SD2355. Journal Entry of William Cornwallis Cartwright
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 27, 346.
Rome
1860 Mar. 19.
At 6½ in the evening however I was startled by shouts in the Corso under my window and making to it I saw 3 or 4 mounted soldiers followed by some dozen Carabineers on foot sweeping along towards the Piazza del Popolo, calling at the top of their voices Chiudete chiudete—& striking their swords & scabbards against the walls & shop doors which were in an instant closed, while everyone who was met was turned out of the street. My first impression was that these soldiers were drunk & were committing a wanton outrage—being unable to see any object for their proceedings. It appears however that there was a wounded man ahead of them & that at Piazza Colonna a crowd had gathered from which some cries proceeded and that the police had wounded & seized some and were clearing the Corso in pursuit of some fugitives. Their manner as seen by me was brutal. The details I am not yet acquainted with. Russell was coming to me at the time with Mr Eustis—and their carriage was ordered out of the Corso. Heavy patrols on horse & foot were about the street still at eleven at night: There dined with me besides these two—Mr Winthrop of Boston & Browning. Had a long talk with the former on America & its political prospects. The impression left on me is that the States would certainly go to war to prevent Cuba from falling into any other hands than those of its present possessor, and that there is no prospect of any scheme for solving the problems of a resettlement of the slavery question in a manner calculated to conciliate the views of the Abolitionists and the Slave holders.
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Northamptonshire Record Office.
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