The Portland Daily Press

Why Garibaldi left England.

Our London correspondent throws considerable light upon the question: Why did the great Italian hero stop suddenly in the midst of his triumphal progress through the English realms and proclaim his intention of going home? He was unable to bear the pressure of his numerous engagements upon his physical energies, said Mr. Gladstone, in Parliament; but Garibaldi himself, in his parting addresses, referred to no such cause, and his Italian physician certifies that he was in a condition to go through easily with every undertaking that he had assumed. The story of his ill-health, then, is a pretext—a diplomatic blind—something to be told to the disappointed multitudes of English working-men, who had counted upon seeing their own red-shirted revolutionary fellow-laborer among themselves. In the plainer language of every day life, this story is—not a truth.

What the real truth was, our correspondent tells, and to enable our readers to judge of his credibility we may say that he is an intimate personal friend of the General, who was with him most of the time while he was in London, and under relations which were likely to enable him to get at the facts. According to his testimony, derived from the lips of the General, the reason of Garibaldi's sudden departure was that the English government had intimated to him that his continued presence would embarrass them with the French government. That arch-despot and mischief-maker—the perjured and sanguinary adventurer of the 2d of December—was at the bottom of this insult to the English people and their idolized guest. Being a guest of the nation, Garibaldi, with an instinctive sense of honor, withdrew at once; but the incident is disgraceful to the English government, which has before succumbed to the dictation of this insolent ally.

—[New York Evening Post.