15
: at night. Wllten G.nenJ Pacheco y Obes, at that time Wez Minister,
.
laamed this &n, he eent hls .Aide-de-camp to him (aa he hlmeelf tella u)
with a sum of twenty pounds. Garillaldi accepted halt' thia amount for
the most p:reesing
of his family, and begged that the other lWf
should be givm1 to a widow whoae D&me he mentioned. "She needs it.
more than I do," he said. What commentary on our partcould heighten
the splendour •Of such an action P
The kindly feeliogs the inhabitants of all ranks entertaiaed for him,
the confidence the government placed in him. and tae claims he had
created by his constant efforts during the war, were never considered by
Garibaldito co,nstitute any title to pereou.l recompense ; thus the pardon
of a conspirator or the liberty of a captive waa the only favOIU' he wu
willing to solioit. The memorable soldier and memorable sailor, was soon
about to leave the country rendered ao illustrious by his prowess ; but
one laurel wu1 wanting for his glorious .orown, and he determined to pluck
it. On the 8th February, 184.8, in the plain of St. Anthony, at the Topera
di &m Veaczll.l:io, Garibaldi displayed such boldness and courage that the
Ita.lian.name, even now, has a dear and revered sound in the ears of the
Montevideans.
Since the period that Garibaldi had le£1; Piedmont, great events had
taken place in. Italy. The most extraordinary was the election in Jane,
184.6, of a Pope, sa.id to be liberal, two words which have .in all times.
passed 88 incomp&tible, .and will, doubtlessly, remain so to all eternity.
Garibaldi, ho,rever, momentarily ahared the general illusion, and the new
pontiff seeml!d to him destined to become the regenerator of Italy.
Avezani, one of his most intimate friends, entertained the same hopes, and
they therewrote in concert to the Papal Nuncio at Bio Janeiro, " If
arms, not unaccustomed to warfare, can be useful to hia Holiness, wo
offer them wiUingly io the man who knows so well how to aid the Church
and our country sinmltaneously. Provided that it be for the progreas of
the work of redemption commenced by Pio Nono, we shall consider our
selves privileired ifwe can seal our devotion with our blood." This letter
of Garibaldi deserves attention, for it proves that, in his eyes, the libera
tion of Italy is above all question of men or political and :religious senti
menta. During the last contest, some persons felt surprised that he, the
republican, oifered his sword to a king to fight Austria : the offer waa not'
new, 88 we shall presently see; and, in any case, there waa no caaae for
surprise, as, believing in a Pope inclined to regenerate his country,
Garibaldi had formerly offered to enrol himself beneath the papa
banner.
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