Lom- bardy by Austria, will apply with equal justice to their like operations in Yenetia. It is abundantly in evidence that Austria most shamefully discriminates against her Trans-Alpine Provinces in matters of revenue. There can be no equitable defence for such conduct upon her part. There can be no justification for an unequal, uneven rule upon the part of the sovereign head of a great Empire towards the people of certain districts of that Empire. However ignorant they may be upon matters of science, art, or general intelligence, they feel intensely all burdens upon their labor. They may for a time rest content under the heaviest impositions, if their pride or patriotism be aroused. But they are quick to learn and compute the comparative amounts of taxation put upon them and their fellow subjects of other Provinces. When they clearly comprehend a difi'erence such as is alluded to above, every 58 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. tax-payer is at heart a rebel, and tlie red cross of revolt is hailed everywhere with electric enthusiasm and joy. Hence the quick, terrible revolutions of 1848, in Milan, in Mantua, in Venice, and in all the cities of Lombardo- Venetian Italy. Hence, there will be a renewal of these revolutions, upon a grander scale — a repetition, with a more hloodj mise en scene — should defeat or disaster over- take the Austrians in these Provinces. CHAPTER VI. ORIGIN OF THE WAR — MOTIVES OF FRANCE, AUSTRIA AND SARDINIA — THE MANIFESTOES OP FRANCIS JOSEPH, VICTOR EMANUEL AND LOUIS NAPO- LEON. The origin of the present war, like tlie beginning of all other events of magnitude — events so great that none, however gifted with a profound insight into the future of human affairs, can either foresee or approximate to the probable consequences which may, immediately or remote- ly, wait upon them — is to be found in a series of mixed motives. First, Austria and France have been in collision more frequently than any other Continental nations. They have run a race of rivalry, in arms and conquest, for cen- turies back. Italy has ever been to them a field of combat. So jealous was England of the power of France at the conclusion of the treaty of 1815, that the Prince Regent (afterwards George IV.) insisted upon Austria keeping the Lombardo-Venetian provinces, in order that the Alpine gates of Italy might be shut against the French by the interjection of a first rate European power between them and Middle and Southern Italy. But Louis Napoleon would be more or less than a Bonaparte, could he forget the treachery of the House of Hapsburg to his uncle, and the part she took in the humiliation of France in 1814-15. Did she not refuse, in recent years, to join in the crusade of the Western 59 60 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. Powers against Russia? Has she not turned a deaf ear to the patient, but earnest, remonstrances addressed to her by France and England against her maladministration in Italy ? Has she not persistently refused to exercise her established influence with the Central and Southern States of the Peninsula, for the amelioration of their terrible outrages upon humanity ? But, above all, she has recently resolved to wipe out of existence the only liberal constitutional Kingdom of Italy. This Kingdom is the sincere friend and ally of France. Her soldiers proved this at the Tchernaya and in the des- perate combats fought under the walls of Sebastopol. The Imperial family of France has had its relationship recent- ly, drawn more closely to the Court of Sardinia, by the marriage of Prince Napoleon, son of Jerome Bonaparte, to the Princess Clothilde, the eldest daughter of Victor Emanuel. The Emperor evidently felt that he could not permit Austria to crush out the only power in Italy which thoroughly sympathized with France. Sardinia has long had a traditional policy. That policy has been to increase her territory to the East and South. Charles Albert evidently desired to constitute himself King of the whole of Northern Italy, if not of the whole Peninsula. The execution of this idea was suspended by his overthrow in 1848, but the policy of the father is, doubtless, fondly cherished by the son. Besides, he and his people hug closely to their hearts an unrelenting hate to Austria, from the memories of past defeat, and there- fore, of national disgrace. A deeper feeling may be said to pervade many of his subjects; they desire the freedom ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 61 of their brethren in the neighboring States from the Austrian rule, and regard their King and Louis Napoleon as their destined liberators. Austria, since the death of Francis I., has changed the policy of that Monarch in regard to Italy. She has sought, steadily, to advance her interests and power. Hence, the marriage of members of her royal family to nearly every Prince, Duke or Lord, within the limits of Italy. There is but little doubt she would have a royal Princess ready to marry every Pope, if she felt that it would advance her interests; for, surely, her royal family is numerous enough to supply all the civilized States of the world with wives for their rulers, as Saxe Coburg is with husbands for the Queens and Princesses. Hence the Continental proverb, that ''Austria wins her victories by the marriage bed." She desires, evidently, that she shall be sole arbi- tress of the fate of Italy, and that she shall rule without a rival or a peer. Her ruler, like all despots, is lynx-eyed, and has not failed to discover the depth and intensity of hatred enter- tained by all Italians toward his Empire. He knows, full well, that if a free, constitutional State, like Sardinia, is suffered to continue, as a protest against tyranny and as an example of comparative freedom, it will excite the spirit of revolt among his subjects. There is nothing which restrictive monarchs dread so much as domestic revolution. Whilst their armies are fighting nationalities they do not constantly dread that the very basis of their thrones is rotting away from them. Let revolution but once begin, and they quake like the Assyrian monarch at 62 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. his midniglit feast ; for they cannot tell where nor how the lightning of popular indignation will strike : it is a subtle, pervading element, that seems to lurk everywhere, with hugely explosive qualities, so soon as a point of contact is gained. Perhaps the best mode of submitting an unprejudiced view of the immediate motives and policy of all the bellig- erents, will be obtained by presenting extracts from the manifestoes put forward by the different Monarchs. The following is an extract from the manifesto of the Austrian Emperor : AUSTRIAN MANIFESTO. "To my people: — I liave ordered my faithful and gallant army to put a stop to the inimical acts (Anfeindungen) which for a series of years have been committed by the neighboring State of Sardinia against the indisputable rights of my Crown, and against the integrity of tlie realm placed by God under my care, which acts have lately attained the very highest point (auf ihren Hohenpunkte angelangt). By so doing I have fulfilled the painful (schwere) but unavoidable duty of a Sovereign. My conscience being at rest, I can look up to an omnipotent God, and patiently await His award. With confidence I leave my decision to the impartial judgment of contemporaneous and future generations. Of the approbation of my faithful subjects I am sure. More than ten years ago the same enemy — violating international law and the usages of war, and without any offence being given — entered the Lombardo-Venetian territory with the intent to acquire pos- session of it. Although the enemy was twice totally defeated by my gallant army, and at the mercy of the victor, I behaved generously, and proposed a reconciliation (reichte die Hand zur Versohnung). I did not appropriate to myself one inch of his territory ; I encroached on no light which belongs to Sardinia, as one of the members of the European family of nations ; I insisted on no guarantees against the recurrence of ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 63 similar events. The hand of peace which I in all sincerity extended, and which was taken, appeared to me to be a sufficient guarantee, The blood which my army shed for the honor and right of Austria, I sacri- ficed on the altar of peace (den Frieden brachte Ich das Blut meiner Armee zum Opfer). The reward for such unexampled forbearance was immediate continuation of enmity, which increased from year to year, and perfidious agitation against the peace and welfare of my Lombardo- Tenetian Kingdom. Well knowing what a precious boon peace was for my people and for Europe, I patiently bore with those new hostilities. My patience was not exhausted when the more extensive measures which I was forced to take, in consequence of the revolutionary agita- tion on the frontiers of my Italian Provinces and within the same, were made an excuse for a higher degree of hostility. Willingly accepting the well-meant mediation of friendly Powers for the maintenance of peace, I consented to become a party to a Congress of the Five Great Powers. The four points proposed by the Royal Government of Great Britain as a basis for the deliberations of the Congress were forwarded to my Cabinet, and I accepted them with the conditions which were cal- culated to bring about a true, sincere, and durable peace. In the con- sciousness that no step on the part of my Government could, even in the most remote degree, lead to a disturbance of the peace, I demanded that the Power which was the cause of the complication, and had brought about the danger of war, should, as a preliminary measure, disarm. Being pressed thereto by friendly Powers, I at length accepted the proposal for a general disarmament. The mediation failed in conse- quence of the unacceptableness of the conditions on which Sardinia made her consent dependent. Only one means of maintaining peace remained. I addressed myself directly to the Sardinian Government, and summoned it to place its army on a peace footing and to disband the free corps. As Sardinia did not accede to my demand, the moment for deciding the matter by an appeal to arms has arrived. I have ordered my army to enter Sardinia." 64 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. The vindication of "Victor Emanuel is subjoined : SARDINIAN MANIFESTO. "Soldiers! — Austria, which increases its army on our frontiers, and threatens to invade our territory, because liberty here reigns with order — because not force, but concord and affection between people and Sov- ereign here rule the State — because the crieg of suffering, of oppressed Italy here find a hearing, Austria dares to intimate to us, armed only in defence, that we are to lay down our arms and put ourselves in her power. The outrageous intimation called for a worthy reply. I have disdain- fully rejected it. Soldiers ! I announce this to you, certain that you will take to your- selves the outrage offered to your King — to the nation. The announce- ment I give to you, is the announcement of war. To arms, then, soldiers ! You will find yourselves opposed to no new enemy ; but, if he bo brave and disciplined, you do not fear the meeting, and may boast of the days of Goito, of Pastrengo, of Santa Lucia, of Somma Campagna, of Custoza itself, where only four brigades contended for three days with five corps d'armie. I will be your leader. On former occasions we have known a great part of you in the heat of combats ; and I, fighting by the side of my magnanimous father, admired your valor with pride. On the field of honour and of glory you, I am certain, will know how to preserve, and also to increase, your fame as valiant soldiers." The foregoing would not be complete without adding that of Louis Napoleon : "Austria in causing her army to enter the territories of the King of Sardinia, our ally, declares war against us. She thus violates treaties and justice, and menaces our frontiers. All the great Powers have pro- tested against this aggression. Piedmont having accepted the conditions which ought to have insured peace, one asks what can be the reason of /If^LcLat ^'mamiel. ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 65 this sudden invasion? It is that Austria has brought matters to this ex- tremity, that she must either rule up to the Alps, or Italy must "be free to the shores of the Adriatic; for in this country every corner of terri- tory which remains independent endangei'S her power. Hitherto moderation has been the rule of my conduct ; now energy be- comes my first duty. Let France arm, and resolutely tell Europe : — "I de- sire not conquest, but I desire firmly to maintain my national and tradi- tional policy. I observe the treaties on condition that no one shall violate them against me. I respect the territories and rights of neutral Powers, but I boldly avow my sympathies for a people whose history is mingled with my own, and who groan under foreign oppression." France has shown her hatred of anarchy. She has been pleased to give me a power strong enough to reduce into nonentity the abettors of disorder and the incorrigible members of those old factions whom one incessantly sees confederating with our enemies ; but she has not for all that abdicated her task of civilization. Her natural allies have always been those who desire the improvement of the human race, and when she draws the sword it is not to dominate but to liberate. The object of this war, then, is to restore Italy to herself, not to impose upon her a change of masters, and we shall then have upon our frontiers a friendly people, who will owe to us their independence. We do not go into Italy to foment disorder or to disturb the power of the Holy Father, whom we have replaced upon his throne, but to remove from him this foreign pressure, which weighs upon the whole Peninsula, and to help to establish there order, based upon legitimate satisfied in- terests. We are going, then, to seek upon this classic ground, illustrated by so many victories, the footsteps of our fathei^s. God grant that we may be worthy of them ! I am going soon to place myself at the head of the army." More elaborate vindications of tlie motives of the three Monarchs, have appeared from the pens of their Prime Ministers, but the gist and pith of all they have said is contained in the official utterances of theii" Sovereigns. E CHAPTER VII. LOUIS NAPOLEON THE SELF-DECEPTION OF THE WORLD RELATIVE TO HIS TALENTS EARLY CAREER GIVEN TO ELUCIDATE THE CAUSES OF THE ■world's IGNORANCE OF HIS ABILITIES HIS BIRTH AND BIRTH-PLACE DECREE OF BANISHMENT HIS MOTHER, HORTENSE BEAUHARNAIS HER RETREAT AT LAKE GENEVA DESCRIPTION OF IT HIS TEACHERS AND EDUCATION — THE ATTENTION OF HIS MOTHER TO THESE THINGS — HIS EARLY CHARACTER AUGSBURG ARENBURG HIS REPUBLICAN- ISM — EFFECTS OP MOUNTAIN SCENERY UPON HIS MIND — HIS BROTHER NAPOLEON — RECONCILIATION OF LOUIS AND HORTENSE — CONSPIRACY OF THE BROTHERS RELATIVE TO ITALY THEY JOIN THE ROMAGNIAN INSURRECTION APPOINTED TO THE SUPREME COMMAND RESIGN IT THE BOLOGNESE, TO FLATTER LOUIS PHILIPPE, COMPEL THEM TO RETIRE TO FORLI DEATH OF NAPOLEON SUPPOSED CRIMINALITY OF LOUIS KAPOLEON A GROSS ERROR FEVER AT ANCONA RUSE OF HIS MOTHER TO CONCEAL HIM FROM THE AUSTRIANS ESCAPE TO ENGLAND OFFER OF TALLEYRAND — RETURN TO SWITZERLAND — BECOMES AN AUTHOR — HIS INTERCOURSE WITH LEADNG MEN HIS ATTEMPT AT STRASBURO LOUIS Philippe's knowledge of the plot — failure — shipped to THE united states ANECDOTE OF JOSEPH BONAPARTE CORRESPOND- ENCE WITH HIS MOTHER AFFIANCED TO MATHILDE CONDUCT IN THE UNITED STATES LOVE TO HIS MOTHER REVERENCE FOR HER MEMORY NATIONAL AIR OF FRANCE DRIVEN FROM SWITZERLAND — GOES TO ENGLAND RECEPTION IN LONDON — COUNT d'oRSAY — LORD EGLINGTON's TOURNAMENT IMPRESSION HE MADE ON GREAT LADIES FACULTY FOR child's play FINANCIAL EMBARRASSMENTS BOULOGNE EXPEDITION HAM HIS ESCAPE RETURN TO LONDON — HIS FRIENDS HIS POLI TICAL CONVICTIONS MANNER OF LIVING IN LONDON LITERARY WORK — DEATH OF LOUIS, EX-KING OF HOLLAND — THE REVOLUTION OF 1848 — LOUIS NAPOLEON SPECIAL CONSTABLE — PROPOSED AS DEPUTY TO THE 66 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 67 NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ELECTED BY FOUR DEPAKTMENTS SCENE IN NA- TIONAL ASSEMBLY RE-ELECTED FIRST SPEECH IN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ELECTION FOR PRESIDENCY CONDUCT DURING ELECTION ELECTED PRESIDENT INAUGURATION RIBILLOT GENERAL PETIT. Familiar as the public are with the striking events in the career of the French Emperor since he became the head of a great nation, there are yet many of the facts of his life previous to his election as a Deputy to the National Assembly in 1848, which possess a lively interest for those who admire great talent, wherever and by whomsoever displayed. An additional interest is imparted to the early incidents of his career, because he has so completely over- set all prior estimates placed upon his abilities. People desire to unravel this puzzle, to solve the enigma. The world had set him down as a visionary, a schemer, without either the bravery or the talent necessary to achieve a very ordinary reputation as a statesman or a soldier. Contrary to this wiseacre opinion of the world, he has displayed talents equal to any emergency which has, as yet, arisen — resources ample enough to meet every crisis that has fallen upon his career as a public ruler — nay, more, he has shown himself capable of first-rate diploma- tic combinations. He set nearly all Europe upon Russia in 1854. Those nations who did not actively participate in the Crimean war were forced to affect a * 'masterly in- activity" policy. It is too late, now, to undertake a defence of his abili- ties. He has entered upon a new arena of action. He is at the head of a great army, and there is but little doubt 68 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. his talents are fully adequate to all the demands of this new theatre of achievement. The world finds itself deceived, and now wishes to go back and lift the veil of his past history, in order to dis- cover where and how the deception came about. This can only be done by a somewhat lengthy statement of his education, places of residence, and modes of living; by references to those with whom he came in contact and with whom he habitually associated; and by allusions to his modes of thought, as displayed in action. This review shall be as brief as possible. Louis Napoleon Bonaparte is the third son of Louis Bonaparte, ex-King of Holland, brother of Napoleon I., and of Hortense Beauharnais, daughter of the Empress Josephine by her first husband, the Marquis de Beauhar- nais. He was born on the 20th of April, 1808. Although son of the King of Holland, as if in anticipation of his future destinies, he first saw the light in the palace of the Tuilleries. But the events which followed in quick suc- cession during the early years of his boyhood, appeared destined not only to exclude him from the palace of the French Sovereigns, but to banish him forever even from the soil of France. Although the existence of the Duke de Reichstadt, direct heir to the Emperor Napoleon, gave the children of Hortense (two of whom were then living) little importance, the decrees of the new Government of France banished the whole of the Bonaparte family from its territory. Accordingly, Hortense and her two children began a weary pilgrimage from state to state and town to town, now driven away by the authorities, now impelled ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 69 by her own restless spirit, which, after the wondrous ele- vation of her mother, herself, and all around her, could not rest, nor feel convinced that hope was at an end, and that Napoleon, the conqueror, was at last conquered and politically dead for ever. At length, Hortense, who was then known as Duchess de St. Leu, felt a craving for rest, and proceeded to search for a retreat where, secure from the assaults and insults of her enemies, her mind could recover its serenity and find occupation in the only duty now left her, the education of her children. Sickened with the hum of human voices, bitterly convinced of the shallowness of courtly friendships, Hortense strove to find an asylum where the unchanging beauty and majesty of nature should elevate her above the petty, irritating cares which had persecuted her since her exile, and at the same time console her for the loss of the evanescent grandeur of the world. She accordingly fixed her residence on the lake of Constance, near the old and picturesque town of that name, at the point where the waters of the lake, be- coming suddenly narrower, afford a passage for the rapid Rhine whose green waters, rushing in clear distinctness through the dark blue waves of the lake, separate it into two parts. Near this spot, adding to the striking beauty of the scene, is the old covered bridge thrown across the stream which connects it with the territory of the Duchy of Baden. Here, under the care of the Abbe Bertrand and M. de Marmold, the education of Louis began with methodical earnestness ; though the wandering and perilous life he had led had already inculcated many moral lessons that 70 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. after life cannot give, and of wliich experience alone can be the teacher. The professors to whom she had confided him not being well versed in the lighter accom- plishments, Hortense herself undertook the task of teach- ing drawing, dancing and music, in all of which accom- plishments she was a proficient. Louis, however, proved to be a difficult boy to teach ; there was a recklessness and vivacity about him which made him chafe under re- straint and methodical study. A more severe professor was therefore sought for, ai\d found in the person of M. Lebas, whose father had been a personal friend of Robes- pierre and who, having at his downfall, the courage to prove his admiration by imitation, had shot himself in order not to survive him. Louis, under this man, began to ac- quire an independent and firm character. He had no silly prejudices concerning his rank and birth, but associated freely with all the boys of his own age in the neighbor- hood; his chief friend being a miller's son whose father lived on the bridge over the Rhine. Louis Napoleon was tender hearted, impulsive and charitable, and there are many anecdotes told of his liberality and generosity in his boyish days. As Louis advanced towards manhood, his mother began to feel it necessary that he should have the advantages of a public education and association with youths of his own age and position, which, although he had been born a Prince, was no other than that of a pri- vate gentleman. Hortense therefore resolved on proceed- ing to Augsburg, where for four years he attended the lectures of the University. In the intervals of the scho- lastic terms, Hortense took him with her through various ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 71 parts of Italy and Germany, and, probably, in these excursions did more to form his mind and store his memory than all the professors of Augsburg. Meanwhile, Hor- tense, having chosen a most beautiful and picturesque site in the Canton of Thurgovia, began to construct a chateau for her future residence which is know^n as the Castle of Arenburg, and to which Napoleon's advent to the throne has added, besides its renown for picturesque beauties, great historical importance. The situation of Arenburg was striking and beautiful, commanding an extensive view of the lake of Constance, the largest of the Swiss lakes, one indeed which loses the fairy character of a lake and assumes the dignity of a sea, but a sea enclosed by majestic and towering moun- tains. Those who have lived in a mountainous country have felt the effect produced by its wild and savage gran- deur upon the mind. There is no doubt that the scenery amid which the youth of Napoleon was passed contributed much to the strength of his character, to his habit of silence, and to a certain dignity of mind, fearlessness and power of endurance, which are the characteristics of all mountaineers. Louis Napoleon, from his residence, his education and companions, could not but be a Republican in theory at this time. But the traditions of his family, his mother's adoration of Napoleon I., the accounts of his sufferings, all contributed to nourish in his heart a desire for revenge, which first gave rise, probably, to the vague ambition of achieving some position that should rehabili- tate and reestablish his dynasty. His brother Napoleon, all this time was with his father, who resided in Florence. t^ ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. A tardy reconciliation had taken place between Hortense and her husband, so that by visiting Florence she was allowed the enjoyment of her elder son's society. It would appear that as early as 1830 the two young Princes, on hearing of the fall of Charles X., had entered into a conspiracy to subvert the governments of Italy, for the purpose of establishing an Italian Republic. That they may then have entertained ideas of obtaining the supremacy of Italy, founded, as such ideas would natu- rally be, upon the traditions of both Napoleon I. and Eugene Beauharnais, is probable ; but at this time they could neither of them have thought of the throne of Erance, for the Duke de Reichstadt was still living, as well as Joseph, who was of course the head of the Bona- parte family after the direct heir. Louis Napoleon and his brother both openly joined the insurgents in Romagna, and out of deference to their rank, they were at first promoted to the supreme com- mand, but their youth and inexperience soon obliged them to make over their posts to Sercognani and Armandi. In 1831, however, the Provisional Government of Bo- logna, having some hope of obtaining the protection of France, in order to flatter Louis Philippe refused to let the two Princes serve, even as private soldiers, in the army of Romagna. They were therefore compelled to leave, and retired to Forli. There are, in the numerous Italian memoirs of those concerned in the revolution of that period, several allusions to the Princes, and all bear testimony to their skill and personal bravery. Meanwhile, overcome by anxiety for her sons, Avearied by the weak ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 73 and querulous complaints of her husband, her heart riven by witnessing the deep agony of the young wife of her eldest son, about to become a mother, Hortense through unheard of difficulty and peril contrived to join her children at Forli. Here, however, the greatest sorrow of all awaited her. Louis received his mother in his arms, as overcome with fatigue and anxiety she descended from her carriage, and drawing her to his heart revealed to her that he was now her only son, for Napoleon, his elder brother, was dead. Detractors of the present Emperor of the French have even gone so far back as this to dis- cover crime, and have attributed his brother's death to foul play. But there could be no motive for such a deed on the part of Louis Napoleon. There was no inheritance between them ; for even had the throne of France been in their family, there were many who stood in his way before his brother. There was nothing extraordinary in the fact that a young Prince, exposed to unusual fatigue, bodily privation and mental excitement, should die of a typhus fever, caught in the plains of Romagna. News now came that the Austrians were advancing and there was no time for the indulgence of grief. Hortense and her son pursued their way to Ancona, and here, in the midst of the most imminent peril, Louis Napoleon was seized with fever and was presently declared to have the measles. Hortense had engaged a vessel to take her to Corfu. It was, however, impossible for her son to be moved. She therefore with great courage and presence of mind resolved to remain, allowing, however, the vessel to sail and arranging matters so that it was supposed by 74 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. all that Louis had sailed in her, and that Hortense had remained behind on account of illness. With continued precaution she concealed his presence in the apartment until he was able to depart in the disguise of a footman behind his mother's carriage. They took refuge in Tus- cany, spite of the refusal of the Grand Duke to afford them protection. Panoplied by the maternal love which inspired Hortense for his safety they reached England. They were well recieved in the higher circles of that country. At length Hortense desired to return to Switz- erland and passports were offered to her by Talleyrand, through the north of France, as it was feared, Belgium being then in commotion, the "braves Beiges " much in want of a King, like the frogs, would seize upon the first Prince that fell in their way and place him on their throne. Had this occurred, would that throne have satis- fied Louis Napoleon ? This cannot be answered, but cer- tain it is, that if Talleyrand could have foreseen the des- tinies reserved for the young scion of the Bonaparte race, he would have allowed him to go through Brussels, and have run the risk of his being contented with that small Sovereignty. Once more in Switzerland, Louis Napoleon, feeling the influence of the repose around him, fell into speculative philosophy. Here he wrote "Les Reveries," a work con- taining political maxims and foreshadowing his ambitious projects. His life at Arenburg was one of tranquil enjoy- ment. Hortense lived, if not in state, in affluence. The country round was beautiful ; the lake spread its broad expanse before him. Arenburg, too, had become a sort ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 75 of shrine for travelers. As time mellowed and poetized the great deeds of the Empire, and martyrdom and death effaced the faults of the Emperor, all that pertained to him became interesting and sacred. Louis Napoleon was thus brought into communication with many of the master spirits of the day, who kept him well informed of the politi- cal atmosphere of Europe. The results of these various elements was the ill-judged and badly-executed attempt at Strasburg to obtain the sovereign power of France. It must, however, not be forgotten that it is proved beyond all doubt, that from the first Louis Philippe was informed through Colonel Yaudrey, the pretended friend of Louis Napoleon, of the 'whole conspiracy, and that he had al- lowed it to go on in order to destroy Louis Napoleon's pretensions through the medium of ridicule. He had not scrupled, in the same way, to destroy all the prestige attached to his niece, the Duchess de Berri, by forcing her into the necessity of a marriage in prison to screen her reputation. In pursuance of the same policy, Louis Phi- lippe took care not to give importance to the Bonapartes by persecution or condign punishment, but treating the whole affair with contempt, sent the young Prince on board a French ship to the United States. This expedition was looked on by all parties, it must be confessed, as rash and absurd. The eldest surviving member of the Bonaparte family, Joseph Count de Survilliers, looked on it with dis- approval, and as a positive infringement of his rights. ^' For," said he to his physician and friend, "if the crown of France is to come to our family, it comes to me before 76 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. Louis Napoleon ; for I am head of the family, and should not allow him to overlook me." Louis Napoleon baffled, but not conquered, landed in the United States, where he was received by two of his cousins, Achille and Lucien Murat, now citizens of the young Republic ; both of whom were unknown to him. The correspondence of Louis Napoleon with his mother during this period is full of feeling, philosophy, and courage. Amidst all his sorrows he appears to have carried away with him a love grief. He was deeply attached at that time to his cousin Mathilde, with whom he had constantly associated during his visits to Florence, and who had often come to Arenburg on visits to his mother. Some difficulty, however, appears to have separated them, arising from the young lady herself, whose capricious ajffections underwent a change. It was not, however, until 1841, after the ex- pedition of Boulogne, that she married the Count Anatole Demidoff. There have been various conflicting accounts with regard to his conduct in the United States. Some have described him as dissipated, and frequenting disreputable society, as well as getting deeply into debt ; which debts are said to be still unpaid. This is scarcely probable. Louis Napoleon was not at that time poor. Hortense, like the rest of the Bonaparte family (with the exception of Jerome), had well provided for a reverse of fortune. Besides, it was not even Louis Napoleon's habit to seek low associates, nor was he fond of low, noisy dissipation ; more especially, he was in no way addicted to intemperance. Bumor, there- fore, in spreading these reports, has probably mistaken ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 77 one cousin for another, and attributed to the Emperor the freaks of his cousin Pierre Bonaparte, who was twice in the United States. Louis Napoleon was recalled from his exile by alarming accounts of his mother's health, and making all haste, and defying all the orders of the French Government, which, however, had no power over him, once on the American shores, he returned to Switzerland. He arrived only in time to receive her last sigh. Napo- leon's love for his mother had in it a tenderness and devo- tion even beyond that of a son. She had been his instructor and companion, and from the hour of her change of posi- tion she had manifested great and noble qualities, which the frivolity and prosperity of a Court might for ever have left unrevealed. Hortense was a woman to be loved and revered, and even at this distance of years Napoleon's love for his mother has suffered no change. He has striven in all ways to associate her with his present high fortune ; he has made an air of her composition, " Partant pour la Syrie," the national air of France; the ship which bore him from Marseilles to Genoa on this Italian expedition is called La Reine Hortense, after his mother. Louis Napoleon remained in Switzerland until the Duke de Montebello, instructed by Louis Philippe, demanded his extradition from Switzerland. The Swiss were disposed to resent this infringement on their liberties, but as the French threatened war they yielded, and Louis Napoleon went to England, having, thanks to the ill-judged move- ment of Louis Philippe, acquired celebrity and political importance sufficient to make him partizans and friends, as well as an object of public attention. 78 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. Here he entered into the promiscuous society of London, where for some time he was made a lion at fashionable parties, until his reserved manners and his absence of small talk, which made it so difficult to drmo him out, made popular curiosity leave him aside. His particular and intimate friend was Count D'Orsay, a man who had many detractors, and probably many faults, but a man un- doubtedly of intellect and courage, highly accomplished, and capable of strong attachments. Besides Gore House, Louis Napoleon visited frequently at Eglinton Castle. The young Earl, then a bachelor, gave the celebrated tournament at Eglinton Castle. During the preparations and rehearsals Louis Napoleon became intimate with many of the English nobility. He distinguished himself, too, at the tournament for his skill and his horsemanship. He was an admirable billiard-player, and a great chess-player, as well as fond of a game of whist. The intimacy with Lord Eglinton continued after the marriage of the Earl, and Louis Napoleon was frequently invited to stay at the Castle. The impression that he made on Lady Eglington and her visitors was that of a quiet, gentlemanly, inoffensive young man, who contributed nothing either to the conver- sation or the amusement of the company. He was skillful at ~ull physical exercises, but very still and silent in a drawing-room, and certainly left no impression of possess- ing great powers of mind or extraordinary capacities of any kind. When the ladies withdrew from the table he he was in the habit of leaving, and usually proceeded to the nursery, where he had impressed the three young daughters of the Countess, by a former marriage, with a ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1850. 79 great idea of his talents in all baby plays, such as ball, blind man's buff, etc., but more especially they remembered his extraordinary genius in making rabbits and shadows on the wall. Evidently Louis' mind and inner nature were at work, and during these years in London revealed them- selves to few. In 1840, Louis Napoleon, by this time no longer having his mother as a faithful steward to administer his fortune, became exceedingly embarrassed, and was likewise deeply in debt. It is almost impossible for foreign private for- tunes to compete with such wealth as was possessed by those with whom he associated in England (Lord Eglinton for instance, who has an income of forty thousand pounds) without entailing ruin. Perhaps his embarrasments con- tributed to make him precipitate the expedition he medi- tated to Boulogne against Louis Philippe. All details on this rash, ill-advised, and worse-executed expedition would be now superfluous. Suffice it to say that Louis Napoleon was taken prisoner and conveyed to Ham, where he was kept in close confinement from 1840 to 1846. On the 25th of May he effected his escape in the disguise of a workman, and through the ready wit, skill and devotion of his physician. Dr. Conneau, who had been a friend of his mother. Once out of the fortress, Louis Napoleon and his valet made the best of their way to St. Quentin, passed the Belgian frontier, and were soon safe in London. In London he found his old friends, Count d'Orsay and Lady Blessington, who, though in hopeless embarrassment, wel- comed him most cordially, and in addition to these he had the countenance and support of a great English con- 80 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 18G9. nexion, whicli his cousin the Princess Marie of Baden had formed by espousing the Marquis of Douglas, eldest son of the Duke of Hamilton. To her, more than to all others, he is said to have confided his projects and hopes, and to have distinctly declared his conviction that the seventeen years of the Orleans rule being about to expire, the Bour- bon branch having reigned as long after the restoration, the turn of the Bonapartes had arrived. During his residence in London Louis Napoleon, ex- cluding himself from general society, frequented Gore House, at which no women ever visited, but which was frequented by all the celebrated artists, politicians, and literati of the day. He went to the clubs, where he was admitted as a visitor, and in general associated with that sort of back-door society that brought him in contact with the best men of the day, and several of the most beautiful and brilliant women — living independently, but splendidly, without the pale of society. During his residence here, he wrote his '^melanges politiques ;" which, like all his works, is distinguished for thought and great elegance and neatness of style. Whilst he was in England his father, Louis, ex-King of Holland, died at Florence. Louis Napoleon had, during his imprisonment, vainly petitioned Louis Philippe for permission to visit his dying father ; and on his arrival in England, after his escape from Ham, had endeavored to obtain passports from the Tuscan Am- bassador, but had been refused; so that he was deprived of the satisfaction of closing his father's eyes. The French Bevolution of 1848, and the Revolutions of Germany, Italy and Hungary in the same year, did ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 81 not produce a revolution in steady, regular, sober-sided England. There were some popular demonstrations which alarmed good, easy souls. But the ministry of that day had sense enough to perceive that the multitude only wanted to exercise their lungs and muscles in the fine air of the southern suburbs of London. On the occasion of the 10th of April, when most uneasiness was felt in cer- tain classes of English society, the future Monarch of thirty-five millions of people served as a special constable, in conjunction with all the respectable portion of London. The troops were not called out ; the head of Government contenting himself with a heavy display of extra-police- men. The whole affair passed off pleasantly, and has ever since been regarded as a subject of mirth. Such a demonstration in Paris at this hour would bring Marshal Magnan down upon itself with artillery, infantry, and cavalry in powerful force. Such is the difference between the tone and temper of the two governments. At the May elections of 1848, Louis Napoleon was pro- posed as deputy to represent four different Departments in the National Assembly : Paris, Yonne, Cayenne, and Cor- sica. He was elected in all four of them by tremendous majorities. His first act, after his election was declared, was to publish an address to the electors of these Depart- ments, thanking them in elegant and graceful language for the honor bestowed. He wrote to the National Assembly also, informing them that he understood his name was beino; made a watchword for disorder, and a rallying-cry for anarchy, and avowing his willingness to resign his deputyship rather F 82 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1869. than suffer such a use to be made of it. He had omitted to use the word "Republic," and a tremendous uproar broke out in the Chamber of Deputies in consequence thereof. The following description of the scene which ensued, when the proposition for his admission into the Assembly was made fro forma, will prove highly interesting, as it is racily and richly French : "On the 13th of June came on the great question proposed by the (Provisional) Government. M. Dagoussie, we are told, in a moment of silence (recorded as 'profound, re- ligious and solemn,') proposed the 'maintenance of the law of 1832, as regarded Louis Napoleon; in short, to banish the member elect for Paris, the Yonne and May- enne. We are perfectly convinced, in spite of all the other writers who have wielded the pen on this sub- ject, that it would have been fortunate for France, ultim- ately, had M. Dagoussie's motion been carried, and the Napoleon family been excluded. — The- report of the Com- mittee was read ; it was thus rendered, ' The Commission have decided that Louis Napoleon shall be admitted ' — and M. Jules Favre, in the moment of enthusiasm, mentioned the word 'Prince,' which was like an electric shock to the mountain, bringing down the thunder from above. "In vain M. Favre explained, — M. Ledru Rollin rolled backwards and forwards in his seat, like a quaker when the spirit is about to move him ; M. Flocon, who always did gesticulate, now gesticulated more furiously ; Lamar- tine angrily devoured a pen ; Marie appeared, like a law- yer, to consider the words as part of a client's case ; and ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 88 M. Arago seemed to turn a deaf ear to any remark, and was amusing himself by reading a paper. But the thun- der had rolled, and continued to roll ; the whole Mountain were furious, and Ledru Rollin, no longer able to constrain his Republican spirit, turned the debate into a personality which terminated when M. Buchez, the representative of the Government, opposed the vote of the Committee, and accused Louis Napoleon of fostering the angry feelings manifested hourly in the streets. The debate was furious ; the name of the Prince de Joinville was mentioned ; but at length it terminated, — and in spite of its being declared that Louis Napoleon aspired to the Empire, his admission was carried by at least two-thirds of the Assembly." Louis Napoleon was reelected by five Departments, and took his seat in the National Assembly during the follow- ing September. He saw fit to pronounce a speech upon the occasion of his admission, which promised in most decided and emphatic tones fealty to France and the Republic, one and indivisible. His enemies were evidently not prepared for such a declaration from him. They had not calculated upon so much prudence, foresight, and self-control. This is a copy of that brief-pointed speech ; a speech which attracted attention and vigilant criticism, not only in France, but throughout the civilized world : "Citizen Representatives, — I cannot remain silent un- der the calumnies which are circulated against me. I wish to explain the sentiments which animate, and which will always animate me. After thirty years of exile and suf- fering, I again return to my country, and enjoy my rights as a French citizen. The Republic has done me this act of 84 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. justice ; let her, then, receive my oath of devotion, and gratitude. " May the generous citizens who, by their votes, have placed me in this Assembly, be convinced that I regard tranquillity as the first and most urgent necessity of this country, and that I advocate democratic institutions, which I consider as the first wants of the people. "For a long time I have lived in exile, and have been unable to dedicate to the service of my country my thoughts and my studies. My career is open, my dear colleagues; receive me in your ranks with affectionate confidence. My conduct shall always be worthy of my name, and it shall prove to those who would exile me again, by their calumnies, that I wish, before all things, the defence of order, and the stability of the Republic. " The sharp, quick ear of the Parisians detected that the accent of the orator was slightly Germanic. Both Social- ists and Legitimists ridiculed him severely for this peculi- arity in his pronunciation. Stories about the Prince had long been current relative to his future aspirations and designs. It was affirmed that during exile, when asked if he would be satisfied with the Presidency of the Republic, he did not answer evasively or shirkingly. His response they declared was a firm and emphatic " No ; the Empire is my ambition." His friends at that day declared this report unfounded ; but, viewed through the light of the circumstances which have transpired in the last ten years in France, its truthfulness seems highly probable. The election for the presidency was now rapidly approach- ing. His name with that of the stern., iron-nerved, patriotic ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 85 Cavaignac, Lamartine and those of half a dozen others, wild with Socialistic theories and red-hot with destructive- ness, were put forward for the chief magistracy. Napo- leon neither sought popularity nor did he spurn it. For fear he might be misrepresented, his motives maligned, his actions misconstrued, he remained quietly at the house of a friend during the pendency of thie contest. His only public act was to issue an address to the people of France. His friends, however, circulated likenesses of him, and addresses appealing to the love of the French for the memory of his uncle. It is useless to add that he was elected by an over- whelming majority. Yictor Hugo a bitter enemy, — a man utterly destitute of a practical knowledge of life or government, but one who has made the world ring with approbation of his genius, — now a sad exile in a foreign land, — thus quaintly describes his appearance and bearing upon the day on which he was inaugurated President, (being the 20th of December, 1848 : ) "It was about four in the afternoon. It was growing dark, and the immense hall of the Assembly having be- come involved in gloom, the chandeliers were lowered from the ceiling, and the candles were placed upon the tribune. The President made a sign ; a door on the right opened, and there was seen to enter the hall and rapidly ascend the tribune, a man still young, attired in black, having on his breast the badge of the Legion of Honor. All eyes were turned towards this man. His face, wan and pallid, its long emaciated angles developed in prominent relief by the shaded lamps, — his nose large and long, — 86 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. his upper lip covered with mnstachios, — a lock of hair waving over a narrow forehead, — his ejes small and dull, — his attitude timid and anxious, bearing in no re- cpect a resemblance to the Emperor; — this man was the citizen Charles Louis Napoleon Bonaparte." The oath was administered by the President of the Assembly, M. Marrast, under the most solemn and con- science-touching appeals to man and God to witness the holiness of the obligation which the new President assumed. How well he kept that oath let the coup d'etat of Decem- ber, 1851, testify. There are two anecdotes recorded of him, about this time, which indicate forcibly two of the striking peculi- arities of his character. When, after the affair of Stras- burg, Louis Philippe shipped him off to the United States he placed his person under the care of a French military officer of inferior grade whose name was Rebillot. That gentleman discharged the duties of his position with such marked delicacy that Napoleon never forgot it. Among the names of his first ministry occurs that of Col. Rebillot, as Prefet de Police. His first great military review took place on the 24th of December. He took up his position at the entrance to the Champs JElysees. After the National Guards had filed past him, came on the troops of the line. At their head was a division of Invalides. The leader of this division was the veteran General Petit, one of the great Emperor's most faithful military servitors. The (then) President left his staff, rode forward to the war-worn soldier, and said warmly : ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 87 " General, the Emperor embraced you at his last review, I am happy to press your hand at my first review." Thus early, after his accession to power, he displayed his purpose of gaining the affections of the army, and his design of following closely in the footsteps of his uncle. CHAPTER VIII. lOUIS NAPOLEON AS PRESIDENT THE DIFFICULTIES OF HIS POSITION HOW HE QUELLED THE INSURRECTIONARY SPIRIT IN PARIS VIOLA- TIONS OF THE CONSTITUTION CONTEST WITH THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY LEON FAUCHET NATIONAL ASSEMBLY DISSOLVED ITS SUCCESSOR REPUBLICANISM IN PARIS IN 1851 BOURBONS AND ORLEANISTS PRESIDENT VERSUS THE ASSEMBLY ST. ARNAUD PRESIDENTIAL PROCLAMATION 3IEETING OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ITS DISPER- SION OUDINOT BERRYER THE COUP d' ETAT LOUIS NAPOLEON's ELECTION TO THE PRESIDENCY FOR TEN YEARS ELEVATION TO THE EMPIRE HIS MARRIAGE CAROLA WASA OF SWEDEN ALLIANCE WITH ENGLAND WAR WITH RUSSIA THE EMPIRE ATTEMPTS AT ASSASSI- NATION — PIANORI AND ORSINI. "VYhex Louis Napoleon became President he had but ascended the first round upon the ladder of his ambition. Slowly and prudently, and therefore strongly, he began to lay, broadly and deeply, his plans for his further ele- vation. His first efi"ort, in which he was successful, was to conciliate the army and make it devoted to his fortunes. It was true he had many a stormy element to encounter, had to pass all the quicksands and shoals of Parisian capriciousness ; to set upon and subdue the boisterous, bloody Mountain; to bring Order out of the chaos of Revolution ; to quiet the minds of the people of France, and reassure them that there was sufficient stabilit}^, conservatism and virtue in society to preserve it. He jH managed this so steadily as to elicit confidence, excite WM ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 89 hope, and rally around himself those who desired domes- tic peace, the preservation of property, and the protection of life. His name, amid all the wild tumults of his two years' Presidency, loomed up as a landmark of safety — a breakwater against the angry waves of discord — a symbol of future solidity and rest. This consideration, more than aught else, reconciled the French nation to his frequent violations of the Constitu- tion of 1848. This alone made them indififerent to the illegal suppression of the Clubs, and the restrictions which he was gradually drawing more closely around the freedom of the Press. He was now secure of the support of the middle classes of Paris, the Bourgeoisie, including the shop-keepers, manufacturers and others of the less promi- nent, but solid, portions of the community. He had a hard struggle with the National Assembly, which was in existence at the time he was inducted into office. Leon Fauchet, a renegade Orleanist, introduced on the 31st of May, 1849, a projet de loi, for the abolition of universal suffrage. It obtained the assent and approval of this Assembly. Shortly afterwards a dissolution of that body took place. At this the President and the members of his Cabinet had long aimed. He desired to get rid of their clamorous debates ; their impracticable theories ; their constant incitations to insurrection ; their oft-repeated thwarting of his purposes, and especially the heavy checks which their ceaseless free discussion of his measures placed upon his earnest desire to restore the Empire. This National Assembly, however, was dissolved only 90 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. to be replaced by another, in which neither the Republi- cans nor Bonapartists had many friends. The Legitimists and Orleanists had a large majority. The President greatly preferred such an Assembly to the former. This one furnished merely intriguants, seeking to accomplish the restoration of rival branches of the Bourbon family. Proudhon, Raspail, and other lynx-eyed Republicans, were gone, never to return. The truth is that Republicanism, as an operative, vital force, had lost its power in Paris. The only elements possessing influence in that gay capital toward the close of the autumn of 1851, at least within the walls of the National Assembly, were purely dynastic. Orleans was Intriguing against Bourbon and Bonapartism, and Bourbon against Louis Philippe and Louis Napoleon. Doubtless the President rejoiced that the contest had resolved itself into such clearly and sharply defined limits. Both the dynastic influences were willing to unite their strength against him, in order to procure his displace- ment. Each would consent, after his removal, to trust to fortune or good management for the elevation of the par- ticular branch of exiled royalty which was preferable, ac- cording to his own particular predilection. The President foresaw that this moral contest could not last long. It would reach a crisis where physical force must be inter- posed to settle the questions of diff'erence. Accordingly he gave his confidence and imparted his plans to only four or five persons. Among these were De Morny, (supposed to be his illegitimate half brother,) Marshal Magnan, now commander of the army of Paris, Persigny, the present ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 91 French Ambassador at London, and General St. Arnaud, ■who died in the Crimea. The plot was met by a stronger counter-plot. St. Arnaud wrote to his mother after midnight, or rather before day dawned, on the morning of December 2d, 1851. " The insane, blind, factious Assembly will be dissolved. Paris will awaken in the morning, and the revolution will be accomplished. Some hundred arrests or so, the door of the Assembly closed, and all's done. I am waiting for the Commander of the troops, to give him my last orders. Every thing is ready. The ministry is changed, and I form part of the new one. The whole course of action, and the regulation of the material force depend on me." These were words issuing in a moment of confidence from the heart and brain of one of the arch-conspirators. Indeed, rumor, whether well or ill-founded, declares that Louis Napoleon felt so much relieved upon the announce- ment of his demise, that he expressed himself, contrary to his usual reserve, to his most select friends as gratified at the occurrence. St. Arnaud was right. Fifty thousand of the best troops of France lined the streets of Paris as the dawn broke. Huge placards covered the walls, exhibiting, in large let- ters, a decree of the future Emperor. It dissolved the National Assembly — restored Universal Sufirage — called upon the French people to assemble, in an electoral capa- city, between the 14th and the 21st of December — pro- claimed martial law, and dissolved the Council of State. It was short, sharp, and decisive. In another proclamation the President sought to vindicate his motives and action. 92 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. Few of the people cared aught about this exposition of his conduct. They knew that the army was with him ; that the old Generals had been removed ; that young Generals, fresh from Africa, had been promoted, over the heads of their senior officers, to the highest commands. Many of the members of the National Assembly came to their hall at the usual hour of meeting. The doors were closed, all attempts to go in by side entrances were opposed by armed soldiers. About three hundred of the members, acting in concert, went to the Hall of the 3faire of the Tenth Arrondissement (ward or district) in a most clamor- ous and disorderly way. They voted the deposition of their Chief Magistrate. They conferred the command of the army upon GenerS^l Oudinot, who is described by an eye-witness as " a little, bustling, fussy, mean-looking individual." When the great lawyer, Berryer, — the renowned Par- liamentary leader of the Legitimist Branch of the Bour- bons, brought Oudinot forward to announce to the loiter- ers around the hall, that this man had received the appoint- ment of Commander-in-Chief, yells of laughter and burst after burst of merriment saluted his ears. This man, the son of one of the great Napoleon's Generals, had permitted himself to be the tool of Louis Napoleon in overthrowing the Republicans at Rome. The Republicans of Paris could not forget this, and they could never forgive it. Hence Oudinot sacrificed his position both with the Re- publicans and the Emperor. He has since quietly dropped into the oblivion he so well deserved. The members of the National Assembly were dispersed ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 93 by the soldiers of Louis Napoleon. Many arrests were made ; some blood was shed in the streets of Paris, in order to consolidate the approaching Empire. The coup d' etat was a fait accompli^ and France and the world was surprised at the coolness, courage and suddenness, with which the overthrow of the French Republic had been consummated. It was an undertaking which would have appalled an in- tellect of ordinary power. Now, for the first time, men began to realize the astounding force of character, the impenetrable reserve, the far-reaching sagacity of the President. He was no longer a dreamer, an enthusiast, a schemer, — but a man of the utmost hardness of will, of iron tenacity of purpose, of adamantine fixedness: — all this tremendous strength and energy was inter-penetrated, directed and controlled by common sense, sound discretion and well-regulated judgement. It may be said that all these were used for the promotion of selfish views and ambitious ends. Even if the truth of this charge be ad- mitted, and it cannot well be denied, it does not militate against the statement, that he is possessed of ability scarcely inferior in his capacity of a civil ruler to that of his great uncle. He then submitted his claims to France for a re-election to the Presidency for ten years. As no one else was per- mitted to be a candidate, his election was a foregone con- elusion. His uncle had played the same game with suc- cess, and why should he not repeat it? He knew the French nation well. His renewal of a melo-drama that 1 ad been put upon the stage with such a magnificent 94 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. effect, half a century before, with so great an artist in the leading character, he knew would "draw" prodigiously again. He knew that they liked striking contrasts, bril- liant coincidences, and splendid parallels. The result was not miscalculated. Scarcely had he been inducted into his second term of office when he began to shape and mould circumstances, so as to prepare the popular mind for the re-introduction of the Empire. Accordingly, during the summer and autumn of 1852, he made tours into several of the De- partments, and upon his return his chief adherents de- clared that the people everywhere desired the restoration of the Empire. They submitted the question to the peo- ple, who registered the decree of the Imperial will ; for his Court, his demonstrations, his power and influence, were Imperial in tone and display. The Empire thus became a finality. The next thing was to give an heir to his throne, so as to consolidate his power. Before this he had formed the acquaintance of the Countess de Teba. She had created a favorable im- pression upon him. With all his affected devotion to the people, he had strongly hankered after a royal alliance. His negotiations for the hand of Carola Wasa of Sweden had failed. The royal line of Jjernadotte, pa)%'enu though it was, refused his offer of Imperial dignity. Disgusted either with his failure or deeply enamored with Eugenie, his marriage with the latter was celebrated on the 29th of January, 1853, within a few weeks after the proclamation of the Empire. He had now reached a period when he had consolidated his purposes. The throne ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 95 of France, — the throne of Napoleon the Great, — the French people were at his feet ; he had taken every pre- caution to secure the succession which prudence could suggest. His restless energies did not sujfFer him to lie supinely idle. There was an unsettled Eastern question relating to 'Hhe Holy Places." Russia had put forward claims conflicting with those held by France. Besides, Russia had been largely instrumental in overthrowing the Napoleonic dynasty. Could he not repay her a portion of her indebtedness to his family? He knew that if his people were not employed abroad in some field of action, commensurate with their immense capacities, they might conspire at home. As the head of the State and fountain of authority, he would naturally be the object at which every conspirator would aim. It was exceedingly opportune for him that Russia had determined to seize upon certain Provinces of the Turkish Empire. England, as the old friend and ally of Turkey, was induced to prevent this seizure, even at the risk of war. France was easily persuaded by her to join in this new crusade for the preservation of the balance of power in Europe. The French claims, relative to ''the Holy Places," were gracefully yielded, and the cause of ''Euro- pean safety against universal conquest" was put forward as the pretext of the Emperer for the formation of the Anglo-French alliance. The contest in and around Sebastopol was protracted, obstinate, and bloody. No siege of mc«iern times has oc- casioned such a display of engineering skill, bull-dog courage, and such a waste of human life. Here again S6 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. the sagacity of Napoleon was shown. He caused Russia to be attacked at a point of vital importance in her south- ward progress toward further dominion. He brought about the ruin of her best fleet, her strongest fortress, and vast magazines of military stores and ordnance. Sebas- topol was distant from Moscow many hundred miles, and supplies of ammunition, provisions or men, could not reach it except after the longest and most expensive land transportation. Sebastopol was within a week's steaming of the Coast of France. Russia's exchequer was ex- hausted by the incalculable expenses incurred by such transportation, and it was more from this cause than from her defeats at Alma, Balaklava and Inkerman, — more than from the storming of the Mamelon, Malakofi" and the Redan, — that the Czar was forced to sue for peace and submit. Russia may appear, for the nonce, to have forgot- ten it, because she hates England more bitterly than she hates France. Her day for retribution, however distant, will surely come. The Romanoffs neither forget nor pardon. Louis Napoleon, by the Crimean War, somewhat repaid to Russia the debt of gratitude his uncle owed to her from the campaign of 1812. It is fair to presume that he will square the account of the same distinguished personage with Austria ere this campaign closes. Since the conclusion of peace with Russia, and up till the present war, he seems to have directed his attention particularly to the promotion of the commercial, manufac- turing, agricultural and rail road interests of France. All the material interests of France have certainly made great progress under his auspices. He has spent vast portions # ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 97 of the annual revenue of France in completing and equip- ping maritime fortresses, and in increasing and strength- ening his navy. There have been no attempts on part of his enemies, for years back, to make insurrectionary demonstrations against his government, either in the capital or Provinces. Those of a lower grade, who are the disciples and followers of the Louis Blanc-Proudhon-Cabet-Barbes-Blanqui school, have contented themselves with resorting to the more cowardly process of assassination. Pianori and Orsini have failed in their several attempts, and the "man of destiny" still lives ; lives to head an army upon the plains where, and against the same enemies over whom, his uncle won such glorious victories. G CHAPTER IX. THE FAMILY OF NAPOLEON III. — THE EMPRESS EUGENIE — HER ANCESTRY AND BIRTH — HER PERSONAL CHARMS PECULIAR TRAITS OF CHARACTER UNBLEMISHED REPUTATION HER COURAGE PRINCE JEROME HER CONFIDENTIAL COUNSELLOR HIS MARRIAGE WITH MISS PATTERSON HIS SON HIS GRANDSON DIVORCE PRINCESS FREDRIKA. CAROLINE OF WURTEMBURG ELEVATION TO THE THRONE OF WESTPHALIA OB- TAINS MONEY FROM THE JEWS QUARREL WITH NAPOLEON ABANDONS HIS KINGDOM WATERLOO NAPOLEON' S EXILE THE FATHER-IN-LAW OF JKR03IE TITLE OF PRINCE MONTFERT RESIDENCE IN FLORENCE IN PARIS MARSHAL OF FRANCE PRINCE ROYAL PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL OF REGENCY PRINCE NAPOLEON HIS BIRTH EDUCATION VISIT TO PARIS MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY QUAR- REL WITH LOUIS NAPOLEON AMBASSADOR TO MADRID DISMISSAL SENATOR MAJOR GENERAL IN CRIMEA ATTACK UPON THE PLAN OF THE WAR EXPEDITION TO THE POLAR SEAS HIS VILLA UNFITNESS FOR MILITARY AFFAIRS APPOINTMENT TO ALGIERS HIS MARRIAGE THE PRINCESS MATHILDE HER BIRTH CHARACTER IN EARLY LIFE AFFIANCED TO THE PRESENT EMPEROR HER MARRIAGE PRINCE DEMIDOFF SEPARATION PRESIDES AT THE COURT OF LOUIS NAPOLEON VICTOR EMANUEL's PASSION HER RESIDENCE SONS OF LUCIEN AND JOSEPH LUCIEN BONAPARTE PIERRE BONAPARTE SER- VICE UNDER SANTANDER CHARACTER DESERTION DEGRADATION PRESENT RESIDENCE JOACHIM MURAT HIS CHARACTER ASPIRA- TIONS TO THE THRONE OF NAPLES — ALBONI — THE SON OF JOACHIM MURAT. Eugenie, Empress of the French, is the daughter of the Count and Countess de Montijo. She was born Maj 5th, 1826, or according to some authorities in 1824. Her father died in 1823. Though she is a posthumous child 98 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 99 it is difficult to account for this discrepancy in dates ! It is of no importance however, and it is perhaps better not to seek to investigate the mystery! Mme. de Montijo was the daughter of Mr. Fitzpatrick, English Consul at Malaga. Eugenie therefore unites in her person the ad- vantages and characteristics of the English and Spanish races, whilst education has endowed her with all the graces and accomplishments of a French woman. That she is beautiful, fascinating, intellectual and agreeable, the sim- ple fact of her marriage testifies. Louis Napoleon would scarcely have elevated to the throne a private gentlewoman if she had not possessed the most captivating qualities. In Paris, in the year 1851, Mile, de Montijo, who took the title of Countess de Teba, made a sensation — in Paris she became the fashion. Speaking several languages, the distinguished of all countries gathered round her — her beauty was delicate and fair, from her English ancestry, whilst her grace was all Spanish, and her wit all French. These made her one of the most remarkable women in the French capital, though her independence of character and her English habits imparted to her more liberty of action than the restraints imposed on French demoiselles allow, and therefore exposed her to remark. There is not one well authenticated adventure that can be told to her dis- advantage. The Empress, besides her brilliant qualities, which make her the most lovely sovereign of Europe, is kind and generous ; and in the few opportunities that have occurred to test her higher qualities, has displayed great courage and sense. Such, for instance, was her refusal to appropriate the enormous sum voted to her by the city 100 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. of Paris, for the purchase of diamonds. She dedicated it to the foundation of a charitable institution for the education of young girls belonging to the working classes. On the night of the desperate attempt to assassinate the Emperor, at the French opera, she was calm and firm, and showed at once her courage and her affection by throwing herself before the Emperor, so as to shield him, when the carriage door was suddenly opened by one whom she deemed an assassin. So that from the past, the Em- press may be considered as fully competent to fulfil the important duties confided to her as Regent of France, during the absence of her husband, nor is it to be feared that, placed in emergencies such as was Marie Louise, she would act with the same weakness and unfaithfulness to her trust. The confidential counsellor of the Empress, by order of the Emperor, is his only surviving uncle, Jerome, youngest brother of Napoleon I., and formerly King of Westphalia. Jerome began his career in the French navy. In 1803, being on a cruise, he put into New York, and going to Baltimore there married Miss Elizabeth Patterson. But Napoleon, who had sought princely alliances for himself and his brothers, highly disapproved of this marriage, and the young wife, though she sailed for Europe, was never allowed to put her foot on the French soil. She went to England, where she gave birth to a son, and her marriage having been dissolved, she afterwards returned to America, where her son married. Her grandson, a Lieutenant in the service of the United States, has since the establishment of the Empire gone to France, where he .9 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 101 was well received by the Emperor. He has entered the French service, and has been promoted to the rank of Major, and is now with the army in Italy, serving in the First Regiment of the Chasseurs d! Afrique. He was de- corated by the Emperor, for his gallant conduct in the Crimea, with the cross of the Legion of Honor. Though destined for the navy, Jerome's predilections were for the army ; accordingly he was given the command of the Bavarian and Wurtemburg troops, with which he reduced the fortresses of Silesia, and was made a General of Division. Jerome, who had been much attached to the young wife of his choice, for some time refused to listen to Napoleon's projects of matrimonial alliance; at length, however, he consented to a second marriage, with the Princess Fred- rika Caroline, daughter of the King of Wurtemburg, a Princess whom he knew and for whom he had the highest esteem. Soon after his marriage he was made King of Westphalia. By an adroit negotiation he replenished his exhausted exchequer. He obtained a heavy loan from the Jews, giving as an equivalent for their money the right of free worship in his dominions, a privilege they much coveted, and of which they had been deprived. In the disastrous campaign of Russia, the King of West- phalia incurred the displeasure of his brother the Emperor, and retired to his dominions until the battle of Leipsic, when he abandoned them and joined the Queen at Munich. Faithful, however, to the Emperor, he joined him at Water- loo, and distinguished himself by prodigies df valor. When all was lost, faithful still, he accompanied the Emperor to ^.^« 102 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. Paris, and after the decision of the English Government to send him to St. Helena, Jerome entreated, but in vain, to be allowed to share his brother's exile. This being de- nied him, and the fortunes of his house lost, Jerome joined the ex-Queen, and they were allowed to reside near Venice, and some time after at Trieste, without molestation. His father-in-law, the King of Wurtemburg, conferred on him the title of Prince de Montfort, under which title he was known until the advent of the second Empire. He finally fixed his residence in Florence. Jerome had been too young to have opportuities of enriching himself like the other members of his family. The fall of the Empire found him poor, his chief resource being a pension which his wife received from her father, the King of Wurtemburg. He lived in splendor in Florence. Here his three children were born, of whom only Mathilde and Napoleon survive. Here, in 1836, his wife, the Princess Fredrika, with whom he had lived in the greatest harmony and hap- piness, died. But a pension given him by his daughter, the Countess Demidoflf, supplied the place of the income that died with the former wife. He continued to live in com- fort and affluence until 1847, when he obtained permission from Louis Philippe to take up a temporary residence in Paris. Here gradually Jerome continued to rally around him (just as Louis Philippe had done at the Palais Royal with the elder Bourbons,) all the disaffected, and so to prepare partizans for his nephew. Although the revolu- tion of 1848, which drove Louis Philippe from the throne, w^ould have o<*urred from other causes, there is no doubt but that Jerome's judicious management had contributed ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 103 to inspire the multitude witli a yearning towards the Bona- parte dynasty. His nephew, Louis Napoleon, recognized and rewarded his devotion by appointing him, in 1848, Governor of the Invalides, and Marshal of France. In 1851, he was still further honored by being reinstated in his rights as a Prince of the royal blood ; in recogni- tion of which rights he was allowed a suitable establish- ment, and a separate civil list — the Palais Royal in Paris, and Meudon, and Yilliers le Bel, being assigned as his residences. In the present organization of the Regency, Prince Jerome is President of the Council. Prince Napoleon Joseph Charles, his son, known as Prince Napoleon, is, in default of the direct issue of the Emperor, heir to the throne of France. Born at Trieste in 1822, he began his education at Geneva, and then entered the military college of Wurtemburg , to the royal family of which Kingdom he was allied by the marriage of his father. Refusing to engage in a foreign service, consider- ing himself a French Prince, be declined the military rank offered to him. His education being completed, he set off on a lengthy tour through Europe, sojourning for some time in Spain, during the time Espartero was in power. In 1845, he obtained permission to visit Paris, but his liberal and democratic principles, openly expressed, alarm- ed the Government, and he received an order to leave the French capital. At the fall of Louis Philippe, Prince Napoleon placed himself at the disposal of the Provisional Government, and openly avowed his sympathies for the Republic. Being elected by Corsica to the Assemblee Oonstituente, he main- 104 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. tained the same principles, always voting witli the Republi- can and Liberal party. In 1849, he was appointed Minister Plenipotentiary to Madrid, but having left his post without leave, he received a severe reprimand, and was deprived of his functions. Irritated by this act of authority, he became still more embittered against the Government. But gradually, seeing the increasing power of his cousin, he subsided into an obstinate and dogged silence, till at length he withdrew from public life. Great coldness ex- isted between the two cousins, still, when Louis Napoleon became Emperor, (Prince Napoleon being, by the course of nature, direct heir to the throne,) he was forced to take his position at Court. A reconciliation was effected, and Prince Napoleon took his appropriate place in the Senate, and received the grade of General of Division, though he had never seen active service. During the Crimean war he served at Alma and Inker- man, but without distinguishing himself. He returned to Paris, and amused himself by writing a bitter and spirited attack upon the plan of the Crimean war, as sketched out by his cousin. This brochure was published at Brussels, and of course did not tend to increase the friendship be- tween the cousins. Prince Napoleon is a ripe scholar, and is fond of the arts and sciences. He was appointed, in 1855, Imperial Commissioner at the Exposition Uni- verselle. In 1857, he undertook a voyage to the Polar seas, in the corvette La Heine Hortense. He wrote a book con- taining an account of every thing he saw and did during the voyage. In a scientific point of view it amounts to ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 105 nothing. He has built, to the great admiration of the Parisians, a Roman villa in the Champs Eljs^es ; in which the distribution of the rooms and the furniture is entirely modelled on the classical descriptions which have come down to us of a Roman residence. In this villa the guests are served a la Romaine^ and all the Roman customs are observed. Prince Napoleon, though a man of intelligence, is en- tirely wanting in dignity of character. Above all, he is totally devoid of a love of military glory, and has neither the tact or talents for military command. Some have even gone so far as to think that courage was wanting. From this cause he is a constant object of ridicule to the French people. In order to distinguish him from the Emperor, and at once to characterize his unstable and trivial character the vox populi has surnamed him " Plou, Plou!" a sort of childish diminutive of the name of Napoleon. In 1858, he was appointed to the Government of Algiers, but declined to accept the appointment, imagining, pro- bably the truth, that Louis Napoleon was desirous of getting rid of him. He married, in 1859, the Princess Clothilde, daughter of the King of Sardinia ; an alliance which was almost immediately followed by the declaration of war with Austria. Prince Napoleon will, no doubt, be the King of one of the new divisions, if any are carved out in Italy. He is at present Commander of the 5th Corps d'Armee of the French army in Italy. His head quarters are at Genoa. The Princess Mathilde, sister of the Prince and daughter 106 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. of Jerome, was born at Trieste, 1820. She was educated principally in Florence, and was renowned for beauty, refinement of manner, and accomplishments. She was de- voted to her father, and her conduct as a daughter and a woman, previous to her marriage, is spoken of by all in the highest strains of eulogium. A great many of the exiled Bonaparte family had settled in Florence, and there, after the reconciliation of Hortense and Louis, Mathilde was thrown into a constant companionship with her cousin, the present Emperor of France. There is no doubt that a juve- nile but profound attachment existed between them, and that, with the approbation of their families, they were affianc- ed to each other. But Louis Napoleon's political career separated them ; nor was he, with the ambitious views he evidently entertained, then in a position to marry. He, however, frequently refers to her in his private letters dur- ing his wandering life, with afi'ection and regret. As far as can be judged by appearances, Mathilde was faithful to him, and did not abandon the hope of becoming his wife until after he was imprisoned in Ham. She then, in 1841, being twenty-six, became the wife of Prince Demidoff. Much as the motive has been hack- neyed in novels and plays, there is but little doubt after all that Mathilde married for her father s sake. They were poor, and dependent on relations since the death of her mother, the Princess of Wurtemburg. The proof that her. father's welfare was one of the great inducements to this union lies in the fact, that she stipulated that Prince Demidoff should pay her father a handsome annuity. This annuity was only declined when Jerome became, at the ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 107 beginning of the second Empire, Governor of tlie Inva- lides. The Princess' marriage was not a happy one. The secrets of its discords are not known. Probably there were faults on both sides. Prince Anatole Demidoff is, however, undeniably, although a great scholar, a man of peculiar and eccentric habits. Before the marriage of the Emperor, the Princess Ma- thilde did the honors of the Court, and proved that she was fully adequate for the high position she occupied. Much has been said about her gallantries and her liaisons, but scandal has never attached to them any individual name. The King of Sardinia was excessively smitten with the Princess Mathilde during his visit to Paris, and encouraged by the reports of her coquetries, is said to have made such boisterous declarations of his admiration that a royal hint made him curtail his visit. The Princess resides chiefly at St. Gratien, a charming residence about ten miles from Paris, situated on the lake d'Enghein in the vicinity of Montmorency. The rest of the Bonaparte family, (not the Imperial^) consists of the descendants of Joseph and Lucien, brothers of Napoleon. Those who have entered political life are the children of Lucien, and brothers of the Prince of Canino. Lucien Bonaparte, another of the Prince of Canine's sons, was a member of the Assemhlee Constituente. He sustained his cousin's views, and after the establish- ment of the Empire received the title of Prince of the blood ; though not considered as belonging to the branch 108 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. called tlie Imperial, Lucien, the brother of Napoleon, hav- ing repudiated all allegiance to the first Emperor. Pierre Bonaparte, third son of Prince Canino, is in person the most like his illustrious uncle of all the Bona- parte family. In 1832, he joined his uncle Joseph in the United States, and took service under General Santander in South America. On his return to Italy he opposed the Papal GoA^ernment, and was imprisoned at San Angelo. Recovering his liberty he proceeded to London, after trying to raise a revolt in Albania. He had, en route, offered his services to Mehemet Ali, who declined them. Eighteen hundred and forty-eight found him at the ral- lying point of the Bonapartists, that is, Paris. He was elected to the Assemhlee Constituente, and took his seat on the extreme left. His violence, however, elicited frequent- ly the anger of his opponents, and at the same time destroy- ed the confidence of his own party in him. He opposed the coup d' etdt, which, of course, since the Empire was de- clared, has placed him^ in a difiicult position with regard to the Emperor. Impulsive and giddy, he gave proof of insubordination in abandoning his post at the siege of Zaatcha, or in other words, deserting just before the assault. M. de Hautpoul, then Minister of War, degraded him from his rank ; a measure in which he was sustained by the Assemhlee, After these escapades, when the Empire was proclaimed, M. Pierre Bonaparte retired from public life, for which he is not at all fitted. He now devotes himself to field sports in the Island of Corsica. He chiefly resides there. Pierre Bonaparte is not wanting in personal courage. He would ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 109 make a good leader in an ^meute, or in a hand to hand fight. He is totally restive under discipline, and knows no sub- ordination either civil or military. His Italian sympa- thies are democratic and lead him into as violent opposition to the Royal Liberators of Italy as he has to its present oppressors. Besides these members of the Bonaparte family, there is a son of Napoleon's sister Caroline, born in 1803, and of Murat, former King of Naples. His name is Joachim. After the death of his father and the fall of the Empire, he continued to reside in Italy till 1824, when he embarked for the United States. In 1827, he married Miss Caro- line Fraser and met many vicissitudes of fortune. Eor some years he lived in great poverty, his only resources consisting in what he obtained from a school kept by his wife. On hearing tidings of the revolution of 1848, Murat hastened to Europe, and was elected a member of the Assemblee Constituent e^ and in 1849, was sent as Minister to Turin. After the coup d' etat the title of Prince of the Boyal Blood was conferred on him. He is a man of fine character and considerable intellect. He is most irreproachable in the relations of private life. In 1855, an Italian Liberal Party proposed to place Prince Murat on the throne of Naples, but Murat, in a letter to the Italian patriot, his brother-in-law, Count Pe- poli, declares "his intention of never striving to obtain the throne by stratagem or force. If it comes, it must come by the will of the People." As this has not yet mani- fested itselfy the Prince continues to reside in Paris. By a singular coincidence Mile. Alboni, the great singer, is 110 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. allied bj marriage to this part of tlie Bonaparte family, — LetitiaMurat, daughter of the ex-King of Naples and her- self having married brothers, the Marquis and the Count Pepoli of Bologna. Prince Murat's eldest son was born in 1831, and is Lieu- tenant in the Regiment des Guides. Prince Murat has several other children. CHAPTER X. C03IMANDING OFFICERS UNDER NAPOLEON — COUNT BARAGUAY d'HILLIERS — BIRTH EDUCATION FIRST MILITARY SERVICE MILITARY EXPLOITS POLITICAL OPINIONS — -CHARACTER COUNT BANDON GEN'l MAR- CHAND AND NAPOLEON I. ALGIERS MILITARY TALENTS AND CHAR- ACTER GEN'l ADOLPHE NEIL BRILLIANT CAREER CHARACTER GEN'L CANROBERT CONSTANTINE AND AFRICAN CAMPAIGN AID-DE- CAMP TO THE EMPEROR CANROBERT AND ST. ARNAUD PRINCE NAPO- LEON THE CRIMEA HIS CHARACTER AND CAPACITY MC'mAHON ORIGIN CONSTANTINE THE REDAN CHARACTER AND CAPACITY MARSHAL VALLIANT — BIRTH — EXPLOITS — SERVICES IN ALGIERS ROME CHARACTER AND CAPACITY PELISSIER BIRTH EXPLOITS AL- GIERS CRIMEA CHARACTER AND CAPACITY GEN'l FOREY ALGIERS CRIMEA CAREER CAPACITY. There is scarcely any part of a historical book read with as much avidity as those chapters which contain biographies of prominent military leaders. This procliv- ity of the general reader arises from the fact that around the military operations centre all the interest and all the intensity of feeling which are begotten by every great war ; for it is by these operations the result of the war is determined. Each great commander is a prominent actor in the arena. In proportion to what he achieves is the interest felt in him. Should he win half a dozen dif- ferent battles over separate and different armies he rises into first-rate importance. If he is the leader in some ter- rible onslaught, in which a celebrated fortress is taken, or 111 112 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. of some brilliant cavalry charge by which a great victory is achieved, he is ever an object of immense public atten- tion and eulogium. Each act of his past career, the most trifling incidents of his life, are sought after and read with interest and curiosity. This new war will naturally develope new men, or at least place those who are known more prominently before the world than they have heretofore been. Many, in various grades of commands, when the war broke out, will neces- sarily be prominent in the first great movements, and their history is already of surpassing interest. The first series of Commanders in natui'al order would be the French. There are present with the Emperor in Italy four Commanders of Corps d'Armee, as well as Mar- shal Vaillant, who have already won distinction upon other fields of action. There must be added the name of the Duke of Malakofi", though he is Commander-in- Chief of the army of observation upon the Rhine. The first in order, is Achille Count Baraguay d'Hilliers, Commander of the first Corps d'Arr)iee of the army in Italy. He was born at Paris, on the 6th of September, 1795. He is the son of General Louis Baraguay d'Hilliers, who was born in 1764, and died in 1813, at Berlin, just after the close of the Russian Campaign, it is said, of a broken heart in consequence of his having excited the anger of Napo- leon I. He served his country well, whether she was gov- erned by a King, a Directory, a Consulate or an Emperor. His son now in Italy, was a soldier from infancy, and may almost be said to have been born and bred amid the din and clangor of arms. He was appointed a Sub- ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 113 Lieutenant in a troop of horse in 1812. At the battle of Leipsic he lost his left arm. In consequence of this, he was called by the Arabs, "Bou Dra," — the father of the one arm. He became Captain in 1815. Having joined the party of the Restoration, or, in other words, having identified himself with the cause of Louis XVIIL, he be- came involved in several political duels. In 1827 he was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel, and was in the expedition- ary force despatched against Algiers in 1830. For his ser- vices at the siege of that city he was made Colonel. In 1832 he was attached to the Military School of St, Cyr, as second in command. Whilst there, he sup- pressed a Republican movement among the students, and thereby obtained the confidence of Louis Philippe's Gov- ernment. Shortly after he acquired the rank of Marshal of the Camp, and assumed the chief command of the School. At this post he continued until the end of 1840. In the following year he was placed at the disposal of the Governor-General of Algiers. He assisted in several ex- peditions against the Arabs. The Duke d'Aumale, fourth son of Louis Philippe, served under him in Africa. He attests the bravery of the Prince in his report upon the fall of Thaza. In August, 1843, he attained the rank of Lieutenant-General. In 1844 he appears to have fallen somewhat into disgrace with the King, for he was placed upon half-pay. D'Hilliers was Inspector-General of infantry in the French Army, from 1847 to the revolutionary outbreak of the following year. The Provisional Government con- fided to him the command of the military division of Ee- H 114 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. sangon. His opposition to the wild theories and crude ideas of Ledrii Rollin procui-ed for him an election to the Constituent Assembly, from the Department of Doubs. Dui'ino: the disturbances at Paris, on the loth of Mav, 1848, he offered his services to the Executive Commission, but, until the insurrection of June, he did not accept the command offered to him by General Cavaignac. In the Assembly, he voted generally with the Right or Conservative section. Occasionally he voted with the Mountain. One of his votes, against the resolution of thanks to General Cavaignac for his conduct in the sup- pression of the June rebellion, excited a great deal of at- tention at that time. After the election of the 10th of December, 1848, d'Hilliers associated himself with all the repressive mea- sures which were taken by Rebillot, the Chief of Police, against the Press and the Clubs. He was aojain elected by the Department of Doubs to the Legislative Assembly. In that body his politics were that of the Elysee — in- tensely Napoleonic. He was sent to Rome in 1849 to replace d'Hautpoul, and took measures to confirm the authority of the Pope. Upon his return to France, in 1857, he was named to the command of the Army of Paris, in place of General Changarnier. This change of commanders provoked a vote of a want of confidence, on part of the Assembly, toward the Minister Baroche. In this resolution, however, they expressed the utmost respect for Count d'Hilliers. Six months afterwards he resigned his temporary command, on account of the law making the performance of such duties incompatible with a seat in the Assembly. ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 115 He favored the coup d'etdt, and was in consequence named member of the Consultative Commission. When war broke out between the Allied Powers and Russia, he was appointed to head the expeditionary corps ordered by Louis Napoleon to the Baltic, to cooperate with Sir Charles Napier's fleet. He reduced the fortress of Bomarsund. This success procured him a Marshal's baton, and there- fore admission into the French Senate. He was one of the four Vice-Presidents of that body. On the 11th of December, 1850, the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor was conferred upon him. He is now sixty-four years of age. He seems rather to be regarded as a stern, war-worn soldier, not gifted with much strategical skill, but cool and cautious, and en- dowed with all the qualities of a hard fighter. The next upon the list of prominent French commanders in Italy is Count Jacques Bandon, Marshal of France. He^ was born at Grenoble, on the 25th of March, 1795, and is a nephew of General Marchand, who was Military Commandant at Grenoble when Napoleon reached that city, on his way from Elba to Paris, in 1815, and was ac- cused of having yielded too readily to the Emperor. He had been attached to him by honors conferred, by long service and association, and had no love for the Bourbons. It was, therefore, scarcely possible for him to resist the appeal made to him by his old and renowned leader. Marshal Bandon early began his military career. He served with the Grand Army in the campaign in Bussia, in Saxony, and in France, in 1813. He was made sub- Lieutenant of infantry after the great battle of Borodino, 116 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. fouglit under the walls of Moscow. During tlie campaign of ISIS, lie was promoted, in rapid succession, to a First- Lieutenancy and Captaincy. He received two balls at the battle of Lutzen. He took a leading part in the Hundred Days. His de- votion to the fortunes of the Emperor prejudiced his ad- vancement with the Bourbons. But the Government of July repaired the neglect of the Restoration toward him. In 1830 he was made Chef d' Escadron of the 30th regiment of Chasseurs. In 1838, he attained a Colonelcy in the well-known Chasseurs d'Afrique. For ten years he took a leading part in all the principal expeditions against the Arabs. In 1841, he obtained the title of Marshal of the Camp, by brevet, and in 1847 that of Lieutenant-General. His conspicuous gallantry in the field, and the kindness of the Orleans Princes, contributed to this unusually rapid advancement. He was acting Governor-General of Algiers under the Provisional Government of 1848. In June of that year he was appointed to the command of the third military division then stationed at Metz. He was called to take charge of the port-folio of war in January, 1851, and held office until the following October. Soon after the disper- sion of the National Assembly, and the assumption of ab- solute power by Napoleon, he was appointed to the Go- vernment of Algiers, and served in that capacity until the reorganization of that Colony in 1858. The last expedi- tion against the Kabyles, in 1857, was directed by him. They were forced into complete submission. In 1852 he was elevated to the Senatorship ; having ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 117 been made a grand officer of ''The Legion of Honor" two years before. It was not until 1856 that he attained the rank of Marshal of France. He is said to have been greatly gratified at the conferment of this last title. He has ever been a devoted Bonapartist. He is regarded as a brave and skillful officer. His strategetic qualities are regarded by military men as being of a higher order than those of Count d'Hilliers. Next is General Adolj^he Niel, born 1802. Some allege that he was born in Ireland. It is most probable that he was born in France, and, as his name indicates, is of Irish extraction. In 1821 he was admitted into the Polytechnic School, and two years after to the School of Practice at Metz. He attained a Lieutenancy in the corps of engineers in 1827, and in 1835 a Captaincy. During the following year he took part in the siege of Constan- tine, w^here he particularly distinguished himself. For this service he reached the rank of a Chef de Battalion, and obtained the congratulations of the Minister of War. Ever since, he has been regarded as one of the most bril- liant officers in the French Army. In 1846 he became Colonel. He was attached, in 1849, to the Expedition against Rome as Chief of the Staif of Engineers. There he rendered such services that within two months after the siege began, he was first named a General of Brigade, and soon after a General of Division. When war was declared against Russia, General Neil accompanied General d'Hilliers as Chief of Engineers in his expedition to the Baltic. At the siege of Bomarsund he acquired additional renown, and was appointed Aid-de- 118 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. camp to the Emperor. He afterwards visited the Crimea to obtain minute information concerning the progress of the siege, and the state of the army. His advice was, to invest Sebastopol completely on all sides, and to assault it from the side of the Malakoff. He then took command of the corps of Engineers, a post he ought to have been sent to three months sooner. Thus, in reality, he not only had a large share in directing the operations of the Allied Army, but suggested the line of action which was event- ually successful. His immediate reward was a Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor. There is no doubt that he will achieve for himself a magnificent reputation, should the present war continue long. We now reach General Francois Certain Canrobert. He was born in 1809, of a good family, in Brittany. His patrimony is limited, amounting to only 5,000 francs per year. In 1826 he entered the military school of St. Cyr, and having distinguished himself there, he entered the army as a private soldier, and was made a sub-Lieutenant in the 47th Regiment of the line, in 1828. He became a Lieutenant in 1832, and three years afterwards went to Algiers. Immediately after he arrived he joined the famous expedition against the Mascara. He took part, successively, in the storming of Heman, and in the battles with Sidi Yacoub at Tafiha and Sikkak. He was com- missioned as a Captain in 1837. At the siege of Constantine he received a wound in the knee. Col. Combes, a brave and gallant officer, fell at his side, whilst they were both fighting in the breach. The dying Frenchman exclaimed to Marshal Vallee '' That ofiicer [Canrobert] has a grand future before him." ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 119 Soon after, he received the decoration of the Legion of Honor. In 1839 he returned to France, and was directed to form the wreck of the Carlist bands into a battalion for the Foreign Legion. Upon his return to Algiers, in 1841, he became distinguished for the great coolness and active energy displayed by him in the many adventurous expeditions which were under his especial command. One of the most notable of these was the one into the gorges of the Mouzaia Mountains. Here his successes over the Arabs were very decided. About this time he reached the command of a regiment of chasseurs a pied. At the head of the 64th Regiment of the line, he de- feated the rebellion which Bou Maza had incited among the tribes of the Lower Dhara. After a bloody and ob- stinate struggle of eight months duration, he obtained a Colonelcy. Whilst holding this rank he commanded the expedition Ahmed Sghir. He advanced to the defile of Djerma where the enemy was entrenched; he gave them battle, defeated them, and took two Sheiks prisoners. After having commanded the Second Regiment of the Foreign Legion, he was transferred to the Third Zouaves. At the head of these, he won new honors against the Kabyles and the tribes of the Jurjura. Leaving Aumale in November, 1849, he raised the blockade of Bou Sada, collected the greater part of his corps before Zatacha, and was among the foremost in the assault upon that city. This brilliant series of actions procured for him the Cross of a Commander of the Legion of Honor. In 1850, he was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General. At the commencement of that year, he led an 120 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. » expedition against Zarah. The Arabs here, eagle-like, had their nest among the rocks. They had built villages upon heights accessible only by narrow paths overhanging fearful precipices, and from their abodes descended, upon every inviting occasion, to harass the French and plunder the country below — relying upon their retreat as safe, no matter what reverses they met with. Canrobert advanced three columns to attack the enemy in their retreat, and so skillfully combined their fire that in seven hours the Arab stronghold was reduced. Canrobert went to Paris in 1850, where he was made Aid-de-camp to Louis Napoleon, and entrusted Avith a command in the city. He exerted himself most energeti- cally in suppressing the insurrection which followed the coup d'etat. He was entrusted with general powers to examine into the condition of the political prisoners. In 1853, he was created a General of Division. Upon the declaration of war against Russia, he was appointed to command the First Corps d'AriJiee, His division was frightfully decimated by cholera, during its stay in the Dobrudscha. His troops took part in the bat- tle of Alma, and he himself was wounded by a splinter of a shell which struck him on the breast and hand, but the post of honor had been assigned by Marshal St. Arnaud to Bosquet. The Marshal resigned his command six days after the first battle of the Crimea. Prince Napoleon thus describes the circumstances under which the command of the army was transferred to Canrobert. "Marshal St. Arnaud summoned the Generals of Di- vision and Brigades, and endeavored to make them a last ITALY AND THE WAR OP 1859. 121 address, but his feebleness did not permit him to proceed. He however made a final effort, and said that he thought he should not be departing from the wishes of the Emperor in assigning the command to the General who appeared to have been designated by the unanimous voice of the army. 'I have selected General Canrobert,' said he. Ho replace me, pending the confirmation of the appointment by his majesty.' The Marshal made a sign with his hand to General Martinprey, who advanced to General Canrobert and presented him the paper containing his provisional commission. Instead of taking the paper, Gen. Canrobert drew from his pocket a letter bearing the arms of the Emperor. Marshal St. Arnaud opened his eyes, but ex- pressed no surprise, his head fell back on his pillow, and he uttered faintly these words, ^It is well.' " On the 5th of November, at Inkerman, Canrobert, although Commander-in-Chief, was again in the thickest of the fight, and whilst heading the impetuous charges of the Zouaves was slightly wounded, and had a horse killed under him. General Canrobert was a great favorite in both the English and French armies; his soldiers much admire his cheerfulness, activity and enthusiasm in battle. He was only responsible in a secondary degree for the conduct of affairs before Sebastopol. The command fell into the hands of Marshal Pelissier, owing to a dispute between Canrobert and Lord Raglan. Two months after this misunderstanding he quitted the Crimea. He was created a Marshal of France at the same time that MM. Bosquet and Randon received the same honor. He be- came as a matter of right, through his new dignity, a 122 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 18o9. Senator. He obtained the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor, May 20th, 1855. He is regarded, bj military men, as possessing fine strategic capacities. He is charj of his men, and therefore sparing of their blood. He is endowed with the very greatest personal courage in action, but prudent and cautious in determining ]iis attacks. Marie Edme Patrice Maurice McMahon is descended from an ancient Catholic Irish family, which risked all for the Stuarts, and after the expulsion of that unfortunate family from the English throne were forced to go into exile. They took refuge in France. General McMahon was born at Autun, in the Department of Saone et Loire, in 1807. One of his ancestors had, by marriage, acquired the splendid castle and extensive estates of Sully. His father, a personal friend of Charles X., was a Peer of France. He married a daughter of the ducal House of Caraman. General McMahon is the youngest child, and entered the school of St. Cyr in 1825. He saw his first service in the Algerian Expedition of 1830. He acted as Aid-de- camp to General Achard, at the siege of Antwerp, in 1832. He became a Captain in 1833. He went ao-ain to Algiers during the last named year, remained there for a considerable time, and performed many brilliant actions. In 1837 he particularly distinguished himself during the assault upon Constantino. For awhile he commanded a Regiment of Foot Chasseurs and a Regiment of the Foreign Legion. He was appointed a Colonel in 1845, and rose to the rank of General of Brigade in 1848. Whilst he held the latter rank, he administered with ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 123 marked ability the affairs, first, of the Province of Oran, and afterwards, of the Province of Constantine. In 1852, he was made General of Division. He was living in Paris, on half-pay, in 1^855, when General Canrobert resigned the chief command in the Crimea. On Canrobert's return, General McMahon was ordered to the command of his Division, and had. the perilous honor of conducting the assault upon the E-edan- Malakoff, on the 8th of September. How well he acquit- ted himself is known by the result. A cotemporary gives the following account of that terrific assault. " ' Soldiers of the First Division of Zouaves of the Guard,' said the gallant warrior, inspired by the prescience of victory, 'you are at last about to quit your trenches, to attack the enemy hand to hand. On this decisive day, our General has confided to you that most important task, th(5 taking of the Malakoff-Redan — the key of Sebasto- pol. Soldiers ! the entire army has its eyes upon you, and your colors planted upon the ramparts of that citadel will be the signal for the general assault. Your bravery is a guarantee that success will immortalize many in your regiments. In a few hours, the Emperor will tell France what the soldiers of Alma and Inkerman can do. I will give the signal by the cry of ' Vive I'Empereur.' Our rallying word shall be, 'Honneur et Patrie.' " "Electrified by this spirit-stirring address, the soldiers sprang forward with that heroic bravery characteristic of their nation, and after unexampled difiiculties, and most ex- citing foot-to-foot combat, succeeded in effecting a lodgment in the anterior part of the Malakoff. The enemy shower- 124 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. ed down a storm of projectiles of all kinds upon tlie as- sailants, but the brave Bosquet supported them with his Guards ; and Pelissier, standing on the Mamelon, with his military reputation trembling in the balance, exercised all his characteristic energy in pushing forward the reserves ; convinced that the fall of the Malakoff would be decisive of success, he directed his whole attention to retaining possession of the grand prize. Matters were indeed some- what critical; but resolution and courage overcame all difficulties. Bosquet was struck by the bursting of a shell. Another General took his command. A powder- magazine exploded ; and the Russians hoping to profit by this accident immediately advanced in dense masses, and disposed in three columns, simultaneously attacked the centre, left and right of the Malakofi". But measures of defence had been already taken in the interior, and General McMahon opposed to the enemy bodies of troops whom nothing could intimidate. After the most desperate efibrts the Russians were compelled to make a precipitate retreat ; General McMahon remained master of the Mala- koff, and the tri-colored flag waved in triumph from its battlements." The Grand Cross of the "Legion of Honor," and the dignity of the Senatorship, were rewards of this glorious deed in arms. He is destined to rise to still higher hon- ors in Italy. He is perhaps the most brilliant General in the French Army. Jean Baptiste Philibert, Count Vaillant, was born at Dijon, on the 6th of December, 1790, educated in the Ecole Polytechnic, and served in the campaigns of Italy. ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 125 After distinguishing himself by extraordinary deeds of valor and patient endurance in the disastrous campaign of Russia, he was taken prisoner by the Russians, and kept in captivity until 1814, when he returned to France and resumed his rank in the army, and again dis- tinguished himself at Ligny and Waterloo. During the first years of the Restoration, he employed his time in translating a work from the English Language, entitled *' Principles for the Construction of Military Passes and Bridges." The expedition to Algiers in 1830 was the first opportunity that occurred for the exercise of his mil- itary genius. It was he who directed the works of the Fort V JEmpereur, which forced the Dey to capitulate. During this campaign his leg was broken by the explo- sion of a bomb-shell. He returned to France and was made a Lieutenant Colonel. In 1833, he gained fresh glory at the seige of Antwerp, and received the rank of full Colonel as well as the order of Leopold. In 1834, being sent to Algiers in command of a regiment of Engineers, he covered the country with fortifications, which considerably forwarded the military operations in that country. On his return to France, in 1839, he was appointed Commander of the Polytechnic School, and in 1840 had charge of a portion of the fortifications of Paris. Promoted in 1845 to the rank of Lieutenant-General, Count Vaillant took part in all the Military Councils for the protection of the French territory. In Rome he was second in command, in 1849, and by his judgment and skill contrived to repair all the faults that had been com- mitted and was mainly instrumental in the taking of the 126 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. town. In 1851, the baton of Marshal and the title of Count conferred upon him, sufficiently attest the estimate set upon his services in this campaign. His rank entitled him to a seat in the Senate ; the Emperor also made him Grand Marshal du Palais. In 1854, when Marshal Ar- naud left for the Crimea, Marshal Yaillant, succeeded him as Minister of War. Marshal Vaillant is, of all the French Generals, the man of the greatest experience, knowledge, and capacity, as a strategist and commander. The Em- peror has implicit confidence in him and the soldiers a sort of idolatry for his past exploits, his present spiril and indomitable courage. ^•' He accompanied Napoleon to Italy, and doubtless occu- pies the position of confidential military counsellor. It has been intimated more than once since the war began, that the general plan for the campaign has been sketched out by Count Yaillant, and if any changes are made in it, they will be made under the urgent force of events yet to transpire. There probably is truth in this intimation. It is said that the operations in the Crimea were conducted ac- cording to his suggestions. He on one side, and General Hess on the other, appear destined to play the leading parts in the present terrible drama. Theirs will be the quiet, invisible spirits directing and controlling the whole ma- chinery of war, whilst whatever of glory or disgrace occurs to either army, will be shared by the two Emperors. Amiable Jean Jacques Pelissier, Marshal-Duke of Mala- koff, was born at Maromme, near Rouen, on the 5th of November, 1794. Pelissier commenced his career as a student in the Military School of La Fleche, where he ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 127 remained about two montlis, and then joined the JEcole Militaire of St. Cyr. On the 18th of March, 1815, two days before Napoleon entered Paris on his return frora Elba, Pelissier received an appointment which attached him to the King's (Louis XVIII.,) household. He joined the army on the Rhine, but the troops having been dis- banded, he joined the Legion of the Lower Seine. In 1819 he was attached to the regiment known as the '' Hussars de la Meurthe;" and in August, 1820, was pro- moted to the rank of Lieutenant. He served in the 35th Regiment, in which his brother held the rank of Captain. Pelissier made the Campaign of 1823, in Spain, as Aid- de-camp to General Grundler. In 1823 he was deco- rated with the Cross of the Legion of Honor, and during the same year received the Order of St. Ferdinand of Spain. In 1828 Pelissier obtained the rank of Captain. In 1829 he served in Greece as Aid-de-camp to General Durrieu, and for his brilliant conduct at the siege of the Castle of the Morel, was made Chevalier of St. Louis. In 1830 he joined the expedition to Algiers, and in the autumn of the same year returned to France, and served under General Pelot at the siege of Antwerp. It was in 1839 that Pelissier, being then Lieutenant- Colonel, began his career in the field, which is associated with his great military renown. He was made Chief of the Staff of the Third Division in Algiers, under General Schramm. In November, 1845, the name of Pelissier acquired celebrity in connection with an event which has given rise 128 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859, to various opinions, was largely discussed and generally re- gretted. The Arab Bou Maza proclaimed the Holy War of the Dahara. He styled himself "the invulnerable," and persuaded the Kabyles into a firm belief in his divine commission. There was a general insurrection. Marshal Bugeaud, then Governor-General of Algiers, feeling the necessity of crushing out this rebellion at once, ere it had gathered head, and assumed formidable proportions, took prompt and vigorous measures. The part which Pelissier bore in it, is thus graphically told by a French writer of that day : — " There has just occurred one of those terrible events which deeply afflict all who witness them, even when con- vinced of their frightful necessity, and when they are justi- fied in declaring that everything possible was done to prevent the catastrophe. It is known that the corps com- manded by Colonel Pelissier, St. Arnaud, and De I'Ad- mirault, have been carrying on combined operations in the West. Colonel Pelissier was busy in pursuing the Ouled Riahs, who have never yet submitted, as they live in immense caverns, which it would be madness for the troops to penetrate. On the 18th of June, finding themselves closely pursued, they fled to their usual place of refuge. Having surrounded the cavern, some fagots were lighted, and thrown by the French troops before the entrance. After this demonstration, which was made to convince the Arabs that the French had the power, if they wished, of sufibcating them in their hiding-places, the Colonel threw in letters offering them life and liberty if they would sur- render with their horses. At first they refused, but after- ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859, 129 wards they consented if the French troops would withdraw. This condition was considered inadmissible, and more fagots were thrown in. A great tumult arose, and it was known afterwards that it arose from a discussion as to whether they would surrender or not. ^' The party opposed to surrender carried their point, and a few of the minority escaped. Colonel Pelissier, wishing to spare the lives of those who remained, sent to them some Arabs to exhort them to surrender. They refused ; and some women, who did not partake of the savage fa- naticism of the majority, attempted to fly ; but their hus- bands and relatives fired upon them to prevent their escape from the martyrdom which they were themselves prepared to suffer. Colonel Pelissier then suspended the throwing of burning fagots and sent a French officer to parley with Ouled Ri^hs. His messenger was received with a dis- charge of fire-arms. This state of things continued until the night of the 19th, when, losing all patience, and no longer having any hope of subduing these fanatics, who formed a perpetual nucleus of revolt in the country, the fire was renewed, and rendered intense. During this time the cries of the unhappy wretches who were undergoing suffocation were dreadful, and then nothing was heard but the crackling of the fagots. The silence was fearfully ominous, '' The troops entered, and found 500 dead bodies. About 150 Arabs, who still breathed, were brought out into the open air, but a portion of them died soon afterwards. Let all who read this reflect, that none but those who, like ourselves, are upon the spot can judge of the efforts made I 130 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. to arrest this catastrophe, or comprehend how great was the necessity of reducing these people for the sake of the general tranquility." The transaction was no sooner known in Paris than regret and indignation found universal expression. The Opposition party in the Chambers, the Senate, and the Press, were loud in reprobating a proceeding which they de- clared had degraded France in the eyes of the civilized world. Marshal Soult, on behalf of the Government, de- clared he exceedingly regretted and strongly disapproved of what had been done, and had written to that effect to the Governor-General of Algeria. Marshal Bugeaud was not deterred by this language from justifying the deed, and taking upon himself the responsibility. The Moni- teur Algerien, of July 22d, 1845, contained an article in which it was asserted " that the deed of June 19th was not only a military necessity, but an act of general hu- manity ; that having pursued the Arabs to the grotto, Colonel Pelissier had no choice but to reduce them to submission, or to confirm the belief of the natives in the security of those retreats, and thus indefinitely postpone the war ; that the delay of a blockade would have en- dangered the success of the operation in which the columns of St. Arnaud and I'Admirault were equally engaged with that of Pelissier ; and that a conflict in the interior of the cave would have rendered certain as great a loss of life as that which took place against the intentions of the,^ French." Finally, and this is what most concerns us here, it was declared on the 19th of June, " Colonel Pelissier ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 131 only carried out the positive orders of the Governor-Gene- ral and Commander in Chief." In the following year Pelissier became Marshal of the Camp. In 1848, General Cavaignac appointed him Com- mandant of the Division of Oran, and he remained seven years in this rank. He served in Algeria fifteen years consecutively, and took part in every important military operation executed during that period. It is narrated of him, that on one occasion, holding the position of Chef de Battalion in a command of a punish- ment corps, the Zephyrs, he attacked a mud fortress, oc- cupied by Arabs. His men in vain attempted to scale the ■walls. The Arabs kept a good look-out, and repulsed every assault. Pelissier at length said to two or three men about him, " Throw me over, I know the company will follow me." His orders were executed. For two or three minutes he was alone in the enemy's position, and in that space of time he received three or four wounds. But he had rightly judged the effect of his hardihood ; the men followed, and the place was taken. He was wounded in the shoulder with a musket-ball at Bois des Oliviers, on the 15th day of June, 1840, and in the arm with a musket-ball in the campaign of Mascara in 1842. Pelissier joined the army before Sebastopol, when it was enduring the rigors of its first winter campaign. To the first corps, of which he assumed the command, was assigned the duty of supporting the artillery and engineers before Sebastopol, extending from the Quarantine Bastion to the Great Ravine, which leads to the military harbor ; 132 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. •whilst tlie second corps, under Bosquet, was lield in readi- ness to repulse any attack which might be made by the Russian army in the field. He had held the command about four months, during which the French works had been considerably advanced. Numerous sorties were re- pulsed, and the Central and Flag Staff bastions almost ruined, when, on the 19th of May, General Canrobert announced his own resignation of the Chief Command; and, in language honorable to both parties, stated " that the Emperor had appointed Pelissier his successor." Many explanations were at once offered for this sudden transfer; by some, it was affirmed that General Canro- bert's opinion had been negatived in an important dis- cussion at a council of war ; by others that he could not acquiesce in the plan of the campaign recommended by the Emperor ; no one admitted the sufficiency of the rea- sons put forward in the published official documents relat- ing to the change — the failing health of the resigning General. It is certain, whatever the cause of the resignation, that the appointment of Pelissier was received with pro- found satisfaction in the French camp. New energy was diffused into every department of the service. Within a week a successful expedition took Kertch; a forward move- ment on the Tchernaya, and a successful attack upon a Rus- sian counter approach, were simultaneously carried out; and the credit of the whole was attributed to the superior energy of the new^ commander. He was in chief command when that grand desideratuni, of the Anglo-French alli- ance was consummated — the capture of Sebastopol. This event took place on the 8th of September, 1855. ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 183 Immediately afterward he received a Marshal's baton. Victoria has also conferred upon him the Grand Cross of Military Knight of the Order of Bath. He was recently ambassador to England, where he was most cordially received. He has been recalled and has been charged by his Imperial master with the command of an army of observation on the Rhine. Louis Napoleon is apprehensive that Germany, under the influence of Aus- tria, may be tempted to strike a blow at France while he is absent in Italy. The highest mark of confidence he could give to any man, is that which he has conferred upon the Duke of Malakoff. He has entrusted to his care the guarding of the highway to the centre of his Empire, and the safety of his Empress and child. The stern warrior of sixty-five has recently allied him- self to the Imperial family. He has married a cousin of the Empress Eugenie; a woman of strong intellect and possessed of a fine physique and a handsome face. She if about thirty-five years of age. General Forey does not hold so high a rank as either of the oflicers whose biography has already been given. But a=^ the leader of the division by which the first sharp battle of the present war was fought and won over the Austrians, hi? biography claims attention. He is the hero of the Montebello of 1859, as Lannes was of that of June 9th, 1800. He was born in 1804, and was admitted into the French Military School of St. Cyr, in 1822. Afterwards he filled the post 'of instructor to the 2d Regiment of Light In- fantry. He accompanied the first expedition against 134 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. Algiers, and returning, performed garrison duty in the country bordering upon the Pyrenees until 1835. In that year he attained the grade of Captain, and distin- guished himself at Medeah during the retreat of the French army from the first siege of Constantine. He also acquired an increase of reputation at the Portes-de- Fer. During the year 1840, at the head of a Battalion of Foot Chasseurs, he made four separate expeditions against the Arabs. He returned victorious from each. When he visited France during the same year, he was named a Colonel. In 1848, the rank of General was conferred upon him. He strongly favored the coiqo d' etdt. As soon as it was consummated he received a Commander's Cross in the Legion of Honor. The command of a Division was given him in 1852. He is a member of the superior commission of Infantry officers, and has done much to pro- mote the efficiency of that arm of the French service by his minute and exact inspections. During the Crimean War, he was appointed General of the 1st Division of the Reserved Corps; but during the great siege, he often had charge of the troops in the trenches. In every action where he was present, during that war, he behaved most admirably. When the Italian war broke out, he had command of the 1st Division of the Army of Paris. He at present commands the 1st Division of the first Corps d' Arm^e of the French army in Italy. His immediate superior is Bar- raguay d' Hilliers. General Forey has skill, experience, and bravery. He is much beloved and respected by the Emperor. CHAPTER XI. THE SARDINIAN GENERALS — GARABALDI — SERVES IN THE SARDINIAN MARINE BEY OF TUNIS REPUBLIC OP URAGUAY RIO GRANDE THE ITALIAN LEGION REVOLUTIONARY PARTY IN ITALY CAREER IN NOR- THERN ITALY — -DEFENCE OF ROME DEFEATS THE NEAPOLITANS FALL OF ROME— ESCAPES FROM THE AUSTRIANS RETURNS TO AMERICA GOES BACK TO GENOA COMMANDS A MERCHANTMAN PRESENT POSI- TION HIS CHARACTER GENERAL ULLOA HIS BIRTH AND EDUCATION HIS SERVICES IN 1848 — HIS PRESENT POSITION GENERAL ALPHONSB DELLA MARMORA — HIS EDUCATION — PLANS OP MILITARY REFORM — HIS FIRST SERVICES HIS RAPID PROMOTION MINISTER OF WAR — REDUCES GENOA — REORGANIZATION OF THE ARMY — SERVICES IN THE CRIMEA — LORD HARDWICKe's OPINION OP HIM — FOREIGN HONORS — HIS ELDER BROTHER — PRESENT POSITION — GENERAL DURANDO — HIS EARLYLIFE COMMANDS THE ROMAN ARMY HIS CONDUCT ANECDOTE OP PIUS IX. HIS DESERTION OF GENERAL FERRARA DEFEATED BY THE AUSTRIANS JOINS CHARLES ALBERT OPINIONS PRESENT PO- SITION — CURIOUS DESCRIPTION OF THE ORGANIZATION OF THE SARDIN- IAN ARaiY. General Garibaldi was born at Nice, on the 4th of July, 1807. The first service he ever saw was in the Sardinian marine, in which he gave many proofs of his courage, capacity, and skill in military tactics. His ca- reer in this direction was cut short by his participation in the conspiracy of " ?a Giovane Italia,'' in 1834. Escaping the vigilance of the Austriae^n Sbirri, Garibaldi took refuge in France, but not finding occupation for his talents, and 135 136 ITALY AND THE WAB, OF 1859. being utterly without resources, lie entered the service of the Bey of Tunis, where he became Captain of a frigate. But Garibaldi's adventurous spirit soon became dissatis- fied with the coasting service of the Bey. He therefore quitted it upon the first news of the revolt of the Pro- vince of Bio Grande against Brazil. Garibaldi, ever zealous in the cause of liberty, chartered a vessel and of- fered his services, which were accepted by the revolution- ists of the new Republic of Uraguay. In 1842, being severely wounded in an encounter with the Brazilians, he was taken prisoner. After much ill treatment, and many attempts to escape, he at length suc- ceeded in obtaining his liberty in the year 1843. He hastened to Bio Grande, where he reentered the service of the Bepublic as commander of its navy. In an en- counter with the enemy he burned his whole squadron to avoid surrendering it to a stronger force. After this, nothing discouraged, he placed himself at the head of a few hundred emigrants and exiles and fought on his own responsibility. During this campaign of ambuscades and skirmishes, his young wife, whom he had married after his arrival in South America, shared his dangers, and was even taken prisoner by the Brazilians; but eluding the vigilance of her keepers, she rejoined her husband. In 1844 we find Garibaldi engaged in Montevideo, in the struggle against Rosas. Here, with three small vessels, he sustained a combat of three days against a fleet of ten ships of war. Reduced to despair, he a second time burnt his vessels, and, with the soldiers and sailors on board, fought his way through the enemy into Montevideo. As ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 137 a recognition of his bravery, and of the merit of this bril- liant action, he was unanimously appointed Commander of the Italian legion, then in the town. At the head of this distinguished legion, Garibaldi accomplished prodigies of valor, and the date of the battle of St. Antoine and the name of Garibaldi were inscribed in letters of gold on the banners of the regiment. Great interest was now excited in Europe by the brilliant career of the young General. The Revolutionary party in Italy had already fixed on him for their General. At the first news of the outbreak of 1848, Garibaldi left South America and sailed for Genoa, where he offered his sword to Charles Albert, then com- manding in Lombardy. The counsellors of Charles Albert induced him to decline the services of this brilliant soldier of fortune. He then directed his steps towards Milan, which, after the defeat of Custoza, was threatened by the Austrians. The Provisional Government, giving Garibaldi the com- mand of three thousand volunteers, despatched him to the succor of Bergamo and Brescia ; but the Austrians having regained possession of Milan, the people of the two cities he went to succor lost all courage, and Garibaldi was forced to retreat to Luino, where, for some time, hav- ing taken the two lake steamers, he maintained his posi- tion. At length, after many skirmishes with the enemy. Garibaldi was forced to withdraw, and, abandoning the cause, seek an asylum in Switzerland. This position of Garibaldi in 1848 is very much the same as the one he is now occupying at the commencement of the war of 1859. The forced retreat of Garibaldi put the finishing stroke 138 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. to the irritation of the Italians against the Piedmontese Government, already threatened by the Radical party, with Gioberti at its head. At the elections of the Piedmontese Representatives for the Parliament of 1848, Garibaldi was elected by Nice. He evinced his strong attachment to the Republican party by heading all his orders of the day with the words " Long live the Republic." But the hero of Montevideo is less a statesman than a soldier, and probably would not have distinguished himself in peace as in war. His abilities, however, were not tried, for he had scarcely time to take the constitutional oaths before the Parliament was dis- solved. The flight of Pius IX., and the revolt of Rome, gave fresh opportunities for the display of Garibaldi's ardor and courage. Sent for by Mazzini to Rome, he was entrusted with the defence of that city. He at first hoped to frater- nize with the French troops under Oudinot. He soon found that he should be obliged to oppose force to force. He repulsed the assailants at the Villa Pam- phili, and took three hundred prisoners. On the 9th of May, profiting by a truce which had been declared, he fell on the Neapolitan army encamped at Palestirna. With three thousand men he completely routed five thousand, led by the Neapolitan General Rossellini. Ten days afterward Garibaldi attacked and surprised Ferdinand 11. at the head of his troops at Belletri. The Neapolitans fled, leaving their arms and ammunition in his hands. The King himself narrowly escaped being taken prisoner. Gari- baldi was severely wounded. Rome, however, despite all ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 139 the talent and bravery displayed in her defence, was des- tined to fall. When he saw that all was lost, in conjunc- tion with Henrico Cernusch^, he attempted to continue the war amid the mountains with a small army of three thou- sand men. After encountering infinite danger and suffer- ing, the little troop succeeded in reaching the Republic of San Marino, which was neutral ground; but the Allies soon interfered. Garibaldi, with only a few followers, strove to penetrate to the shores of the Adriatic and to embark for Venice. Not having been able to succeed, he was tracked on all sides by the Austrians. He then crossed the Appenines. During this perilous march, his wife, who had so nobly shared his dangers in South America, and who had devoted herself to the wounded in Rome, ex- pired of exhaustion in one of the mountain passes. After many adventures and much suffering he reached Genoa, and once more embarked for America. He landed in New York, where, in partnership with Salvi, a celebrated tenor singer, he put himself at the head of a company for the manufacture of tallow candles, on Staten Island. This speculation failed, and Salvi having gone to Europe, where he is now director of a small theatre in Seville, Gari- baldi went to California. In 1852 he proceeded to China in a Peruvian ship, having entered the service of Peru. At length, in 1854, seized with a yearning desire to visit his native country, he returned to Genoa, where he accepted the command of a merchant vessel. In this humble occupation the declara- tion of the new war of Italian liberty found him. He hastened to appeal to the Italians, and soon placed himself 140 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. at the head of a legion of volunteers, six thousand strong. These, with his own services, he again offered to Piedmont, and Victor Emanuel, better advised than his father, ac- cepted them, with expressions of the warmest respect and admiration. Garibaldi's life is like the wildest romance ; his charac- ter like that of an ancient paladin ; his love of liberty like that of an ancient Roman. He is still in the prime of life, vigorous, and enthusiastic as ever. He may yet meet with a reward for his numerous services and sufferings. For him it would be satisfaction sufficient should he behold the independence of Italy proclaimed, and foreign con- querors driven for ever from her soil. General Jerome Ulloa was born at Naples in 1810. He belongs to a highly respectable family. Having been edu- cated in the military college of Nunziatella, he left it in 1831, with the grade of Lieutenant of Artillery. He pro- fessed, even young as he was, the most liberal principles. He was arrested in 1833 for not having revealed a con- spiracy of which he was supposed to be cognizant. He remained six months in prison under this charge. As soon as the Constitutional Regime was established in 1848, at Naples, Ulloa, having then the rank of Captain, at a meeting of the officers of his regiment induced them to take an oath never to fire on the people except in con- junction with the National Guard, and in maintenance of the Constitution. When the war between Piedmont and Austria broke out in the same year, Ulloa obtained six months leave of absence in order to assist the cause of national liberty. He was about to depart at the head of a ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 141 corps of volunteers, when Naples decided to send an army, under the command of General Pepe, to support the Italians. Ulloa, of course, joined forces with Pepe, and was appointed the General's Aid-de-camp. General Pepe, old and infirm, relied greatly on his young Aid-de-camp for the organization of the troops. Scarcely had the Neapolitan corps, commanded by Pepe, reached Bologna, before the King of Naples recalled them. General Pepe, however, with fifteen hundred men, pursued his way to Venice, whither, of course, Ulloa ac- companied him. They entered Venice determined to defend it to the last. In April, 1849, Venice being closely pressed by the Austrians, Ulloa was entrusted with the defence of the fort of Molghera. Under his command a garrison of only two thousand five hundred men held out a whole month against the enemy. Forced at last to abandon the contest, he evacuated the fortress, leaving it entirely dismantled, without a single piece of artillery, and without a single man falling into the possession of the enemy. After this event, he was made a member of the Military Commission of Venice, and invested with unlimited power. "When, after superhuman endurance, and pro- digies of valor, Venice, reduced by famine and ravaged by the cholera, was forced to capitulate, Ulloa, with many of his companions-in-arms, abandoned Italy, carrying with them the hope of better days, and the determination to make her freedom the object of their lives. Since the fall of Venice, General Ulloa has resided principally in Paris. He has published several works on military science, as well as on the Revolution of 1848, which are highly 142 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. esteemed. Ulloa is a thoroughly disciplined and educated soldier, devoted to the cause of liberty, and brave, as all the Italian patriots have been. He has returned to Italy since the present war broke out. He was entrusted, at its commencement, with the formation and organization of an independent legion, to be composed of volunteers. It was formed mostly of young and enthusiastic Parmese and Florentines. When the recent revolt broke out in Tuscany, he was sent thither upon a special mission. The object seems to have been to consolidate the revolution, and take measures to prevent any reactionary movement. He seems to have accomplished this in the most solid and reliable manner. General Alphonse della Marmora, born in 1804, is the youngest but one of a family of sixteen children. His father, the Marquis della Marmora, married a woman distinguished for her intellect and accomplishments — Mile, de Berz^. The daughters, being the eldest of the family, were carefully educated by their mother, and in their turn took charge of the education of their younger brothers when, in 1805, the Marchesa was left a widow with this enormous family. Admitted to the military academy in 1816, he came out in 1823, with the rank of Lieutenant of Artillery, and some time after was made Adjutant. He has particularly turned his attention to horsemanship, gymnastics, and the practice of gunnery, and has organized normal schools for the instruction of the sub-officers and soldiers in these exercises. In 1848 he held the rank of Major. He dis- tinguished himself particularly, at Monzambano, Borghet- to, Yalleggio and Pescara. ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 143 On the 2d of April, 1848, he eiFected, on the heights of Pastiengo, a happy diversion by which the rear of the Austrian Army was thrown into confusion. Time was given to the disordered Piedmontese to rally and rout the enemy. This action gained him the confidence of Charles Albert, who had previously regarded in an unfa- vorable light his plans for military reform. His firmness and presence of mind, in the midst of the popular agitation, during an emeute at Milan, by which the person of the King was imperiled, caused him to be named General of Brigade. He was for a time attached to the staff of General Chrzanowski. After the armistice of 1849 he commanded a reserved corps, and attempted an intervention in Tuscany. Before he could effect it, he received orders to join the Sardinian Army, which had then just crossed the Ticino. He was unable to arrive in time. The battle of Novara, the Sardinian Waterloo, was lost, ere he was able to effect a junction of his detachment with the main army. He took the fortress of Rcta from the Lombards, who had seized upon it in order to assist the revolt at Genoa. He was ordered to advance upon Genoa, at the head of a powerful force, and besiege it. After an easy bombard- ment he retook it for the King, and quelled the revolt. Victor Emanuel, who had in the meantime succeeded Charles Albert, appointed him Lieutenant-General and Minister of War, during the year 1849. The Sardinian army had been completely disorganized by the repeated defeats of the late campaign. Whole regiments, after the battle of Novara, were completely dispersed. There 144 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. were some brigades who reckoned their losses by hundreds. It is clear that the acts of pillage which followed this de- moralization are attributable, not to the disposition of the Piedmontese soldiery, but to the vices inherent in the organization of the Sardinian army system of that day. It was General Marmora's work to cure the system of these radical defects. The drill and discipline, the constitution of the regi- mental staff, the scale of pay, have all undergone consid- erable change. It was his constant care, during his first administration of the War Office, to cultivate a military spirit. He possesses a resolute spirit, and has compelled the officers to materially alter their manners, and this is not among the least beneficial of the changes made by him. In 1855, Marmora resigned his position as Minister of War, was succeeded by General Durando, and took the command of the Sardinian force dispatched to the Crimea. This division numbered 17,000 men. It became a part of the Corps of Reserve ; but little opportunity was given to it or its General, for distinction. At the passage of the Tchernaya, the Sardinian Carbineers under his lead suc- cessfully repulsed the Russians. His brother, the Cheva- lier Delia Marmora, who was serving under him as Major General, died of Cholera. The Earl of Hardwicke, a distinguished British states- man, spoke thus of the personal character of General Marmora, in the House of Lords, in 1854 : ''I can state, for the satisfaction of the British Army, that General Marmora is a man of high ability, whose ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 145 soldier-like qualities will merit their esteem. He is, moreover, possessed of so much openness, frankness, and nobility of character that he will always be accessible to their communications, and receive them in a congenial manner. He is a good soldier, and a perfect gentleman in his deportment." At the close of the Crimean war, he received the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor, in France, and was made a Knight of the Bath, in England. On his return to Turin, he resumed his place in the Cabinet as Minister of War. To .this office is also attached the Ministry of Marine. The Sardinian Navy has been much neglected, and much fault has been found with him, both in and out of the Sardinian Parliament, for his inefficient manage- ment of it. He has more than once frankly acknowledged his total ignorance of maritime affairs. General Marmora's elder brother was also Lieutenant General in the Sardinian service. He bore the title of Prince of Masserano. General Marmora is now the Commander-in-Chief of the Piedmontese Army, at the seat of war. Victor Em- anuel has a great fondness for him. This is easily accounted for. They possess some leading traits of char- acter which are very similar, and their tastes have there- fore run in the same direction. General Durando is a native of Piedmont, between fifty and sixty years of age. He was slightly implicated in the revolt of 1831, which Charles Albert suppressed with such terrible cruelty. He escaped, however, the vengeance of the King, and went to Spain. There he adopted a K 146 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. military career, served with distinction in the army of the Liberal party, and attained high rank. He took part in the war of 1848, in Italy, and was entrusted with the command of an army of 20,000 men, composed of Italians from the Roman States. The desire of the extreme Republicans of the army was, that Gen. Ferrara should be the Commander-in-Chief. But the Pope, at that time, had become alarmed at the progress of the Revolution, and had joined the reactionary party. He procured the appointment of Durando to the position, believing that if Durando did not manage to check the Revolution he would succeed in having it defeated. Montanelli, a distinguished Italian literateur, tells the following story about the Pope in this connection. The Holy Father was wont to say : " I have much to fear from the republicanism and impetu- osity of Ferrara. But I can fully trust Durando, with his good-natured face and sleek looks, so like those of a fat monk." Durando, if he had done his duty, would have advanced at once toward the passes of the Tyrol, so as to have cut off the advance of the Austrians from Germany, who were rapidly pushing forward to the relief of Radetzky, then shut up with his shattered army in the strong fort- ress of Verona. Two Austrian Generals, Welden and Nugent, at the head of 20,000 men, were advancing by forced marches. General Durando instead of keeping his small army united, and giving them battle, divided it. One corps composed almost wholly of volunteers, was sent ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 147 off under General Ferrara. He suffered this to be at- tacked and crushed by this superior force, without going to his assistance. It is true he afterwards gave battle to the same Austrian corps, but he was defeated and thej passed on to Verona. His little army wasted gradually away until he, with a few troops, joined Charles Albert. In the army of the King he was entrusted with the command of a Division and was present at several battles. He was Sardinian Minis- ter of War during the time General Marmora was in the Crimea. It was through his efforts mainly that the Pied- montese Parliament consented to the alliance against Russia. That General Durando betrayed the Republicans in 1848, there is no doubt. There seems to be as little doubt that he is sincerely attached to the reigning Pied- montese dynasty, and that he eagerly desires the growth and prosperity of his native country. He is a military chief of moderate talents, united to great energy of will and perseverance of conduct. He now commands a Division of the Sardinian army. To these notices of the principal Sardinian Generals it may be proper to append the following curious description of the manner in which their army is constituted. The de- scription is taken from a very high authority, and applies to that army as it was in 1856 : ^'Besides the body-guard of his majesty, and the royal guard of the palace, the Piedmontese army is thus di- vided : — 148 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. " 1st. The Koyal Carbineers, who in time of peace act as police, and in time of war assist the army; ^'2d. Royal Corps, called the Staff. " 3d. Royal Corps of Military Engineers, seconded by a Battalion of Sappers. ''4th. Royal Corps of Artillery, divided into three regi- ments — one of workmen, who prepare the material; one of twelve companies of artillerymen for fortified places, and another to serve in the field. There are twenty bat- teries of six pieces each. " 5th. In the Infantry there is a picked brigade, although no longer privileged, namely, the brigade of Grenadiers, and two regiments of two battalions. There are nine other brigades, of two regiments of three battalions: in all, fifty-four battalions. Besides there is a regiment of Chasseurs of Sardinia, another of Free Chasseurs, both of two battalions. There are three battalions of Bersag- lieri, a corps from which France is said to have copied its former Chasseurs de Vincennes. The imitation, however, has surpassed the model ; for the Piedmontese still use the old carbine, and have not adopted the Minid rifle. The broad-brimmed, spherical-crowned hat of varnished leather, shaded by dark-green plumes, worn by these Bersaglieri, and which has at first such a theatrical, nay, comic effect, comes by custom to seem both elegant and military. " 6th. There are ten regiments of cavalry, four of the line, six of light cavalry ; in all, forty squadrons. " There are other supplementary institutions, which in- crease the efficiency of the army. These are the corps of ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 149 Veterans and Invalids, the d^p6ts for officers, the com- mandants of places and forts, and, finally, the institutions for military discipline and education, as the School of In- fantry and Cavalry, the Royal Academy, and the College for Soldiers' Sons." CHAPTER XII. . AUSTRIAN GENERALS — BARON HESS — BIRTH — EARLY SERVICES — RAPID PROMOTION — SERVED UNDER RADETZKY — HIS STRATEGETIC TALENTS ANECDOTE WITH THE ELECTOR OP HESSE WITH THE EMPEROR PROBABLE POSITION HE WILL ASSUME IN THIS WAR GENERAL BENE- DEK HIS SERVICES GALLICIA ITALY HIS QUALITIES AS A SOL- DIER GENERAL WIMPFFEN COUNT STADION EDMOND PRINCE SCHWARTZENBURG PRINCE CHARLES FREDERIC SCHWARTZENBURG — • THEIR FAMILY PRINCE FREDERIC CHARLES LEICHTENSTEIN PRINCE EDWARD LEICHTENSTEIN GENERAL ZOBEL. First among the Austrian Generals in point of age and reputation is Henrj Baron de Hess. He was born in Vienna, in 1788, and began his military career as an Ensign in 1805. For sometime he was employed either upon the staff of the army, or in engineering operations. He saw active service, for the first time, in the campaign of 1809. He won great distinction at the battle of Wa- gram, which resulted so disastrously to the House of Haps- burg. His first service was against the same enemy with whom he is now struggling upon the plains of Lombardy. During the campaigns which immediately preceded the downfall of Napoleon, he was constantly upon duty. The brilliancy of his deeds in the battles of Dresden and Leipsic, caused him to be promoted with rapidity. After the Peace of Paris, he was President of the Council of War. In 1830, he attained the rank of Colonel in the 150 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 151 Army of Italy, and was placed at the head of a Division of the Staff. He obtained the reputation of being one of the most accomplished officers in the Austrian army. Obtaining the rank of Field-Marshal-Lieutenant in 1842, his strategetic talents had not full play until the war of 1848. He was the principal military counsellor of Mar- shal Radetzky. Baron Hess sketched out all the princi- pal operations of that brilliant campaign with which the Italian war closed in 1848. Among these splendid move- ments, the march on Vicenza, the storming and capture of that city, and the retreat of the Piedmontese at Custazza, on July 28th. This caused Charles Albert to retreat, and led to the armistice of the 9th of August. Marshal Radetzsky was indebted to Hess for the mas- terly plan of the campaign in the spring of 1849 ; a cam- paign which, in three days, completely destroyed the Sar- dinian army, under Charles Albert, March 23d, 1849, and terminated the war. For these signal services General Hess was rewarded with the title of Baron, the Grand Cross of the Order of Maria Theresa, the Order of Leopold, and made Master of the Ordnance, and the head of the Staff of the Austrian army, which position he still holds. Radetzky had one great military virtue. He was always ready to recognise and acknowledge worth and excellence in his fellow-soldiers. He wrote to the wife of Baron Hess a letter, in which, speaking of these campaigns, he says, "If I have all the glory he has all the merit." In writing to the Department of War at Vienna, Radetzky said: '' Before all, I hasten to name my Quarter-Master-Gene- 152 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. ral, General de Hess. To him — I say it from tlie fulness of mj heart — is due by far the greater portion of the results which have been achieved by the Imperial army during the last campaign. Seeing everything at a glance, always seizing the right opportunity, and profiting by it with rapidity ; ever keeping the most elevated aim in view, he had my entire, my unlimited confidence ; and with him by my side I led the army on to certain victory. The army knew this and conquered." Since the close of the wars of 1849, Baron Hess has served as Ambassador at the Court of Berlin. During the Crimean wars he, for a time, commanded the Austrian army of observation in the Turkish Provinces. A rather amusing incident is related as happening be- tween Baron Hess and the Elector of Hesse. The latter, who is one of the most stupid of the many stupid petty Princes in Germany, was introduced to the Baron Hess, a General whose fame is European, and asked him "If he had shared in the Italian campaign?" Hess replied in the afiirmative. The Elector enquired what position he had held? He answered that of " Chief of the Staff." The German Prince then very innocently inquired " whether or not he had commanded a corps ? " Baron Hess is now in Italy with the Emperor Francis Joseph. He is said, by many, to possess the most finely constituted military mind in Europe. He may probably occupy toward Gyulai the same position thal^he did toward Radetzky, except that he was inferior to Badetzky in military rank, whilst he is superior to Gyulai. One he advised — to the other he can speak on terms of equality, ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 153 if not of command. Unless some great disaster overtake the Austrian army, he, Baron Hess, -vvill probably not assume an active open command in the field. Another very distinguished officer, now commanding a corps d'arm^e, is Louis de Benedek, a General of Division, who has done more hard fighting, and seen more service, than any officer of like grade in the Austrian army, with, perhaps, the exception of General Schlick. He was born at Edenbourg, a small town of Hungary, in 1804. He acquired a knowledge of his prpfession at Neustadt. He entered the Austrian army as Cornet, in 1822. From the superior qualities and knowledge of his profession which he exhibited, he had reached the rank of Colonel as early as 1843, — a remarkably rapid rise in the Austrian service. A rising in Gallicia, against the Hapsburgs, took place in that year, and he played a leading part in its suppres- sion. He was entrusted, by the Arch-Duke Ferdinand d'Este, with the pacification of the eastern part of the Pro- vince. This commission he successfully filled, according to the Austrian standard of merit. At the outbreak of the troubles in Italy he was ordered to Milan, and bore an active part in all the campaign which followed. The coolness and bravery he exhibited during the retreat from Milan, at the battle of Ossone, and more especially at Custature, where he was the last to leave the field, attracted general attention to him, and elicited high commendation. Radetzky alluded to him in an official bulletin. This mention of his services obtained for him the Order of Maria Theresa. He had had previously bestowed upon him that of St. Leopold. 154 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. The successful siege of Mortara, and the battle of No- vara, conferred new laurels upon him. He was immedi- ately afterward created Major-General of the First Re- serve Corps of the Army of the Danube, and transferred to Hungary. He was twice wounded in his campaign against the Magyars, having been present in at least a dozen sharp encounters with them. His laurels did not freshen and brighten there. Like those of Welden and Wolgemuth, who, too, had won high reputations in Italy, they faded in a contest with abler generals and better soldiers. After the close of the Hungarian campaign Benedek was transferred to the command of the Second Corps d'Arm^e of the Army of Italy. He is now Commander of the Fourth. He is a hard fighter, a good soldier, and has some ability as a strategist, but hitherto has not had much opportunity for the display of his talents in this direction. Francis Emile de WimpfFen, who was recently, and has been for some time. Commander of the Austrian forces in the eastern part of the Lombardo-Venetian Provinces, was born at Prague in 1797. Like Baron Hess, he saw ser- vice in the Allied armies, during the last campaigns against Napoleon. He was slowly promoted until, having attained the rank of Field-Marshal, he commanded a di- vision of the Second Corps d'Armde in Italy, in 1848, and won great distinction. With General Nugent, he defeated the Roman Republican army, under Durando and Ferrara, and relieved Radetzky at Verona. At Vicenza and Custazza he acted a distinguished part. For t» ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 155 this latter service he was rewarded with the Order of Maria Theresa. At a later period of the same year he took Ancona after a most obstinate defence, and bombarded Bologna. Since he has become Governor of Venetia, and Com- mander of the military forces upon the shores of the Adriatic, he has added much to the efficiency of the Aus- trian Navy. In 1854, he became Commander of the first corps of the Austrian army. His talent seems to be, merely to execute well the orders given to him. Count Stadion is now at the head of the Fifth Corps d'Armde. He served in Italy and Hungary during the war of 1848-49. He possessed the confidence of his superiors, and was regarded as one who could head a bold assault, lead a forlorn-hope, or hold a position, with dog- ged and obstinate tenacity, against an attack. He is reported to have been wounded at the recent battle which opened the campaign of 1859, at Montebello. His age is sixty. A celebrated relative of his was a member of the first Ministry of Prince Schwartzenburg, who died in 1852. His relative held the Portfolio of Home Aifairs, from November, 1848, until May in the following year. In 1858, his military corps, the Fifth Corps d'Armee, was stationed at Milan. He has been in Italy from that time to this. Edmond Prince Schwartzenburg, Commander of the Third Corps d'Armee, was born in 1803, and holds various civil dignities besides his high military position. No par- ticularly striking action seems to have raised his name 156 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. above the ordinary list of Austrian Generals. He saw some service in 1848-49, under Radetzkj and Haynau. His corps is ordinarily stationed at Vienna. He must not be confounded with his relative, Prince Charles Fre- deric Schwartzenburg, who commands the Twelfth Corps d'Armde stationed at Hermanstadt, in Transylvania. They are, both of them, related to the late celebrated Austrian Prime Minister, and to the Prince Schwartzen- burg who commanded the Allied armies against Napoleon, in 1813. This family is very numerous, both in the elder and younger branches ; and nearly all the male members hold high military positions in the Austrian service. The history of Prince Frederic Leichstenstein resembles closely that of Schwartzenburg. He belongs to a family almost regal in its possessions and alliances. He served in Italy in 1848. When the Sixth Corps d'Armde was stationed at Gratz, in Styria, in 1848, he commanded it. He is now about fifty-two years of age. There is no evidence that either he or Schwartzenburg possess any great military skill or high soldierly qualities, save the single one of intense courage. There is also a Prince Edward Leichtenstein, who commands the Second Corps d'Armee, stationed in Cracovia in 1858. He was born in 1809. General Zobel, who seems to have become the temporary Commander of the Seventh Corps d'Armee, was a Colonel of Cavalry in the beginning of the Italian campaign of 1848. He was most thoroughly beaten by the Sardinians at Mallona and Delia Corona. The rank of Military- ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 157 Governor of Trent was afterwards conferred upon him, and whilst acting in this capacity, he caused, without the least justification, a number of Italian prisoners to be shot. He is cold, cruel, and implacable. iP CHAPTER XIII. SARDINIAN STATESMEN — COUNT CAVOUR — POSITION OF HIS FAMILY — PRINCE BORGHESE — ANECDOTE OP COUNT CAVOUR's FATHER — PRINCE D'CARIGNAN CAVOUR's TRAVELS RETURN TO SARDINIA ENTERS POLITICS ATTACHES HIMSELF TO THE LIBERAL PARTY CONGRESS OP PARIS COUNT d'aZEGLIO HIS CHARACTER AS AN ARTIST HIS SER- VICES TO SARDINIA — HIS POSITION IN ITALY — RATAZZI — BBOFFERIOS VALERIC, LEADER OF THE LIBERAL PARTY. ^ Camille Cavour, whose reputation as a statesman, and as liead of the Piedmontese Cabinet, is world-wide, and associated with the stirring events of the last five years, is a man of immense wealth, being one of the largest landed proprietors in . Piedmont. He is the son of a noble family of Chieri; a town not far removed from Turin, and which once had the advantage of being a little Republic in itself. It is said that the family of Cavour originally trace their descent from a frail ancestor, who listened to the seductions of a Prince of the House of Savoy. Be this as it may, certain it is, that, until the time of the father of the present Count, the Cavour family was looked on as one of decayed fortunes. But the father of Camille, a man of shrewd intellect, contrived to attach himself to the House of Bonaparte, then in the ascendant, and become a favorite of the Prince Borghese, whilst he 1G8 ITALY AND THE WAR OP 1859. 159 was Governor of Turin. Borghese attached him to his person, in no very honorable position. It is supposed the following anecdote can be relied on, as related by a popu- lar English writer on Sardinia. " One of the favorites of Prince Borghese was a certain Giovanina, an opera-dancer of marvellous beauty. The lady felt her influence, and liked to show it. On particular occasions, instead of going to the apartments of the Prince by a private stair-case, she went by the grand entrance of the royal palace, and passing by the astonished guards reached the ante-chamber. Here she was met by a vener- able Count, whose sense of honor allowed him to be the valet of a Prince, but was sorely hurt when requested to announce the visit of an actress to his master. After a momentary hesitation, however, he presented himself in the inner-room and performed his office, but with every possible mark of annoyance and disgust. The Prince, hearing who was coming, understood the reason of the nobleman's ill-humor, and said to him, smiling graciously we are told, *My dear Count, you are interfering with the duties of Count Cavour.' " During the time he was in favor with Prince Bor- ghese, Cavour laid the first foundations of the immense fortune his son enjoys. His principal source of wealth arose from his adroitness in profiting by the sales of national property then going on ; by which he acquired in the territory of Ver colli the principal estates of his family. In 1810, Camille, the present Minister, was born. He was educated at a military college, but did not pursue the career of arms, for, on leaving college he accepted a posi- 160 ITALY AND THE WAR OP 1859. tion in the household of the Prince de Carignan. Aban- doning, for some private motive, this position. Count Ca- mille spent some years in traveling through Switzer- land, France, and England,^ studying the constitutions and commercial resources of the various countries in which he sojourned. On his return to Turin, he could not but mingle in the politics of the day and manifest his opinions in a journal which he founded, entitled '' II Risorgimento." Count Cavour, from the first attached himself to the Li- beral party, adding, however, to the banner of Italy the Cross of the House of Savoy, believing the two interests to be united. He took no very prominent part in the struggle of 1848, and first assumed his place at the head of Sardinian afiairs in 1852 ; since which time he has con- tinued to direct them. Count Camille Cavour, is a man of broad and enlight- ened views, possessed of much more prudence and tact than is usually displayed by Italians in the administra- tion of public afi'airs. His sympathies with England, as well as his intimacy with several English statesmen, render him the advocate of a Constitutional Monarchy, as ofi"ering greater elements of prosperity and stability than a Republic. His conduct, tact, shrewdness and talent during the Congress of Paris, after the Crimean War, has given him a high rank as a diplomatist. Count Cavour enjoys the unlimited confidence of his Sovereign, and though in Pied- mont he has many enemies among the Ultra-Liberals and the Church party, the increased prosperity of the Kingdom at home, its aggrandizement and importance abroad, fully ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 161 prove the Minister's talents, and the patriotic spirit which inspires him. He had the sagacity to perceive that by joining the Allies in the Crimean War, he would raise Sardinia to a position she could not otherwise attain so easily. The result has justified his expectations. France has allied herself closely to Sardinia, and the latter has thus been enabled to defy its ancient and hated foG, Austria. In 1857, Austria broke off all diplomatic intercourse with Sardinia, and it has not since been renewed. Count Cavour from that hour, and even from an earlier period, has labored strenuously to place Sardinia in such a position as to enable her to enter upon the war with Aus- tria with decided chances of success. He has devoted his life to the expulsion of the Hapsburgs from Italy. Another of his leading ideas is the union of all Itah^ under one constitution. This may not be accomplished ia his day, but the consolidation of Northern Italy into one nation seems by no means improbable. Count Cavour is second in point of ability to no living European statesman. Massimio d' Azeglio is one of the most brilliant specimens of La Giovane Italia. In person handsome, in manners refined, in heart a hero, in intellect a poet. Italy has few sons of whom she is prouder than of Azeglio. He belongs to a noble family of Piedmont. His father was Ambas- sador to Rome in 1816. Here Massimio d' Azeglio first imbibed the love of art which has distinguished him. He studied painting and music. In the art of Raphael, whose style he especially studied, he has attained high L 162 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. eminence. The Louvre and the gallery at Turin possess pictures by him which hold high rank in the artistic world. Massimio d' Azeglio formed a strong friendship in early youth for the poet Giusti. Together they went to Milan, and here Azeglio married the eldest daughter of the cele- brated Italian novelist, Manzoni. In addition to genius of the highest order, Azeglio pos- sesses the rare gift of versatility, and was so highly en- dowed that in all the branches of art he has attempted, he has succeeded equally well. Living with Giusti and Manzoni in a literary atmosphere, Azeglio was seized with an inspiration to write. He accordingly produced a novel, entitled "Ettore e' Fieramosca," which, from its elegance of style and nobility of sentiment, created a marked sen- sation in Italy. Soon after the publication of this work he lost his wife. She had been a poet's love, and from the time of her death, Azeglio's life appears to have under- gone a change. From the arts, poetry, literature and music he turned with distaste. She appears to have borne away with her all that was ideal or beautiful in his nature. We know nothing of her but that she was the daughter of Manzoni, the wife of d' Azeglio, and that she died young; but her virtues, her merits and her beauties are told by the agony of years which her death cost to two men of genius. Her father, Manzoni, wept till only two years seclusion in darkened rooms saved him from utter blindness, and Azeglio bid adieu to his youth when her gentle spirit left him. Henceforth, Azeglio becomes known to the world as a defender of Italian liberties ; as one of the ablest in her ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 163 cause, which he advocated with his pen, his wealth, his influence and his sword. Azeglio, from birth and associa- tion, was devoted, however, to the House of Savoy. He beheld in this House the natural Sovereigns of Italy, des- tined to restore their liberties and rights. He attached himself as Aid-de-camp to Durando, and bore an active part in the campaign, and was severely wounded near Vicenza. After the battle of Novara, he was elected to the National Assembly, and the young King, Victor Emanuel, selected him for his Prime Minister. In 1849 he entered upon the arduous duties of his office, and fulfilled them so as to conciliate all parties, whilst at the same time he advanced the prosperity of his country. Massimio d' Azeglio ac- companied Cavour to the Peace Congress in Paris. He is a personal friend of the King. M. d' Azeglio, previous to 1848, married a rich heiress, daughter of a Swiss l3anker, settled like many other Swiss financiers in Milan. Although Mad. d' Azeglio is amiable and discreet, and has a high position in society, and M. d' Azeglio is in every way calculated to flatter the vanity and secure the afi'ections of a wife, the marriage has not been a happy one, and by mutual consent they have lived separately, one residing at Milan and the other at Turin, since within a few months of their union. Count d' Azeglio is the principal opponent of the Ultra-Liberal Party in Pied- mont. Amongst the remarkable men mingled in State afi'airs is Count Ratazzi, the friend and disciple of Cavour. Brofferio is a man of extraordinary eloquence as well as 164 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. of great influence in the Piedmontese Parliament. His name is popular among the people, from the political and satirical songs he has written, which have obtained for him the name of the Beranger of Italy. Lorenzo Valerio is a leader of the Liberal Party, who first raised his voice, at the danger of his life, in the cause of liberty, before liberal ideas had dawned in the mind of Charles Albert. He was born at Turin in 1810. He is a man of practical habits, careful education, and as a political writer ranks as a man of genius. He was the founder of a political journal "La Concordia/' which, re- stricted as journalism is in Italy, formed quite an event. Lorenzo Yalerio, and his character, have been thus hap- pily described in a recent work : " Valerio is deputy for Casteggio. At the end of last year his constituents sent him, as a testimonial of theii' re- spect, a silver statue of Dante ; and I was much interest- ed in reading the letter by which this testimonial was ac- companied. 'We admire you,' it said among other things, ' because you have not too much attended to our local af- fairs, caring rather for the general prosperity of Pied- mont and Italy.' Electors who can think thus are worthy of such a representative. " Lorenzo Valerio, in fine, may be said to be at the head in Piedmont of a party which is not Republican, only be- cause it hopes that the Sardinian Monarchy will easily bring about the salvation of Italy. This party is numer- ous, but will become Republican on the day when the Mon- archy of Savoy proves by its acts and declarations that the Italian cause is not its cause, and that it abandons it. ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 165 It is important that we should take these facts into ac- count in our estimate of the state of things over the Alps. All men of virtue and principle are ready to sacrifice their private vicAVS and opinions to the great object of in- dependence and free government ; but if they be called upon to cooperate in removing one yoke to put on an- other, or in endeavoring to force Italy into adopting forms and ideas and arrangements that are disgusting to it, they will assuredly stand aloof or oppose." Such are the men and the party who are probably pre- paring for Italy an intestine struggle, which, should the Austrians be conquered, will become as ferocious and ob- stinate as that which now animate all in driving the foreign conqueror from the soil. CHAPTER XIY. AUSTRIAN STATESMEN COUNT BUOL SCHAUENSTEIN HIS EARLY CA- REER FIRST SERVICE AT LONDON RAPID RISE IN RANK ATTAINS THE PREMIERSHIP PEACE CONGRESS RETIREMENT VIEWS OF DO- MESTIC AND FOREIGN POLICY HIS TALENTS COUNT RECHBERG HIS DESCENT SKETCH OF HIS LIFE — HIS CHARACTER AND PROCLIVITIES COUNT HUBNER CONNECTION WITH THE ROYAL FAMILY EMBASSY TO PARIS COUNT GRUNNE MILITARY TALENTS PRESENT POSITION. At the beginning of the present contest between Austria and the Allies, Count Buol was Prime Minister of Aus- tria. He continued in that position for some months after it was apparent that war was inevitable. He conducted the intricate negotiations attendant upon these difficulties until his retirement. He was the author of the State pa- pers which Austria gave to the world as vindications of her past actions and future course. No chapter can be appropriately written upon the Austrian statesmen of the present time without including him, although he no longer takes any active participation in the management of pub- lic affairs. Count Buol belongs to the younger branch of a noble family, of the Canton of Grison, in Switzerland. He was born on the 17th of May, 1797. His father was for many years President of the Germanic Diet as the representa- tive of Austria. He had previously held several import- ant posts under the old Germanic Empire. 166 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 167 Charles Buol prepared for his diplomatic career under the direction of his father. From 1816 to 1824 he -vvas attached to various legations. In 1824 he was Secretary of Legation to London, and served with Bourqueney and Gortschakoff. It is rather singular that these three ap- prentices to diplomacy should since have all risen to high positions in their respective countries; Bourqueney in France ; Gortschakoff in Russia ; and Buol in Austria. In 1831 he received his first appointment of a supe- rior grade. He went as Austrian Minister to the little Court of Hesse-Darmstadt. Afterwards he was raised to the embassy at Wirtemberg, and his marriage with the Princess Caroline Bornstein, (which took place about this time,) greatly increased his importance and his worldly means. His wife belongs to the elder branch of the Isen- burg-Bornstein family, and, at the time of her marriage, was lady in Avaiting to the Empress of Austria. The revolution of 1848 found Count Buol Minister Plenipotentiary at the Court of Turin. As soon as he discovered the part Charles Albert intended to take in the insurrection in Lombardy, without waiting for instructions, he demanded his passports. This energetic proceeding was duly appreciated by Prince Schwartzenburg, then Prime Minister of Austria, who immediately appointed him Minister to St. Petersburg. In 1850 he was recalled by the Prince, in order that he might have the benefit of his intimate acquaintance with the subjects involved in the discussion between Austria and Prussia, relative to the Duchy of Holstein. In 1851 he went as Ambassador to London. The 168 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. sudden death of Prince Schwartz enburg, in 1852, occa- sioned his recall. He was at once appointed President of the Council, with the Portfolio of War. He is supposed to have aimed energetically at carrying out the internal policy of the great man whom he suc- ceeded. That policy led him to cultivate the interests and good-will of the middle classes, and to check the influence and abate the power of the aristocracy, and to centralize the administration of this extensive and hetero- geneous empire. Dui'ing the dangers of such a transition state he relied upon the army, which he raised to unusual strength. His foreign policy aimed at reducing the influence of Russia in Austria. To eff'ect this, he sought a closer alliance with France, by the assiduous cultivation of the most friendly feelings. He sought to substitute Austrian for Russian protection in the Moldo-Wallachian Provinces. He desired, also, to obtain the free navigation of the Danube. It was mainly through Count Buol's influence over Francis Joseph, that Austria was induced to sign the treaty of December, 1854, by which Russia was compelled, in substance, to concede the four guarantees demanded by the Allies. He and Baron HUbner were the Imperial rep- resentatives at the celebrated Peace Congress, at Paris, in 1856. Count Buol has introduced many administrative re- forms in commericial and postal matters. He is an active, sagacious and moderately progressive statesman. His progressive policy has taken the direction of amelio- ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 1G9 ration in material improvements. He has no desire for the extension of the political franchises of the different nationalities composing this mongrel Empire. Beyond question, he is the ablest of Austrian statesmen. His qualities of sincerity, and loyalty to his word, have ever distinguished him in all the relations of life. It has been well said, since his late retirement, that "Austria will need him, ere he shall need her." Various causes have been assigned for this. Some have alleged that he was opposed to the present war from the beginning. Others, that he was eagerly seeking to obtain a renewal of the Russian Alliance. The former seems the more likely to be the true cause. It is highly proba- ble that some question of difference concerning the man- agement of the war since its commencement, has occurred between him and the Emperor. The successor of Count Buol is Bernard Count Rech- berg. Bavaria is his native country. Born in 1806, he, consequently, is now fifty-three years of age. He is noble by birth, and belongs to a Bavarian House, the head of which is Count Albert De Rechberg-Rothenlowen. Count Rechberg, now Prime-Minister of Austria, mar- ried Miss Barbara Jones, a sister of Viscount Ranelagh, an Irish peer, who distinguished himself under Espartero, in Spain, and has since been known as an extremely "fast man" about London, alike remarkable for his escapades, debts and liasons. Count Rechberg's Bavarian origin prevented his rise, in Austria, until 1848 ; when he became a favorite with Prince Schwartz enburg he rose rapidly. In 1855 he 170 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. received the appointment of Austrian representative to the Diet at Frankfort, and as such, has been, ex-officio, the President of that body, until lately recalled to take his present place as Prime Minister of Austria. He is narrow-minded in his views. His sympathies and proclivities are purely dynastic. He bitterly hates the middle classes, whom Buol thought to elevate into im- portance, as a counterpoise to the aristocracy. Francis Joseph could have selected no one who, from the sheer love of tyranny, would have better suited his ideas of pure, unadulterated absolutism. He has all the ferocity and inflexibility of character which distinguished Schwartzen- burg, without a tithe of his intellectual force. If it de- pends upon him to terminate the present war, he will display as much hard-headed obstinacy as Lord North did during the Revolutionary war. One who has studied his career thoroughly, and who is in every way qualified to speak of him, thus describes some of the incidents of his life, and sums up his cha- racter : " With that unflinching boldness which is the conspicu- ous virtue in his vehement and irascible nature. Count Rechberg escorted Prince Metternich out of Vienna. While vacillating attempts were going on at a compromise with the revolution, he haughtily disdained to participate in what he held to be an ignoble line of policy. But when the vessel of the State began slowly to emerge to sight out of the dissolving smoke clouds of this terrible conflict, and the resolute figure of the cynical Schwartz- enburg was beheld quietly holding the helm in his stern ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. , 171 gripe, then by his side was also seen the active little figure of Rechberg. And he stood by his side thoughout the whole of his term of office, lending the elaborate and refined point of his pungent nature to the military despotism which was the sum of Schwartzenburg's break-or-yield administration. " To all the arbitrary and wanton policy which has im- pressed an indelible stamp upon the restoration of the House of Hapsburg under the auspices of Prince Schwartz- enburg, Count Rechberg has been an active party. It is one of his peculiar characteristics to express intense contempt for all official considerations, and to avow uncom- promising hostility to ^yhat he styles the pedantry of the bureaucracy — a hostility quite justified, but by which he intends to exculpate the establishment of an absolute ex- ecutive resting in a hand exempt from all trammels. Absolutist doctrines have been embraced by him as the code of a political profession, and he consistently follows them through all consequences, being, from cold calcula- tion in practice, as thorough-going an Ultramontaine as the Emperor is from pious conviction." Baron Alexandre Hiibner is the person to whom great interest attaches, as being the Austrian Ambassador at Paris, to whom Napoleon, at the reception on New Year's Day, 1859, gave the first intimation of discord between the two Powers, by openly expressing to his representative his disapproval of the conduct of the Emperor of Austria, with regard to his Italian policy. Baron Alexandre Hiibner was born in Vienna in 1811, There he was also educated. He was a favorite and pro- 172 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. tegd of Prince Metternich, who, in 1837, appointed him Secretary of the Legation in Paris, under Count Appony. In 1841 he occupied a Minister's post in Portugal. In 1844 he was appointed Consul General of Austria, at Leipsic. In 1848, the Archduke Regnier, Viceroy of Lombardy, confided to Baron Hlibner his diplomatic negotiations and correspondence with the Italian Sovereigns. The Baron, surprised at the insurrection of Milan, was taken prisoner and retained for some months, by the Revolutionists, as a hostage — obtaining his liberty by an exchange of prisoners. On his return to Vienna, Prince Schwartzenburg gave to Baron Hiibner the perilous charge of conveying the Imperial family to Olmutz. Prince Schwartzenburg, es- teeming highly Hlibner 's honesty, talents, and devotion to the House of Hapsburg, employed him in the important work of organizing the Empire, under the new Constitu- tion, on the accession of the present Emperor. It was in the year 1849 that Hiibner succeeded Appony, as Ambas- sador to the Court of France. He signed the treaty of 1856. Baron Hiibner was, personally, much liked by the Emperor Napoleon, who made him Grand Officer of the Legion of Honor. Baron Hiibner has returned to Vienna since the outbreak of hostilities. Charles Count Griinne is the present Austrian Minister of War. Much of the efficiency and rigor of the army will depend upon his fitness for the post. Should he fail in his administration of the Transportation, Ordnance, or Commissariat Departments of the army, neither Count Gyulai nor Baron Hess will be able to effect much. ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 173 He is an officer of high rank in the army, being first Aid-de-camp to the Emperor, with the rank of Lieutenant- General. He has seen much service, and is reputed to be a good soldier. Indeed, in Austria he is regarded as only second to Baron Hess, in point of power to move great masses of men, on a large theatre of war, with skill and vigor. He may yet be called to the field, for it is evident that Austria will be forced to call all her available military talent into active efi'ort. CHAPTER XV. FRENCH STATESMEN COUNT WALEWSKI HIS KELATIONSHIP TO NAPO- LEON FRIENDSHIP WITH THE DUKE OF ORLEANS ENTERS UPON A MILITARY CAREER FAILURE IN THE DRAMA SUCCESS AS AN AUTHOR RISE IN DIPLOMACY PRESENT POSITION — COUNT DE MORNY, REPUTED HALF BROTHER OF LOUIS NAPOLEON EDUCATION HIS MILITARY CA- REER BEET SPECULATION — SHARE JN THE COUP D' ETAT RAPID RISE FINANCIAL SPECULATIONS HIS APPEARANCE — DUKE OF PADUA HIS TRADITIONAL SYMPATHIES OFFICE PRESENT POSITION PER- SIGNY PRESENT POSITION EARLY POVERTY AND STRUGGLES AN EDITOR STRANGE CHANGES IN POLITICS INTRODUCTION TO LOUIS NAPOLEON THEIR CONNECTION POSITION IN THE REPUBLIC AND EM- PIRE MARRIAGE REVIEW OF THE CHARACTERS OF DE MORNY, WA- LEWSKI, AND PERSIGNY. The distinguished statesman, Count "VYalewski, who, since the resurrection of the Napoleon dynasty, has been so prominently before the world, is the son of Napoleon I. by a beautiful Polish woman of noble birth, "la Countesse Walewski," and was born in 1810. He was carefully educated, and at an early age displayed great talents. With the enthusiasm of youth, he took a profound interest in the cause of Poland, and, in 1830, went to London, in order to obtain the assistance of England in restoring her liberties. After the French Revolution of July, Walewski, who had been at college with the Duke of Orleans, at the 174 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 175 solicitation of the latter, entered the army, where he at- tained the rank of Captain of the Fourth Hussars. But Walewski's genius, spite of his descent, was not a military one, and he soon abandoned the army. United by the ties of friendship with the Duke of Or- leans, he became a habitue of the Prince's salon, and was thus brought into contact with the literary and artistic celebrities of the day; a society far more suited to his taste than that of camps and barracks. Walewski was destined to achieve celebrity with his pen. His first pro- duction was a political pamphlet on the African question. In conjunction with the distinguished men of the day, he founded the Messagee., to which journal he himself was one of the principal contributors. In conjunction with Alexandre Dumas, he wrote the play of Mile, de Belleville, which has acquired celebrity in America through the Eng- lish translation, by Fanny Kemble, under the title of "The Duke's Wager." Dazzled by his dramatic success, and probably blinded to the fact that much of it had depended on the genius and reputation of Dumas, he attempted a comedy in five acts, called the " School of the World." But, although every effort was used by the management, in the way of mise en scene, and though the principal actress. Mile. Anais, had a heartie\t interest in the author, the comedy had but a demi sucees. In 1840, AYalewski, having sold his interest in " Le 3Iessagee' to M. Thiers, began his diplomatic career by a mission to Egypt. During the administration of Guizot, he accepted several other diplomatic appointments. The 176 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. Revolution of 1848 found him Attach^ to the French Le- gation at Buenos Ayres. Walewski's sympathies, his very blood, indicated the party to which he would belong. From the first he was a staunch supporter of Napoleon. He was for some time Ambassador at the Court of St. James, and after able ne- gotiations with the different Powers of Europe in the difficult question of the East, he presided at the celebrated Peace Congress, in Paris, in 1856. He has, by his talents and personal devotion to the Emperor, deserved the favors which, ever since the beginning of the Empire, have been showered upon him. J Count Walewski is the father of the eldest son of Mile, w Rachel. He formally acknowledged him, and endowed him with a rich patrimony, and the title of Viscount. Count Walewski possesses talents of a high order. His administrative abilities will be tested severely during the absence of Louis Napoleon ; for he, at last, notwithstand- ing the seeming deposition of power in the hands of the Empress, is the back-bone of the Government at home. To trace the origin of the Count de Morny appears like throwing from its pedestal an idol that has been worshipped as immaculate. In strict morality, no excuse can be found for his birth ; but, in extenuation of poor human frailty, perhaps the description of this fascinating Princess, by Lady Blessington, a woman renowned for her beauty and her passions, may not be misplaced : " Though prepared to meet in Hortense Bonaparte, ex- Queen of Holland, a woman possessed of no ordinary powers of captivation, she has, I confess, far exceeded my ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 177 expectations. I liave seen her frequently ; and spent two hours yesterday in her society. Never did time fly away with greater rapidity, than while listening to her conver- sation, and hearing her sing those charming little French romances, written and composed by herself; which, though I had always admired them, never previously struck me as being so expressive and graceful as they now proved to be. Hortense, or the Duchess de St. Leu, a title she took after the fall of Napoleon, until now, (1829,) is of the middle stature, slight and well formed ; her feet and ankles remarkably fine ; and her whole tournure graceful and ■ distinguished. Her complexion and hair are fair, and her %► countenance is peculiarly expressive ; its habitual character being mild and pensive, until animated by conversation, when it becomes arch and spirituelle. I know not that I ever encountered a person with so fine a tact, or so quick an apprehension, as the Duchess de St. Leu. These give her the power of rapidly forming an appreciation of those with whom she comes in contact, and of suiting the sub- jects of conversation to their tastes and comprehensions. Thus, with the grave she is serious, with the lively, gay ; and with the scientific she only permits just a sufficient extent of her own savoir to be revealed to encourage the development of theirs. She is, in fact, ' all things to all men,' without, at the same time, losing a single portion of her own natural character; a peculiarity of which seems to be the desire, as well as the power, of sending away all who approach her satisfied with themselves, and delighted with her. Yet there is no unworthy concession of opinions made, or tacit acquiescence yielded to conciliate popularity ; M 178 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. she assents to, or dissents from, the sentiments of others, with a mildness and good sense that gratifies those with whom she coincides, or disarms those from whom she differs. The only flattery she condescends to practice is that most refined and delicate of all, the listening with marked attention to the observations of those with whom she converses ; and this tacit symptom of respect to others is not more the result of an extreme politeness, than of a fine nature, attentive to the feelings of those around her. "It is evident, that in relinquishing all the prerogatives of sovereignty, Hortense Bonaparte has not resigned those d'une femme aimable qui veut plaire, for she has won by her merit an empire over those who have the happiness of enjoying her society, perhaps more enviable than the Im- perial one she once possessed." Such was the woman who, in the year 1811, became the mother of the man who bears the title of Count de Morny. His father was the Count de Flabault, a brave, handsome, dashing Aid-de-camp of the Emperor Napoleon, and a distinguished officer. At its birth, this child, who dared not claim either father or mother, was confided to his grandmother, the Countess de Souza, and educated at the Lyce^ Bonaparte, where his chosen friend and companion was Edgar Ney de la Moskowa. M. de Morny entered the army and served with great distinction in Africa, under the Duke of Orleans. He dis- played a valor worthy of his origin, was severely wounded at the seige of Constantine, and received the Cross of the Legion of Honor for having saved the life of General Frczel, at the risk of his own. ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 179 Monsieur de Morny in 1838 retired from the army, and entered into political economy. He placed himself at the head of a manufactory of sugar from beet root, and wrote several pamphlets on the subject. The sugar ques- tion is one which at that time also occupied the attention and pen of the present Emperor. In 1842, M. de Morny was elected Deputy. Although he had, in many questions, voted with the Ministry under Guizot, he was considered as belonging to the liberal party, represented by '''La jPresse," and M. de Girardin. In 1848, M. de Morny, from his birth and sympathies, was a busy agent of the Napoleon faction, and was sup- posed to have taken an active part in the planning and execution of the coup d'etat, Dec. 2d., 1851. He, a thorough man of the world, renowned for his distinguished and courtly manners, possessed the most extraordinary self- possession and power of disguising his feelings. It is said, that on the 1st of December, being told by a lady at the opera comique, there would be a general sweep of the As- sembly, he replied, affecting complete ignorance, " Indeed, then I must contrive to be near the handle, that I, too, may not be swept away." It is said, however, that on that very evening of the 1st — the evening preceding the coup d'etdt — speaking of M. de Thoriguy, whose place was already promised to him, he inadvertently made use of the past tense instead of the present, and said : " He was (instead of he is) a good Statesman." The coup d'etdt, which made Napoleon President, made Count de Morny Minister of the Interior, or Home De- partment. He remained in the Cabinet until 1852, when^ 180 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. apropos of a discussion with regard to tlie property of the Orleans family, he judged it consistent with his dignity and his personal friendships to withdraw. He, however, continued to be a member of the corps legislatif, as the Representative of Clermont, and distinguished himself by his talents as an orator and a statesman in each suc- cessive session. In 1856, M. D. Morny was appointed Ambassador to St. Petersburg, and at the Coronation of the Emperor Alexander represented the Emperor and Erance with a brilliance and magnificence worthy of both. During his residence in Russia, M. de Morny married the Princess Yousopoff, now one of the most beautiful and fashionable women in Paris. M. de Morny has dipped heavily into the rail-road speculations of the day. He was largely interested in the Credit 3Iohilier (real estate bank), and the 3Iont de Piet (state pawn and loan ofiice), all of which speculations have enabled him to realize an immense fortune. It has been rumored on the Paris Exchange, that de Morny and the Emperor are joint speculators, profiting by the political news, which it is in their power frequently to originate or of which, at least, they are the first in- formed. M. de Morny possesses one of the finest picture gal- leries in Europe. He is now a member of the Council of State. In person he has the look of a thorough man of fashion and distinction, resembling his mother in complex- ion, and having resemblance enough to the Emperor to con- firm their near relationship. The French Minister of War, at the present moment, is the Duke de Padua, another devoted partizan of the Bo- ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859, 181 naparte family. The Duke's family name is Arrighi. His father was a Corsican, whom Napoleon I. created Duo de Padua, who died in 1853. Arrighi, the present Duke, after remaining two years in the Ecole Poly technique^ re- tired, having little sympathy with the Orleans family, into private life until 1848, when, openly manifesting his tradi- tional sympathies for the Bonaparte family, he was ap- pointed Prefet of Versailles, and has ever since occupied important offices under Government. M. de Persigny deserves mention, although taking no active part in the war owing to the fact of his present po- sition as Ambasador to Great Britain, whose course, though neutral now, may at any time, from a change of events, become warlike. Besides M. Persigny is one of Louis Napoleon's oldest friends and staunchest adovcates, therefore, it is to be supposed, that indirectly by his coun- sels, he has in some measure influenced the present course of the Emperor. The statesman now known by the title of Persigny, is son of Captain Fialen, who was killed in 1812, at the battle of Salamanca. His youngest son Victor, born in 1808, left without any inheritance whatever, was brought up by his uncle, and placed as a free scholar, for his educa- tion, in the College of Limoges. At the age of seventeen he was admitted to the School of Cavalry at Saumur. Victor from his early associations was a Royalist, but the influence of one of the officers at Saumur induced him so far to change his opinions, that in 1830 he took an ac- tive part in the Revolution of July, which drove the elder branch of the Bourbons from the throne. This conduct 182 ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. gave offence to the authorities of the College and the young- soldier was dismissed. Without fortune, without influence, without even a pro- fession, Victor Fialen came to Paris and obtained employ- ment as one of the subordinate editors of '"'The Temps,'' a journal especially dedicated to the views and doctrines of St. Simonism. Victor Fialen was strangely fascinated by the fanciful theories of this Sect, and established him- self with the Pere Enfantine, the High Priest at Menil- montant. This illusion having been dissipated, Fialen again relapsed into his Bourbon sympathies, and joined the Duchess de Berri in La Vendee. After the failure of her enterprise he was attached to a legitimist journal, the organ of her cause, and then, for the first time, assum- ed the title of Vicomte de Persigny, which had been long dormant in his family. Some time after this, a great and radical change took place in the opinions of Persigny. After 'reading the Memorial of St. Helena, he became deeply touched by the fate of Napoleon, and profoundly convinced of his genius. " This" said Persigny in one of his articles, " is the great revelation of the eighteenth century, the true law of the modern world, and the great symbol of the Western Empires." His articles in favor of the Bonapartists, attracted the attention of Joseph, ex-King of Spain, who gave him a letter of introduction to Louis Napoleon, his nephew, then residing at Arenberg. From this time dates the great personal attachment which subsists between Persigny and the Emperor. From ITALY AND THE WAR OF 1859. 183 this time, Persigny became not only a devoted but an active adherent of the Bonaparte family, straining every nerve, and expending his intellect and talents, in re-con- structing the party, scattered in the four corners of the civilized world. He was Louis Napoleon's companion at Strasburg, and having been arrested at the same time as the Prince escaped only by the help of Mme. Gordon. Nothing daunted by his first failure, and by the difficul- ties and privations which it had entailed on him, Persigny was found among the foremost of the Prince's adherents, at Boulogne. He was arrested with Louis Napoleon, but being of less importance than his chief, was after a few months' imprisonment, released on parole within the limits of the town of Versailles. During these days of political inactivity he wrote a curious book, entitled " The use to which the Pyramids of Egypt were destined," intended to prove that these gigantic constructions were meant as protections^' \^ii^ ml r^'rS'. ^hh^'^, i ^^5 ^'v^ »''?-> ^'^ ^:/^ ^ R S ■ 1 ^ M 1 ^' Om HMW ^^^^I^B. i^hLi./ V V TT " 1 'If 1 n ^wHBS An li R i?' ^^^^|: o ,aM :f\^r :^^ii' w p m. ^ U mm h p '^ ^^«^R i^^/^^Ii mm -Il^mj Oi^AW «aj8,P0M; •''*'^?;^ M' ^ ^t w» WmM i. i^ii ■W wa ^'♦™ fmi- ^^i»U^ UK|^^ •^^^. ••'ti^^Ai^' m ^m^ww^MM