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EXPERT IN ALL THINGS GUERRILLA
WARFARE - GIUSEPPE GARIBALDI
To Arms, All of You!
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Giuseppe Garibaldi.
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Garibaldi's To Arms speech.
It follows the English
translation of the full text transcript of Giuseppe
Garibaldi's To Arms, All of You! speech, delivered at
Naples, Italy - November 8, 1860.
Go here for the
original Italian version of this
speech.
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To My Comrades in
Arms, |
We must now
consider the period which is just drawing to a
close as almost the last stage of our national
resurrection, and prepare ourselves to finish
worthily the marvelous design of the elect of
twenty generations, the completion of which
Providence has reserved for this fortunate age.
Yes, young men,
Italy owes to you an undertaking which has
merited the applause of the universe.
You have conquered
and you will conquer still, because you are
prepared for the tactics that decide the fate of
battles. You are not unworthy the men who
entered the ranks of a Macedonian phalanx, and
who contended not in vain with the proud
conquerors of Asia.
To this wonderful
page in our country’s history another more
glorious still will be added, and the slave
shall show at last to his free brothers a
sharpened sword forged from the links of his
fetters.
To arms, then, all
of you! all of you! And the oppressors and the
mighty shall disappear like dust.
You, too, women,
cast away all the cowards from your embraces;
they will give you only cowards for children,
and you who are the daughters of the land of
beauty must bear children who are noble and
brave.
Let timid
doctrinaires depart from among us to carry their
servility and their miserable fears elsewhere.
This people is its own master. It wishes to be
the brother of other peoples, but to look on the
insolent with a proud glance, not to grovel
before them imploring its own freedom. It will
no longer follow in the trail of men whose
hearts are foul. No! No! No!
Providence has
presented Italy with Victor Emmanuel. Every
Italian should rally round him. By the side of
Victor Emmanuel every quarrel should be
forgotten, all rancor depart.
Once more I repeat
my battle-cry: "To arms, all — all of you!"
If March, 1861,
does not find one million of Italians in arms,
then alas for liberty, alas for the life of
Italy. Ah, no, far be from me a thought which I
loathe like poison. March of 1861, or if need be
February, will find us all at our post—Italians
of Calatafimi, Palermo, Ancona, the Volturno,
Castelfidardo, and Isernia, and with us every
man of this land who is not a coward or a slave.
Let all of us
rally round the glorious hero of Palestro and
give the last blow to the crumbling edifice of
tyranny.
Receive, then, my
gallant young volunteers, at the honored
conclusion of ten battles, one word of farewell
from me.
I utter this word
with deepest affection and from the very bottom
of my heart. Today I am obliged to retire, but
for a few days only. The hour of battle will
find me with you again, by the side of the
champions of Italian liberty.
Let those only
return to their homes who are called by the
imperative duties which they owe to their
families, and those who by their glorious wounds
have deserved the credit of their country.
These, indeed, will serve Italy in their homes
by their counsel, by the very aspect of the
scars which adorn their youthful brows. Apart
from these, let all others remain to guard our
glorious banners.
We shall meet
again before long to march together to the
redemption of our brothers who are still slaves
of the stranger.
We shall meet
again before long to march to new victories.
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