The whole sentence is in fact one long "ex parte" indictment against
Salvatori. The very language of the sentence confesses openly the
partizanship of the court. I am told that, in May 1849, "The Republican
hordes commanded by the adventurer Garibaldi, after the battle with"
(defeat of?) "the Royal Neapolitan troops at Velletri, had occupied a
precarious position in the neighbouring towns," and a good number of
these troops were stationed at Valmontone, under the command of the so-
called Colonel De Pasqualis; that at this period, when "an accusation
sent to the commanders of these freebooters was sufficient to ruin every
honest citizen," Salvatori, in order to gratify his private animosity
against Santurri, De Angelis, and Latini, forwarded to De Pasqualis an
unfounded accusation against them of intriguing for the overthrow of the
Republic; and in order to give it a "colour of probability," induced the
above-named Anziani to sign it; and that, in order to accomplish his
impious design, he wrote a private letter to De Pasqualis, telling him
how the arrest of the accused might be effected. Again, I learn that a
search, instituted by Salvatori into the priest Santurri's papers,
produced no "evidence favourable to his infamous purpose," that the
accused were never examined, though "a certain David, who pretended to be
a military auditor, made a few vague inquiries of Santurri, and noted the
answers down on paper with a pencil." Then we have a queer story how,
when Santurri implored for mercy, David replied, "Priests may pardon, but
Garibaldi never," though the very next minute David is represented as
announcing to De Angelis and Latini, that Garibaldi had granted them
their pardon. Then I am informed that Salvatori used insulting language
to Santurri on his arrest; that it was solely owing to Salvatori's
remonstrances that orders were issued for the re-arrest of Latini and De
Angelis; and that though Salvatori ultimately, at the prayer of De
Angelis' wife, gave her a letter to De Pasqualis interceding for her
husband, yet he purposely delayed granting it till he knew it would be
too late.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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