Main section and supplement Italy. No. 46, July 16, 1848. Neue Rheinische Zeitung.

* Florence, July 6. On the present conditions and prospects in the Papal States, “L’Alba” contains a leading article which reads as follows: “… Truth and justice alone can help the peoples to greatness and freedom; their freedom cannot possibly depend on the name of a pope or king. The events in Rome, the contradictions into which the two insufficiently differentiated powers fall, the disagreements between pope and ministry, and the intrigues of the Jesuit party, which everywhere in town and country thwarts the formation of the new regiments and advises against the ideas of independence – all this clearly shows how inexperienced the hand of the pope is to lead an Italian state on a truly Italian path. Great uncertainty prevails in the minds of the well-intentioned as to the future fate of the Roman state. For the latter harbours in its bosom, besides the political, also the religious question, and the contacts between the one and the other are of so delicate a nature that their treatment requires as much energy as wisdom. By what paths and to what goal will the state finally be led out of the confusion of the two powers, which wish to stand separate and yet constantly strive to mingle and cross each other? To what outcome can the state be brought by the fact that the great separation is effected at a time when the tiara sits on the head of a pope who was an idol of the peoples and has not yet lost the magic of a great name? To be sure, the deception is beginning to diminish, but in diminishing it benefits the enemies of freedom and Italy rather than the well-intentioned. For, by constantly using the unity of the powers, the priest paralyses the activity of the citizen, and in this way the instrument of the anti-Italian party, which has not yet disappeared from Italy, becomes ever more powerful. Sicily has to deal, on its own part, with the question of its free personality; Naples with that of the removal of a perjured and cruel king; Tuscany with that of a very ancient democracy; Lombardy and Venice with that of their independence and incorporation into Piedmont; Piedmont with the Italian war. Every state in Italy has its internal question. But the most difficult question is the one in Rome. And as long as the pope has not become king, the Roman state will never come to rest. As long as he is not king, Italy will be exposed to great dangers if the star of Pius IX should ever really go out and Italy should not be standing independent and ordered.” The same paper speaks of a motion by the local club, “Il Circolo Politico” to the Tuscan parliament, which urges recognition of the Sicilian government de jure as well as de facto. “We agree entirely with it,” says L’Alba. “Only we should wish that the overthrow of Ferdinand, before it actually takes place, be pronounced de jure beforehand.” Incidentally, the Sicilian government has sent a splendid flag as a present to the Tuscans via its diplomatic resident here. The government here has promised to determine very soon the day and the form of the official presentation. The flag bears the inscription: “Alla Toscana, Sicilia Independente ed Italiana!” (To Tuscany, independent and Italian Sicily).

* Naples, July 4. The province of Aquila is in the highest ferment, since the governor d’Ayala, who has submitted his resignation, had to flee to Roman territory (to Rieti) in order not to be arrested and imprisoned. In the districts of Molise, Avellino and Salerno, provisional governments have been set up. To the two thoroughly defeated (Busacca and Nunziante) a third, General Lanza, has been added with the same fate. He was to bring help to Busacca, but suffered a decisive defeat at the hands of the Calabrians in the well-known valleys of S. Martino near Campotanese. A cold shudder runs through the royalists in this capital at the news just arriving that the National Guards of Salerno and other places are prepared to march against Naples. Two regiments have immediately received orders to move into a bivouac near the suburbs, and the entire garrison has orders to hurry to their assembly points at the first signal. The main members of the camarilla are: Prince Bisignano, Duke d’Ascoli, Duke of S. Cesareo, in addition the well-known generals: Turchiarola, Sabatelli and Filangieri. The confederated provinces: Basilicata, Terra d’Otranto, Bari, Capitanata and Molise have issued a manifesto signed by their delegates, the energy of which is giving His Bombarding Majesty the gripes.5

* Bussolengo, July 4. Our faithless enemies have again committed one of those deeds that brand the Austrian name for ever. In Vicenza the brutal soldateska violated all the women they could lay hands on, and then dragged them to Verona, where they sold them to the highest bidder. They were even furious that the buyers wanted to send them back home, and would not even have tolerated it had not the filthiest greed been their predominant passion.

* Lecco, July 5. From here another 50 volunteers have left for the Stelvio Pass, and six times as many would follow if weapons were not lacking. On the 4th, early in the morning, there was fighting at the Tonale. (Bolletino di Lecco.)

* Milan. General Zucchi has been invited by the provisional government to come here and put his long war experience at the disposal of the Italian cause. (Ventidue Marzo.)

* Mantua, July 19. Despite the enormous contributions that Radetzky has already levied in this town, he has again decreed a new one. This time he imposes it specifically on the Israelites of Mantua, in the amount of 300,000 zwanzigers. But the Israelites had also contributed honestly to the earlier contributions. All of no avail. Radetzky has imposed the contributions on them in consideration of their “special intellectual and pecuniary activity in the outrages committed in March against the legitimate government.” These are the literal terms of his decree. As we hear, the vanguard of a corps commanded by the Duke of Savoy has arrived in Cento, and is said to have orders to proceed further towards Venice and to go to the aid of that city, which, now as an ex-republic and part of the Upper Italian Empire, is no longer a thorn in the eye of the “Sword of Italy”, against the Austrians.

* Pontevecchio, July 5. The first division of our first army corps is bivouacking a short distance from Mantua; one battalion is an hour from Marmirolo, where the enemy has already come several times. We are sending out frequent reconnaissances. Yesterday we shut off a canal that drove 5 mills for the enemy, and also from Bozzolo a detachment has advanced to the Mincio to prove our presence to the enemy. The blockade of Mantua will soon be complete, and the garrison (6,000 men) will not be able to hold out long in the unhealthy town. Only a few days ago 2,000 Croats went from Mantua to Verona, who were sent away for reasons of health. The number of cases of illness in the town is said to amount daily to 70–80. As soon as the reinforcements necessary to cover the second line have arrived, we shall closely invest the town. – Last night the notorious Cursore di Boncole, two miles from Mantua, was captured and sent to headquarters. This ill-famed subject was the chief spy of the Austrian garrison. – On the 2nd our troops fought a victorious engagement at Boncole. Of 200 Austrians only 60 escaped. The robberies of the Austrians on the road to Ostiglia continue. Rumour has it that the Austrians have been driven out of Schio.