The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1809-04-26


time of the ancient Romans, and The air oftie Cam
pania was more salubrous than that of the city fo-
race, Virgil, Pny, Cicero, all praise the country air
They retired thther in summer TO enjoy the cool
shades and refreshing breezes. In autumn It would
be- at this day, certain death Danish writer, who
passed through this country last year, has just pub
Iishcd an ingenious treatise that part OF Latium
which is the ofte six last books Of the Eneid.
This writer attributes the mortality to the miserable
state of the poor inhabitants of this part Of Italy, who
after working in their cnervatng climate, are Obliged
to lie down. exposed TO the chilling night air without
proper coverings and also TO the destruction OF the
woods, which formerly covered avery considerable
portion Of the country You know, it is the modern
fashion 10 attribute great virtue woods, particular
ly evergreens They said TO imbibe the noxous
particles Of the atmosphere, and to emit oxygen or
the saubrious part shall add (as still more impor
tant) the above cited, the superour industry
of the ancient Romans, who drained the meadowsand
morasses, with which the Campania abounds, but
which are now suffered to exhale putrd miasmata TO
the destruction every Living animal.
But il IT. ay be asked, why the modern citizens
ofRome so indolent Why have they not inherited
the spirit and cnterprize OF their predecessors The
mpediments are ecclesiastical and political Eccc-
siastca because the festivals, saints days,
perpetual masses, and pompous ceremonies OF the
Roman Cathock Church distract the attention. con-
the time of the devoees, and prevent that stca
dy and serious attention to their temporal affairs,
which the gospel not only permits but cnoins. Ec-
clesiastical, because the example OF two thousand
monks, who make mendcity profession, who per-
form manual labour, exercise no useful calling, but
who subsist and dbuiidmagnifcent churches and mon-
aseres by aims, procured in forma paupers, produ-
ces avery ill effect upon the common people, who do
not deem it dishonourabe to subsst on charity, when
Of the orders, whom they ycncratc, obtain their
support by such means. POLITICAL because the lands
in Italy arc seldom owned by the cutiyators,
but held in mortmain by the converts and other
ecclesiastical establishments They arc therefore new
sold, and seldom leased upoh long leases or on ia
vourable terms. The tenants in the Ecclesiastical
State where there tenants, for in many parts there
money unable to acquire title to the property they
cultivate, andby their superstition rendered asdepen
dent the clergy, the cerfs in Poland their lords
are idle, Indifferent about their residence, and perpe
tually removing from place to place The lands by
these constantly impoverished, and
duccd to the miserable state in which VIC now find
them.
In addition to these obvious causes, the Papal
government, weak and inefficient from its very
sttuton always administered by old, and generally
feeble superannuated men, aided by constitutional adj
vsers ofthc character, has never adopted and
probably neverwil adopt vigorous steps to remedy
these radical evils, and to give acyityto commerce,
without which agriculture must langush
Having made these remarks on the Incidence and
wrctched cultivation Of the inhabitants of the Ecclc-
sasca State, let me briefly state few facts, which
elucidatc and confirm these opinions. The Campa-
mia, instead Of supplying Rome with provisions, as it
formerly did, and as it is abundantly capable of
doing, actually subssts by bread, drawn from the
capital and it is unqucsonable that the few wretched
villagers would perish, if this aid was Withdrawn.
With this assistance it is nevertheless true, that the
inhabitants fthe Campana often suffer- and frequent
ly perish Of hunger is also certain, that Rome it.
self is crowded with beggars, whose misery need not
be represented by complaints, their countenanccs
speak oopowcrful language Paris, London, Am
stertlam, and bordeaux united, cannot exhibit SO
many objects ofreal distress, as meet YOU in every
direction at Rome IL the most distressing picture
ever behed. You are pursued at every corner by
these wretched beings and f yod relieve the necessi
ties of one, you are instantly thronged with twenty
others, who viii receive no refusal. Importantly
would give you but faint idea ofther eagerness and
entreaties, il amounts to coinpulsion. While the
heart is thus constantly agtaed by the picture ofthe
most complete human misery, it Is at the same mo-
ment reused to indignation by seeing dapper priests
in stockings ofbrght purple, with hats ornalnented
with the same rich colour, tripping 1t lightly along
from the shop of the frisseur, unassaicd by these
poor wretches who have solicited them too often in
vain, who find by experience that the language Of
nature pleads more powerfully with strangers, not
hardened by familiarity with such scenes OF horrour.
The rich and luxurious cardinal too, wrapped in his
double folds of the richest purple, with prncely mag
nfcence, and followed by long train OF fiveried do
mcsticks rolls along unheedng these objects OF hor
rour. You find the poor, at this inclement season,
almost without clothes, and you are tod that death
often frees them from this complicated distrcssp produ
ced by famine and nakedncss You may judge what
man of any sensibility, accustomed to seeing the
comfort and case, enjoyed by the lower class of
the people in our country, muss feel at such scenes
How restrain our indignation AZ the blindness
or indifference of government, which, neglecting
the wise measures Of political economy, upon which
the prosperity of depends, suffers the richest
and finest portion of the globe not only to remain al
most desert, but to be the of the most COM
plcated misery
What and are the men, who thus govern this
tIc xxt,o
and fine linen, those who boast that they the only
legitimate representatives ofthc owly Jesus, who en-
dured persecution and poverty with meekness and
humility, and who commanded his disciples especially
to regard the poor Yes And these very magistrates
conscious of this dutyhave placed upon all their coins
some good maxim, commemorative of the poor and
yet in part of thcworld do the poor receive few
of these charitable coins. Is that they think it