Italy. 13 September 1848
Italy.
* The reaction in Modena goes merrily on its way. The Austrian
military ill-treated a member of the civic guard. Several of his
comrades came to his aid. On the other side, a crowd of
soldiers hurried up and came to bloodshed. The government pretends
to disapprove of these incidents; but it is only too well known that it has them
stirred up by its secret agents. The goal is: dissolution of the
civic guard. The mood of the people can be seen from the fact that every
morning on all walls the words are written up: “Down with
Francis V, down with the bad government!” When, on 1 September,
the decree concerning the Commune was read out on the great square,
at the name: “We Francis V etc.” there arose such a whistling,
hissing and grunting that the numerous gendarmes and
sbirri of all kinds present were seized with great uneasiness. – The
government commissioner sent to Livorno, Cipriani, sees all his proclamations
torn to pieces, including the last one on the closure of all clubs,
despite his having it guarded by soldiers. Even the placard on the
government palace, which was protected by 20 soldiers, has been torn
down by the people. The commissioner had the placard posted up again
and a larger military force stationed beside it. At this the raging of the
people became so violent that he deemed it wiser to desist from his undertaking.
This happened on 2 September. According to reports via Marseilles, a
fresh outbreak and a fierce fight between
people and military are said to have taken place on the following day, and at the departure of the steamer victory
was still hanging in the balance.
In Genoa the agitation continues; the civic guard had seen itself induced,
for the quieting of the people, to arrest the priest Ricci, a
spy of the camarilla police – as is evident from the papers found during the storming of the poli-