Polemic between the “Messagiere tirolese” and the “Augsburger Allgemeine Zeitung”

Tyrol.

Innsbruck, 1 Jan. The Messagiere tirolese is currently engaged in a sharp controversy with the Allg. Augsburger Zeitung over the articles “from the Adige” that periodically appear in the said Augsburg newspaper, which vigorously challenge its extravagant, anti-German separatist desires.

The latest issue of the Messagiere of 30 Dec. leads with an extensive polemical article by the well-known Professor Bertanza directed against one such Adige article in No. 346 of the Augsburger Allgemeine, which is described as un vero libello incendiario, un miracoloso impasto di falsità etc. etc., and which strives –– quite naively –– to portray the stance that Italian Tyrol, through its faction hostile to the German portion of our province, took toward the Austrian government during the Lombard-Venetian uprising and the armed rebellion of the treacherous Charles Albert, as wholly innocent and loyal.

As far as this latter claim is concerned, we remain firmly convinced that, if the uprising in Italian Tyrol did not break out in quite the same manner as in Lombardy-Venetia, this is certainly not to be credited to any well-disposed Austrian loyalty among the Italian Tyroleans –– or rather of the party posturing as representatives of the public sentiment of Italian Tyrol, championed by Professor Bertanza –– but solely to the fear of the cannons and bayonets of our armies, and the rifles of our Landesschützen. There was certainly no lack of ill will, at least on the part of the Preti and Signori in Italian Tyrol. Perhaps the concern that the poor rural population of Italian Tyrol, oppressed by their masters, could not be entirely relied upon when it came to striking against the Austrian government, was also a reason that led the Italian party leaders not to proceed as aggressively as their hearts might have desired. After all, some considered the sentiment of the Italian Tyrolean rural folk toward the Signori so unfavorable as to believe that very little was needed to provoke a recurrence in Italian Tyrol of the notorious Galician horrors of 1846 — quod absit a nobis.

Moreover, the anti-Austrian sentiment of the so-called patriot party in Italian Tyrol emerged during that unfortunate period of conflict clearly and decisively enough to leave no doubt as to what Austria might have expected from that quarter had our armies been defeated rather than victorious.

Furthermore, the same issue of the Messagiere tirolese contains a fiery declaration from the comitato municipale of Trento, dated 26 Dec., of the following tenor:

“The Augsburger Zeitung, which has long since assumed the posture of a wretched partisan paper against us, publishes from time to time articles highly defamatory to the districts of Trento and Rovereto entitled ‘from the banks of the Adige.’ Thus, in numbers 354 and 358, Trento is among other things branded a criminal, rebellious city, and various civic classes are accused of treasonous correspondence and designs. Contemptuous silence has hitherto been our answer to these slurs hurled into our faces by vile individuals whose authors hide under the cloak of secrecy. Yet this new web of falsehoods cannot be tolerated, given the reprehensible intentions underlying it. The editorial board of the allg. Ztg. is therefore demanded to name the authors of those articles so that, if they possess the courage, they may substantiate their accusations with open visors; failing which, we shall regard the editorial board itself as common accomplices to the infamy of their correspondents and hold them accountable accordingly.

Roveredo, 29 Dec. We receive the following communication: The Imperial-Royal Ministry of Finance has ordered that, in order to address the complaints submitted by the committees of Trento and Rovereto regarding the tax imposed on our wines by the Gubernium in Innsbruck, a commission from all districts of Tyrol shall be appointed to confer collectively and submit proposals on the matter at hand. In order not to offend against the principle of nationality, which constitutes the lawful objective of their endeavors and strivings, the two committees have now resolved to direct a further petition to the Imperial-Royal Ministry, requesting that, as previously occurred in the tithe dispute, a separate commission be granted in this instance to the two Italian districts, which, upon conducting the appropriate inquiries and deliberations on the matter, shall report directly to the Ministry.

The two committees of Trento and Rovereto (Messag. tirol.)