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OF

JOSEPH II.

=

WRITTEN TO

DISTINGUISHED PRINCES AND STATESMEN,

ON

VARIOUS INTERESTING SUBJECTS.

NOW FIRST TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN,

EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE PAMPHLETEER.

LONDON:

rades of Alexandria; we shall afterwards defend, or we shall cross, the Tesino together." Most assuredly the constitutional party would have made every sacrifice which loyal fellow-citizens and endeared comrades might have demanded of them in the interest of their common country. Re-united, the Piedmontese would have been in a situation to hope for a happy pacification, or they could have been at Milan in twenty-four hours, and Charles Felix would not now be the least independent of Princes, and his subjects would not be the most unfortunate of nations.

It was by a discharge of cannon that the constitutional army was received under the walls of Novaro, whilst it was in the act of tranquilly defiling, with no other object but that of presenting to their comrades the opportunity of a moral and political reconciliation. How many touching scenes does history present us on this subject! Novaro might have become immortal in our own history; but the men who were capable of soliciting the assistance of foreigners to enslave their country, cannot be sensible of the pleasures of a national reconciliation.

I shall dispense with giving an account of the battle of Novaro, as the particulars are already before the public: the brave of all countries and of all parties will not insult unfortunate valor. The constitutional troops of Alexandria yielded only to numbers, and to a concurrence of deplorable circumstances, the union of which is rare even in revolutionary times.

When the news of our defeat arrived at Turin, in the evening of the 8th April, the minister of war gave prompt orders to retire upon Alexandria, where he thought that we might for a moment arrest the progress of the enemy, in order afterwards to retire to Genoa, and there defend ourselves to the last extremity; but on learning some hours later, that St. Marsan and Lisio had only been able, notwithstanding all their efforts, to bring to Turin some feeble remains of cavalry; informed at the same time, that Regis had no longer the means of maintaining Casal, which was expected every moment to be occupied by an Austrian column, whilst another had marched on Voghera, Santa-Rosa feared all was irretrievably lost.

He assembled the junta,' announced to it that he was about to set out for Genoa, there to organise, if it were possible, the last means of defence, and invited the members of the junta to repair

The Prince of Cisterna was present at this sitting, of doleful memory. He had just arrived from Genoa with the Marquis of Prié. Both of them, on being informed that the constitutional government prolonged its existence in the midst of its dangers and misfortunes, came to devote themselves to its defence: they arrived at a cruel moment, but they had the satisfaction of having performed their duty.

there themselves. "It is there," said he, " that our common duties call us." But the Minister of War was too loyal to dissemble the extent of our disaster: thus the junta did not decide taking a step which appeared useless, and the event proved that it judged correctly.

The junta took the resolution of consigning the reins of government to the Magistrates of the capital, and the Minister of War announced to them at the same time that the care of the citadel would be remitted to a battalion of the national guard. A numerous deputation of the decurional body assisted at this last sitting of the junta, at which all the measures proper for ensuring the maintenance of public order, in this moment of crisis, were carefully concerted between men, who, if they had not all the same political opinions, all sincerely desired the welfare of their country, and mutually rendered justice to the purity of their intentions.

There were still considerable sums in the royal treasury, notwithstanding the extraordinary expenses which the circumstances required, but these were not touched upon. The Minister of War demanded only of the junta, and obtained, the sum of 150,000 francs, to secure the subsistence and the pay of the troops which set out for Turin, on their march towards Alexandria and Genoa.'

General Guillaume de Vaudoncourt arrived at Turin the very evening of the 8th of March; he came from Lausanne! to offer his services to a free government: spontaneous devotion! and as noble as it was unfortunate! The junta gave him the command of the wreck of the army; we believe there were still some remains left us!

'This measure (adopted by the Minister of War to prevent the march of several battalions, which had to go through a great part of Piedmont, from being at the charge of the country, thereby causing disorders so much to be dreaded in such critical circumstances), has been the pretext of an insidious calumny repeated by many Journals, and by M. de Beauchamp in particular, viz.: that these 150,000 francs were the price of the surrender of the Citadel. I here affirm, with the conviction that nothing can be said in contradiction, 1st., that the officers who had the command of the citadel and the garrison made no difficulty in obeying the order of evacuation which was given to them by the minister of war, and that they put no kind of conditions upon it; 2d, that the sum in question was paid by the Treasurer of war to Major Enrico, charged by the minister, as is expressed in the ministerial letter addressed to the Intendant-Generalcy of war, to dispose of it for the pay and subsistence of the troops who were to set out for Turin, with the obligation to render an account of it, and to vest the remainder in the Treasuries of Alexandria and Genoa.

Thus whoever shall say, or repeat, that the citadel of Turin was remitted to the national guard, either for the value of money, or any other conditions whatever, will say or repeat a falsehood.

The constitutional troops quitted Turin in the morning of the 9th April; two single battalions set out. A battalion of the royal light legion, commanded by Colonel Vercelleni, refused to put itself in order of march; the artillery testified very nearly the same dispositions and remained. Turin was in a melancholy but tranquil state. The national guard entered into the citadel at noon, in presence of the Minister of War, who set out the last.

We took the route for Acqui, on account of the rumour which prevailed that the route from Asti to Alexandria might be every moment intercepted. St. Marsan, Collegno, and Lisio, arrived there shortly with a troop of cavalry: it was there they learned a last misfortune. The fear of sustaining a long siege had alarmed the young soldiers of the battalion of Genoa, which formed the garrison of the Citadel of Alexandria. They revolted and drew their sabres on their officers, who were obliged to restrain them by turning two pieces of cannon against them. The Commander at last came to the resolution to open a passage and leave the mutineers to escape. Ansaldi, whose courage nothing could intimidate, made dispositions to enclose himself in the Citadel with the national guard; but discouragement every where prevailed; but few men wished to sacrifice themselves for a desperate cause. Ansaldi was then obliged to take the route for Genoa with a remnant of soldiers who would not abandon him.

This disastrous news, and the general disbanding of troops, which had reduced to a very small number those who had not taken part in the affair of Novaro, decided the chiefs assembled at Acqui to repair directly and promptly to Genoa.

But the scene was also changed there, and the Constitutionals would have been loaded with chains, had the Genoese fulfilled with less generosity the duties of hospitality, at the very moment in which they were obliged to abandon the cause of liberty.

General de la Tour had hastened to announce to the Genoese authorities the event of the 8th of April, and had enjoined them to surrender; Genoa obeyed. The first movement was that of indignation; but we must be just :-The state of the fortifications, the small number of troops, the dispositions of some of their chiefs, all contributed to augment the difficulty of a defence. Besides, from whence could assistance arrive, and would there have been time to wait for it?

The command of Genoa was remitted, with the consent of the national guard, to Count Desgeneys. His noble character encouraged the Genoese; they believed him to possess the greatness of soul to forget every thing, and I imagine they were not deceived.

I have said that Genoese hospitality saved us: it grieves me to

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