Page 110 - General Giuseppe GARIBALDI - english version

108 GENERAL GIUSEPPE GARIBALDI

Rome and his rulers, was for all to go out of the city, without negotiating
with those foreigners on the Italian soil, and start again to fight a war of
bands in the territory of the Roman States, stirring up the Country and tor-
menting their enemy. «Wherever we will be, there Rome will be», he conclud-
ed, left the Assembly without delay, mounted again on horseback, and
reached once more, and for the last time, the Gianicolo.
But the Assembly, who had just voted a laconic declaration, did not wel-
come the general’s bold proposal:
“In the name of God and the People.
“The Roman Constituent Assembly ceases a defence that has now become
impossible and remains in its place”.
Mazzini, with his two comrades of the Triumvirate refused to sign that dis-
patch, that was equivalent to surrender, although a dignified one, and offered
his resignation. A delegation of the Assembly, then, went to General Oudinot
to discuss the way for the French troops to enter the city. It was agreed that
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this would take place on July 3 .
Garibaldi did not want to assist to the triumph of his enemies.
The very morning of the 2 nd , he called his troops on St. Peter’s square;
when he arrived there on horseback, an immense crowd thronged in front of
the Basilica. A powerful “hurray!” and then a frozen silence descended on the
immense square. The general’s sonorous, unforgettable voice spread to all
corners: «I will not leave Rome: those who want to continue fighting against
the foreigners, come with me. I offer you no pay, no lodging, no supplies; I
do offer you hunger, thirst, forced marches, fights and death. Those of you
who have the name of Italy not on their lips but in their hearts, follow me».
Venue and time of meeting: the square of San Giovanni in Laterano, at 6pm.
Even before the appointed time, a small army had already gathered on that
usually deserted square. All the best and the most faithful had answered his
call: there was Ciceruacchio, on horseback, followed by his thirteen-year-old
son; Ugo Bassi, wearing a red shirt and with a crucifix hanging on his chest;
at last, Anita Garibaldi appeared among the crowd, to applause, on horseback
and wearing the glorious uniform of the Italian legion. Behind them, gath-
ered a long swarm of about four thousand volunteers, among them legion-
naires, Lombard Bersaglieri, students, customs guards, the few survivors of
Masina’s Lancers and some papal Dragoons. Their uniforms were different
and incomplete; only a few possessed a knapsack, a haversack, a blanket; no