Part 14 (1/2)

Garibaldi was chosen by the people of Nice for the new Chamber of 1860, for they hoped that he would make an effort to save his native town

He had soainst French rule, but decided to free Sicily as a htier enterprise Victor Eave ”the cradle of his race” to the foreigner He was reconciled to the cession at length because he believed that Italy had gained much already

Cavour did not openly approve of the attack which Garibaldi was preparing to nty Many said that he did his best to frustrate the plans of the soldier because there was hostility between theive the cession of Nice to which the states toward Victor Emmanuel's minister, but he was loyal to Victor Emmanuel His band of volunteers, known as the Thousand, 's name, and the chief refused to enrol those whose Republican sentiments made them dislike the idea of Italian unity

”Italy and Victor Emmanuel,” {204} the cry of the Hunters of the Alps, was the avowed object of his enterprise

Garibaldi sailed alorious jewel” to the King of Sardinia, if the venture were successful The standard of revolt had already been raised by Rosaline Pilo, the handsome Sicilian noble, whose whole life had been devoted to the cause of country The insurgents awaited Garibaldi with a feverish desire for success against the Neapolitan army, which nuht only few soldiers but that they were picked e stories had been told of Garibaldi's success in warfare, being due to supernatural intervention The prayers of his beautiful old peasant-mother were said to have prevailed till her death, when her spirit came to hold converse with the hero before battle

[Illustration: The Meeting of Victor Emmanuel and Garibaldi (Pietro Aldi)]

The Red-shi+rts landed at Marsala, a thousand strong, packed into merchant vessels by a patriotic owner Garibaldi led them to the mountain city of Salemi, which had opposed the Bourbon dynasty warmly

There he proclaimed himself dictator of Sicily in the name of Victor Emmanuel, soon to be ruler of all Italy Peasants joined the Thousand, aroat-skins They were received with honour by the chief, as pleased to see that Sicily was bent on freedom A Franciscan friar threw hihty leader and asked to join the expedition ”Coo Bassi,” Garibaldi said, re the defence of Rome and the fate of the defenders

At Palermo, the capital of Sicily, the Neapolitan soldiers were awaiting the arrival of the Thousand They ventured to attack first, being very strong in {205} nuht have feared to oppose the royal troops with such a disadvantage, but Garibaldi held firm when there were reat ht and conquered,” the chief wrote to the al Pilo The two forces joined and Pilo fell, struck by a bullet It was May 27th when Garibaldi entered the gates of Palerhted to welcome the brave Thousand to their city There was still a fierce struggle within the walls, and the Neapolitan fleet boranted on May 30th, for the Royalists needed food and did not realize that Garibaldi's ammunition was exhausted He refused to subht be offered to Palermo He threatened to renew hostilities if the eneh they kne such a war must have ended

It was by the Royalists' act that the evacuation of the city was concluded

The Revolution had succeeded elsewhere, and for the last ti was hoisted in Sicilian waters The conquest of Sicily had occupied but a few days The Dictator proceeded thence to the south of Italy and advanced on the Neapolitan kingdom

Victor Emmanuel would have checked the hero of Palerhly uneasy No official consent had been given for this daring act of aggression, and foreign porote letters of protest, while King Francis II, the successor of Ferdinand, held out such bribes as fiftyVenice France induced the King of Sardinia to make an effort to restrain the {206} popular soldier Garibaldi pro of Italy

At Volturno the decisive battle was fought on the first day of October 1860, the birthday of King Francis ”Victory all along the line” was the

There had been grave fears expressed by Cavour that the army would march on Ro was advancing toward the south of Italy to prevent anynorth, dismounted fro up to Victor E of Italy Naples and Sicily, with Umbria and the Marches, decided in favour of a united sceptre under the House of Savoy It was Garibaldi's procla with peace and affection ”No more political colours, no more parties, no more discords,” he hoped there would be fro-ether entered Naples Garibaldi refused all the honours which his sword had won, and left for his island-home at Caprera, a poor man still, but one whose nadom was proclaimed by the new Parliament which met in February 1861, at Turin All parts of Italy were represented save Ron as ruler of Italy ”by the Grace of God and the will of the nation”

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Chapter XVIII

The Third Napoleon

Italy was free, but Italy was not yet united as patriots such as Garibaldi had hoped that it ht be Venice and Rome must be added to the possessions of Victor Emmanuel before he could boast that he held beneath his sway all Italy between the Alps and Adriatic

Rome, the dream of heroes, was in the power of a Pope who had to be arrison of the French Napoleon III clung to his alliance with the Catholic Church, and refused to withdraw his troops and leave his Papal ally defenceless, for he cared nothing about the views of Italian dreaed that the Eternal City should be free

There was romance in the life-story of this French Emperor upon whose support so many allies had come to depend He was the son of Louis Buonaparte and Hortense Beauharnais, as the daughter of the En of Louis Philippe, this nephew of the great usurper had spent his ti in London for thea character of much ambition beneath a ain the throne, but was unsuccessful, for he was committed to the fortress of Hauise of a workman, and made a second {208} attempt to stir the mob of Paris to revolution in the year 1848, when Europe was restless with fierce discontent The King fled for his life, and a Republic was forain with Louis Napoleon as President, but this did not satisfy a descendant of the great Buonaparte He ain the Imperial crown, never worn by the second Napoleon, who died when he was still too young to shohether he possessed the characteristics of his faarded as a mere adventurer The Pope had come to depend on French troops for his authority, and the Italians had to pay a heavy price for French arainst Austria

Paris renewed its gaiety when Napoleon enie, who had royal pride though she was not of royal birth

There were hunting parties again, when the huntsreen and scarlet instead of the Bourbon blue and silver; there were court fetes, which made the entertain, seeed to rival the fame of Marie Antoinette, the Austrian wife of Louis XVI who had followed that King to the scaffold Like Marie Antoinette, she was censured for extravagances, the eoisie or middle class refused to accept the Ener of ordinary rank than to attehter of soerly at the fane, while the third Napoleon craftily began to develop his sche {209} influence in Europe that should reat a nificant appearance deceived many of his compeers, ere inclined to look on him as a ruler ould be content to take a subordinate place in international affairs He dressed in odd, startling colours, and ely impenetrable, and he see some subtle plan hich to startle Europe

Dark stories were told of the part Napoleon played in the Criainst Russia, which was crippling her army and her fleet Many suspected that the French Elish troops bore the brunt of all the terrible disasters which befell the invaders of the south of Russia

Alma, Balaclava, and Inkerman were victories ever ainst more sinister foes than the Russian troops they defeated in the field Stores of food and clothes were delayed too long before they reached the exhausted soldiers, and there was suspicion of unjust favour shown to the French soldiers when their English allies sought a healthy caround