s spoiled by a
senseless education, of ministers who had sold their consciences, of
speculators who subjected and sacrificed everything to gold, the only
aim of such a government was to sow division everywhere. What wonder
if everywhere in Italy, as in Germany, it reaps harvests of hate and
ignominy. Yes, of hate! To this the Austrian has condemned us, to know
hate and its deep sorrows. But we are absolved in the sight of God,
and by the insults which have been heaped upon us for so many years,
the unwearied efforts to debase us, the destruction of our villages,
the cold-blooded slaughter of our aged people, our priests, our women,
our children. And you,--you shall be the first to absolve us, you,
virtuous among the Germans, who certainly have shared our indignation
when a venal and lying press accused us of being enemies to your great
and generous nation, and we could not answer, and were constrained to
devour in silence the shame of an accusation which wounded us to the
heart.

"We honor you, Germans! we pant to give you glorious evidence of this.
And, as a prelude to the friendly relations we hope to form with your
governments, we seek to alleviate as much as possible the pains of
captivity to some officers and soldiers belonging to various states of
the Germanic Confederation, who fought in the Austrian army. These
we wish to send back to you, and are occupied by seeking the means to
effect this purpose. We honor you so much, that we believe you capable
of preferring to the bonds of race and language the sacred titles of
misfortune and of right.

"Ah! answer to our appeal, valiant, wise, and generous Germans! Clasp
the hand, which we offer you with the heart of a brother and friend;
hasten to disavow every appearance of complicity with a government
which the massacres of Galicia and Lombardy have blotted from the list
of civilized and Christian governments. It would be a beautiful thing
for you to give this example, which will be new in history and worthy
of these miraculous times,--the example of a strong and generous
people casting aside other sympathies, other interests, to answer
the invitation of a regenerate people, to cheer it in its new career,
obedient to the great principles of justice, of humanity, of civil and
Christian brotherhood."

"THE PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT OF MILAN TO THE NATIONS SUBJECT TO THE
RULE OF THE HOUSE OF AUSTRIA.

"From your lands have come three armies which have brought war into