The Sicilian Revolution

The liiátory of tlie island of Sioily, wiiich bas recently been fiead from the dominion of its Bourbon tyi'ant by the lic'ivism of Cr.vribaldi, shows that it i wcll w irthy of tho wondcrful strugglea he bas (nade tu rcscuo it, and that it', wlion the i.-.'.-cnt turmoil in oii(K''l, the boon of a . md enlightened Groverniifcnt pbould bc extended to that country, lier people wóuld know how to appreciate it, uid bow to use the invaluable privilogos il would eonfer upoD t'.icm. Shc onjoyoil, for six op Beven oenturiea before sho buüalllU llu pi'fy i'f the I3ourlOI)8, a COU stitutioniil Bystern rif govorninent verj similar to that of HngUmB, and tho power of her tnonarsna jealousry guarí il'.'d tin: nghtff of tbc peoplo, and save tliein, for 3 Ion peripd, n egre,o pf Uvcrty whiclj few of tlio uatious of lüurope poss ■.-.-'!. But tho in:uiruratio!i of ilie Bourbqna duriiig t!io last century was the signa] for the oonimoiieoineiit of the niisfortuncs of tliis u:ihnppy country, and her prospority and frecdöin was f llowed undpr fhciv oppressive rulo by despptisni anl inisery parallolcd i.i tUe aijuals of but few otber n:i ti,ms. About the timo of the firat !;r 'neb rcvoldtioD, when Louis XVI and , Marie Anlouietto were beheaded, the wife of tlie ruling princo who occ-ujmo.I tlia throi; oí' tho Two Sicilios, ytan Carblinè oí" Austria, a woman Ofeanraordinary ambition and ability. and after the execution of lier Sister, (Marie Antoinetto,vi she was animated by 1 spirit of deadly lvsóility to popular rights and by an invetérate hatred of tho people, wbiou led her to devote all the cnergies of her nnture V.) a drstnu'tion of evcry VOetigO of theiv ancieal libert its. All her deseendun ts have fully iinbibed her hnuirhty and tyrannical ppii it, and spared no breach of iaitli, no act of cruelty, no species of ter rorisin. no deed of wrona; or infamv that ciüld pos.íihly be devised to degrado, liumiliate. and oppresa the people of Sicily. For a timo, dnring the palmy days ot' Nii)-)]eon, tbc lïritish (Toverninent from motives of policy B8fcRmed the Liberalísts ofSicily and enablcd them to achieve a tempor.ary triumph over kbO arbitrary policy of tlieir oppressors; but aflcr tho Congress of Vientri had Uniily resoatcd thcir Bourbon tyrant on bis throne, they inre renwrselessly. abandoncd to bis tender increies, and gradually reduocd to a positiou of abject servitude. His mirages, however, were not all tamely snbinitted to. In 1820, revolutions broke out in Naples and Sicily, and woro only. Ruppressed by the overpowering streugtb of an Austrian forco. In 1839, anoiher terrible insurrection, cau.icd by a tyrannieal, cruel, and morciless violation of tho quarantine laws of Palermo, by whiuh the cholera was introd'.ic-od, and thirty thousand of its population carried off broke out, but it was Bttppressed by Swiss regiments, and led to a oew series of tyraunios, In 1848, Sieily again arrayad herself boldly against her oppressors, and on this occasion was almost as sticc 'ssful as in her recent rebellion, for the Neapolitaus were compolled to abandon cvery post in Sicily except their stronghold in MeJasioa, For some nionths they maiutained their independent position. Again ]ritish diplomacy, for a time, nader the auspices of Lord Miuto, cssayed to aid tbem. but after the reaction against the general uprisingof that year 11 Kuropc commonced, their sumïaer friends and deserted their old tyrant resumed his infamous sway. Insurrectionary efForts were again nade in January, 1S50, and in the autumn of 1856, but they were unsuccessful and it was reserved for the last glorious c.peditio:i of the Italiau soldier of freedom to aehievo a deliveranee wbieh, it is to be hopcd is fiual and efioctual. Few people upon tho face of the earth have struggied more manfully and more nobly for a free form of governnieut than the uuhappy Siciliana. They have richly dcserved it, and it would be a lastiug disfrace to tlie age if their last conquest should not be fully confirmed. - lorneyg Press.