But the men who have ruled so despotically
for years over Italian subjects cannot reconcile themselves to the idea
that Italy has at last risen to be a nation, and they even take slyly an
opportunity to throw new insult into her face. You can easily see that
the old spirit is still struggling for empire; that the old contempt is
still trying to make light of Italians; and that the old Metternich ideas
are still fondly clung to. Does not this deserve another lesson? Does not
this need another Sadowa to quiet down for ever? Yes; and it devolves
upon Italy to do it. If so, let only Cialdini's army alone, and the day
may be nigh at hand when the king may tell the country that the task has
been accomplished.
A talk on the present state of political affairs, and on the peculiar
position of Italy, is the only subject worth notice in a letter from the
camp. Everything else is at a standstill, and the movements of the fine
army Cialdini now disposes of, about 150,000 men, are no longer full of
interest. They may, perhaps, have some as regards an attack on Venice,
because Austrian soldiers are still garrisoning it, and will be obliged
to fight if they are assailed.
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