Lin OF G.UliBALDI.
115
" The truce will last but a abort while : the old diplomacy seems ill
disposed to see things in their present state. It still regards you as the
handful of malc:ontenta of times gone by : it knows not that in you are
the elements of a great nation, and that in free and independent helllta
the seed for the revolution of the world, if it does not conse
crate our rights, and leave ua masters of our country. We do not invade
the territory of other potentates : lei ua then be left in peace in our own.
Any one who attempts otherwise will see, that before submitting to
slavery, a peopl·e ready to die for its liberty muat be crushed.
" But, even if we all fall, we should leave to future generations the
heritage of bate: and vengeance to which a foreign domination has driven
u11. We should leave to our sons a musket and the consciousness of their
rights; and please God, the sleep of the oppressor willnever be untroubled.
I repeat it, ItalianB, lay not down your arms. Collect more than ever
round your chiefs, and m'lintain the most severe discipline.
" Fellow Citzeua, not a man in Italy must hesitate to put his mite to
the national subscription : not one muat neglect to furbish his musket, in
order to obtain--perhaps to morrow-by force, what they hesitate to give
ua to day in justice.
.. G.&.lliBA.LDI.
" Gtfll()a, 23r.:l Nw."
The promoteJI'B of obstaeles, who bad forced the renowned general to
retreat, also tried to check the great object he had atheart, but G!U'ibaldi
would not allow· ibis. Hearing that attempts were being made, to render
the national subscription a failure, he protested energetically in the
public journals. The Unitarian Society of Milan, whose importance
daily increased, wrote to Garibaldi, begging him to come to the capital
of Lombardy. There was a general desire to welcome the illWitrious
partizan, not mc!rely to give him a new testimony of sympathy, but also
to induce him to recal his determination. All his friends, among whom
were all the moat eminent men of Italy, implored him to return to public
life, and many thought for a moment the general would yield to their
honourable aoliclitations; but the motives for estrangement still existed,
and the hope of conquering his legitimate scruples had to be given up.
Toward the cmd o( December, Garibaldi was requested to accept the
presidency of the Nazione A.rmata, in lieu of that of the N ntionnl Associa
tion, which he had resigned, on finding thnt the committee were listening
to the insidioue1 offers of the opposing party. But he was induced to
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