menu_book Chapter 8

section eight of builders of united italy by rupert s holland the sleeper vox recording is in the public domain chapter five mazini the prophet part two during mazini's exiled years in london young italy had spread over europe and through countless secret channels was gradually making its strength felt outside circumstances were needed to bring its forces to a head but there was no doubt that mazzini's words had called a power into being that must in time inevitably come to a life-and-death struggle with the austrians it is certain that the new popular literature called readers to take account of the words of dante and that the more they read the great poet the more they longed for liberty from the foreigner charles albert it was felt was again dreaming of heroic measures and something of the old almost legendary faith in the house of savoy as a national deliverer reawakened

manzoni and gioberti were prophesying a great catholic revival and the election of pious the ninth seemed for the moment to justify the hope the half-pitiful words of pious they want to make a napoleon of me who am only a poor country parson was a more correct estimate of the pontiff than the glowing words of his contemporaries he was no more in accord with the spirit of his time than was metternich still his election marked the swing of the pendulum in the liberal direction and young italy was quick to take notice of such a fact the year eighteen forty eight was remarkable for concerted social movements throughout europe in france the second republic overthrew the monarchy and throughout the italian states an electric current shocked the people into revolution leghorn revolted and made guerazzi its chief milan fell easy victim to the tobacco rioters sicily sent its bourbon king flying and naples wrested a popular constitution from the greedy hand of ferdinand piedmont and tuscany followed soon demanded and obtained constitutions and the pope alarmed at the sudden spread of liberalism granted a constitution to rome

the moment seemed ripe to throw off the austrian overlords there are few more tangled histories than the record of the next few months in italy It is a drama filled with heroic figures, but one through which runs the current of continual misunderstandings. Was Italy to be a kingdom or a republic? Was the Pope a menace or a help? Was French aid to be courted or rejected? These were only a few of the questions on which men split. The one glorious fact was the burning patriotic ardor of Italians in each

state from Sicily to Savoy, their actual belief in the religion of duty Mazzini had been preaching to them. Word came to Milan that there was revolution in Vienna, and the five days drove the Austrian garrison from their stronghold. Como, Brescia, Venice, all the northern cities that had so long loathed the white-coated overlords, won freedom. Metternich's puppet princes of Modena and Parma fled. Piedmont declared war. Tuscany declared war. Volunteers

of all ranks and ages poured from Umbria to help the northern armies. Mazzini, hearing the news in London, sped to Milan and was received as the prophet of the new day. Italy had its prophet, but the statesmen and the soldier were not yet recognized. The new provisional government in Milan had no fixed policy. Charles Albert's advisers still clogged his steps. The volunteers were ready, but they had neither the arms nor the training to compete with the war-worn Austrians.

While there was discussion and dissension in Lombardy, the enemy recuperated and returned to besiege the cities they had lost. By July the Italian army was driven into Milan. There the spirit of the earlier five days revived. But victory appeared hopeless, and finally Charles Albert, torn and distracted, surrendered the city. Mazzini passed to Lugano, thence to Leghorn, thence to Florence. In each city the situation was practically the same. The people were aflame

with devotion to Italy. The leaders had as many plans as there were men. Rome had driven out the pope and proclaimed the republic. The call of Rome was the call direct to Mazzini's soul. He turned there to find a solution of all difficulties. Simultaneously, the newly formed Roman assembly turned to him and bade him welcome as a citizen of Rome. He believed that Dante's vision and his own were coming true and hurried to the Eternal City. His first work there was to

raise 10,000 troops and send them north. They had scarcely started when the crushing news of the defeat at Novara stunned all patriots. Rome had to look to herself, and made Mazzini triumvir and practically dictator of the city. The little Roman Republic of 1849 had an inspiring history. Mazzini had written and spoken. Now it became his turn to act. He was said at the head of a city from which its spiritual as well as its temporal head had fled. Priests and protesting laymen were

all about him. It would have been easy for him to scorn the power that scoffed at him. He did not. He himself doubted the strength of the Catholic Church to survive. He dreamed of a new church, which should speak to the world from the seven hills of Rome, but he would not take a single step to destroy one man's religion. More than that, he made it his special duty to see that the priests were not disturbed in their work. He wanted the Republic to be based on the

love of God. He hoped that the Church would aid the Italian cause for the love of man. He would allow the Pope to reign as spiritual prince, if he would only be content with his own noble sphere. Rome won back some of its historic ardor under Mazzini's call. The republic was planned on lines of great proportions. Steps were actually taken to make it a republic wherein each man had a worthy share. The foundations were laid with the greatest patience and zeal.

The triumvir gave the last ounce of his strength to building truly. He lived as he had always lived, for others, and took nothing for himself. Margaret Fuller said that at this time his face, haggard and worn, seemed to her more divine than ever. The poorest citizen could find him as readily as the richest. He was the same to all. He gave away his small salary of office as entirely as in his London days he had dispersed his earnings. If ever man's rule was noble, if ever it was

spiritual. That of Rome's triumvir was, in the weeks when he faced treachery both from without and within. It is scarcely possible that Mazzini could have expected his city to stand against the armies that were marching towards it. At most, he could only hope to show the Romans of what great self-sacrifice they were capable. He probably hoped that the Republic would convince Italians that the spirit of young Italy was not a mere prophet's dream. That he did. He could not fight

Austria and France single-handed. Louis-Napoleon had evolved one of his great ideas. He would win both the French army and the French clergy by a strategic move. He sent Udino into Italy, blinding the Romans with various subtleties, waiting until the propitious hour to strike. The Romans understood. The assembly voted to resist to the end, and Garibaldi led the troops to their first victory.

De la Seppe was appointed peace negotiator for the French, and he and Mazzini met, and for a time it seemed as though there might be a reconciliation. Mazzini strove, with the greatest tact and patience, to win the French, but de la Seppe was nothing more than Napoleon's dupe, and as soon as Garibaldi had advanced to meet the Neapolitan king's army, Napoleon removed his envoy and showed his hand. The truce had been

virtually agreed on when Udino suddenly attacked and placed Rome in a state of siege. For almost a month, the citizens fought with unfailing courage. Mazzini, Garibaldi, Mammelli, the warrior poet, Bassi, the great preacher, republicans and royalists, princes and peasants, all within Rome's walls fought for freedom from the foreigner. There could be but one end, and it came when starvation and losses had weakened the defenders so that they could no longer hold their posts.

Mazzini would have fought hand to hand in the streets. The army was with him, but the assembly voted to surrender. The besiegers entered. Garibaldi led his three thousand in their great retreat. Mazzini stayed on in Rome, uttering such protest as he could. unharmed by the French troops who dared not touch him through knowledge of the people's love for him. The downfall of the Republic must have been a terrible blow to Mazzini,

probable as it was that he foresaw the city could not long last by itself. Physical force and treachery had overwhelmed the noblest concepts of government. Temporary disappointment, however, could not dull his spirit. the prophet of united Italy proved himself a true prophet. He went on with his work, at first in Switzerland, then, again driven away by foreign influence, in London. He took up his

life there, much older, much more worn and scarred, but with the same indomitable spirit. His face in repose, wrote a contemporary of this time, was grave, even sad, but it lit up with a smile of wonderful sweetness as he greeted a friend with a pressure rather than a shake of the thin hand. And again his piercing black eyes were described as of luminous depth, full of sadness, tenderness, and courage, of purity and fire, readily flashing into indignation

or humor, always with the latent expression of exhaustless resolution. His pictures are familiar, the high straight forehead the strong nose the curving lips the scant grey then almost white moustache and beard the high-buttoned frock coat and the silk handkerchief wound like a stalk about his throat london had grown kinder to him than at first he had many good friends and he could understand better the english point of view he lodged as humbly as before and again took up his writing his correspondence and his ceaseless care for his poor countrymen one of his best biographers gives us this sketch of him a picture that portrays the man in his small room every piece of furniture littered with books and papers the air thick with smoke of cheap swiss cigars except when friends sent havana's brightened only by his tame canaries and carefully tended plants he was generally writing at his desk until evening always with more work in hand than he could cope with

carrying on the usual mass of correspondence writing articles for his italian papers raising public funds with infinite labor stirring his english friends to help the cause finding money and work for the poor refugees or organizing concerts in their interest with what infinite reverence must the men he helped have looked on him the prophet is not a statesman he can show the road but rarely follow it mazzini's life had reached its climax when as triumvir he had started to practise his own precepts his work had been to scatter seed for the crop which other men should reap at harvest he could not understand the dissimulations of diplomacy he could not tolerate compromise he could not now sacrifice his dreams of a republic for liberty and union these qualities were not in his character if they had been he could not have led men's minds by his words and actions he could not be both a prophet and an opportunist the need of the former was passing and that of the latter at hand

few men understood the twists and turns of cavour's policy as prime minister of piedmont and mazzini not at all after the battle of nevada charles albert had abdicated in favor of his son victor emmanuel and a new order had come to pass in piedmont cavour had a definite goal the unity of italy under the leadership of his king and he never forgot that goal to win it he realized that he needed more than the raw volunteer forces of eighteen forty eight more than mere enthusiasm no matter how heroic he needed efficient troops he needed a foreign ally he needed a moment when austria should be at a disadvantage above all he needed one leader instead of a dozen to determine on any action to accomplish these ends he gave republicans little sympathy and centred the national movement about his king he treated with louis napoleon and did his utmost to win his favor he discountenanced secret half-prepared revolts against the austrians he drilled and multiplied the troops and harbored the finances at all these measures mazzini instinctively revolted

he wanted a republic he loathed napoleon as the betrayer of rome he was ever eager for any sincere demonstration against austria he only learned half-truths in london but those half-truths did not inspire him to trust neither of these men understood the other to cavour mazzini was the fanatic who would destroy any cause by lack of temperance to mazzini cavour was the aristocrat who would inflict upon the poor of italy simply a new yoke in place of the old they could not work together and so mazzini publicly denounced cavour and the latter declared mazzini an exile from his home meantime while piedmont was playing a wary game and all the italian states were making ready for the next great attempt Mazzini took part in two small insurrections, one near Como and the other at Genoa, both of which failed disastrously. The latter was the more serious. The government was tired of these

perennial conspiracies and denounced the revolt as anarchistic. Mazzini and five other leaders were sentenced to death and many to long terms of imprisonment. Mazzini hid in the house of the Marquis Pareto, and was undiscovered, although the police made a prolonged search for him. It is said that Mazzini himself, dressed as a footman, opened the door to the officer, who recognized him as an old schoolmate and had mercy. Some days later he escaped from the house,

undisguised, walking arm in arm with a lady of Genoa, and reaching a carriage was driven to and thence went to england there were many curious turns and twists in this conspiracy in which both conspirators and government were working for the same great end but with widely different means and with avowed enmity between them it was not long until cavour and napoleon met at plombiers and made their famous compact and after that events hastened forward by the spring of eighteen fifty nine cavour had prepared both royalists and republicans for war with his ally he felt that the italian cause must now triumph and at a given signal the conflict began the princes were driven from tuscany romagna parma and modena and all those states declared for victor emmanuel much as mazzini hated cavour's french ally he could no longer stay his enthusiasm he saw unity at last almost come after solferino he declared that the austrian domination was at an end

without warning napoleon met the emperor francis joseph at villefranca and betrayed the cause he abandoned venetia to austria and central italy to the bourbon princes cavour wild with indignation spoke his feelings and resigned the italians were again left to their own divided efforts mazzini his fears of napoleon now justified went to florence and declared that the people of central italy must stake all for their briefly won freedom he gave up his republican protests and advocated annexation with piedmont so they might have unity he wrote to friends in sicily and rome he begged garibaldi to lead his troops into umbria all this time he had to live virtually in hiding the ban against him had not been raised and the thought that he whose every emotion was for italy should not be trusted at all among his countrymen galled him to the quick

he wrote to be a prisoner among our own people is too much to bear gradually the troubled situation cleared cavour returned to power and by temporizing held both the french support and the enthusiasm of the native troops mazzini still advocated immediate warfare cavour waited and in the end the latter's policy was proved correct in the interval the disheartened mazzini had gone back to england and again on hearing that garibaldi and his famous legion had started for sicily returned in haste to genoa there followed garibaldi's victories then the piedmontese declaration of war against the pope then only rome and venice were lacking to the cause mazzini went to naples to be nearer the heart of the struggle he urged the neapolitans to demand a constitution and they filled with the one thought of unity berated him as a republican his friends urged him to leave the city even against your wish said one of them you divide us he could not leave italy at that hour of her fate but felt that he was cruelly misunderstood

he wrote i am worn out morally and physically for myself the only really good thing would be to have unity achieved quickly through garibaldi and one year before dying of walham green or eastburn long silences a few affectionate words to smooth the ways plenty of sea-gulls and sad dozing some of those things he was to know for during the next few years he lived again in england writing and reading and continually engaged in plans for the final capture of venetia and rome victor emmanuel garibaldi and mazzini were each devising means to gain this long hoped-for end but the position and peculiar characteristics of each made co-operation almost impossible the wise cavour had been succeeded by vacillating ministers who were a continual drag upon the king garibaldi would not consent to adopting any of mazzini's suggestions

the latter once said that if garibaldi has to choose between two proposals he is sure to accept the one that isn't mine and mazzini found it ever difficult to sacrifice his republican ideals to the needs of the moment ultimately however the italian troops this time with the aid of prussia recommenced war with austria to win venetia istria and the tyrol the spirit of eighteen sixty six was not the spirit of eighteen sixty the mythical valor of the garibaldian army seemed to have evaporated in the passes of the tyrol prussia won but italy met defeat at again napoleon took a hand in the country's destiny to the surprise of europe he intervened and stated that austria had offered to cede venetia to him and that he would give it to italy if the latter would come to an immediate agreement for peace there seemed little else to be done and mazzini saw the campaign that had begun in the highest hopes of complete national independence and in the acceptance of the gift of a single province from the foreigner

thenceforth mazzini's work lost all accord with that of the monarchy he had not lost his faith in the great destiny of italy but he despaired of seeing that destiny fulfilled as he might wish within his lifetime forty thousand persons signed the petition for his amnesty he was elected again and again by messina as its deputy but the party of the moderates would not have him in the chamber continued opposition made his fame only the greater among the people he assumed the proportions of a national myth to many he had become an actual demi-god secretly he travelled about italy working with an energy altogether disproportionate to his strength in the cause of a republic he had many followers in genoa and one of them has left a picture of mazzini's entrance to a meeting a low knock was heard at the door and there he was in body and soul the great magician who struck the fancy of the people like a mythical hero our hearts leaped and we went reverently to meet that great soul

he advanced with a child's frank courtesy and a divine smile shaking hands like an englishman and addressing each of us by name as if our names were written on our foreheads he was not disguised he wore cloth shoes and a capote and with his middle upright stature he looked like a philosopher straight from his study who never dreamed of troubling any police in the world he found time to write his remarkable treatise on religion from the council to god while he prepared plans for a new revolution this time he intended to land in sicily the attempt was foolhardy he was arrested at palermo and confined at gaeta where the bourbons had not long before made their last stand almost forty years before at the outset of his career he had watched the mediterranean from his prison at savona now he watched the same deep blue sea from gaeta he wrote here the nights are very beautiful the stars shine with a lustre one sees only in italy i love them like sisters and link them to the future in a thousand ways

if i could choose i should like to live in almost absolute solitude working at my historical book or at some other just from a feeling of duty and only wishing to see for a moment now and then some one i did not know some poor woman that i could help some workingmen i could advise the doves of zurich and nothing else rome fell and mazzini's captivity came to an end he passed through the city where twenty-one years before he had been triumvir and seeking to avoid all popular demonstrations went to genoa there he fell ill and his failing strength made successive attacks more and more frequent he travelled a little more and then in march eighteen seventy two died at a friend's house in pisa he had lived to see italy united but in a very different manner from that of which he had dreamed to the republicans of europe mazzini's voice was that of a great prophet for half the nineteenth century to the italians he was the voice of italy itself he was the precursor of unity of independence of courageous self-denial without him cavour might have planned in vain and garibaldi been no more than an inconspicuous lieutenant he had the two greatest of gifts an ideal and the faith that knows no defeat

yet he was not simply the idealist nor the devotee for he could stir other men to action through his own belief a friend comparing him with cossot said now i write of him who seems to my judgment to be like saul above all his fellows the one man needed excitement to stir his spirit the soul of the other was as an inner lamp shining through him always the strength of mazzini's personal influence lay here you could not doubt his glance there was a certain kinship between mazzini and lincoln simplicity and a boundless love of the weak and the oppressed was the keynote of both lives both were emancipators but both were infinitely more men whose whole lives bore eloquent testimony of their noble spirits lincoln loved men as mazzini loved them mazzini and lincoln both knew the suffering that comes from being continually misunderstood when lincoln was assassinated the great italian envied the man who had died knowing that his life's cause had been accomplished throughout one of the most tangled and turbulent epochs of history mazzini's ideals never changed

The principles of young Italy were the principles of his triumvirate and of his prison life at Caeta. He was for a united Italy and a republic. At times, he could postpone the latter aim for the former, but never disregard it. And what he was for Italy, he was for the whole world. He insisted on the brotherhood of nations, on the paramount duty of all nations towards humanity.

Whosoever, he believed, separates families from families and nations from nations, divides what God meant to be indissoluble. He looked to Italy to show the other nations how to live in freedom and equality, and to Rome to pronounce a new and greater religion of majestic tolerance. Had Italy been freed early in his career, he must have become a great religious teacher. Even as it was, his power was that of an apostle, and his appeal to the soul as well as to

the mind. Men who knew him loved him as something finer than themselves, a man closer to God, one of his disciples. His personal life was one long record of self-sacrifice. His home, his family, his love, his comfort, even the most meager necessities of life were given to the cause. nothing was too much for him to do nothing too trivial for him to undertake could he help his country or one of his countrymen an iota thereby he could appreciate other men's happiness and in a way share it with them he knew little or nothing of envy vanity or malice he would let any leader have the glory of helping italy so long as the result was gained more than that he could bear the continual undervaluation of the english among whom he lived he could read when carlyle wrote

of italian democracies and young italy's sorrows of extraneous austrian emperors in milan or poor old chimerical popes in bologna i know nothing and desire to know nothing and yet continue carlyle's friend he could bear the sting of having his name coupled with every attempt at assassination when there were few things he abhorred more than secret violence his idea of duty was so high and had so absorbed all the petty spirits of his nature that he could endure anything for that cause and indeed embraced eagerly whatever came to him under that banner the great authority on heroes says of the hero as prophet the great man was always as lightning out of heaven the rest of men waited for him like fuel and then they too would flame so the world had waited for giuseppe mazzini other men bore much and labored much for the sake of a united fatherland but none other gave such lightning to their world the prophet may not actually lay the stones of history but he breathes the spirit of life into the builders

he is mankind's greatest friend and hope who points out the road human souls would take mazzini stands with dante and savonarola as the third greatest prophet of italian history who spoke with a world voice end of section eight