Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1840-03-26

,..,u ,,'
"Thcre are no pamphlets or books on this
subject, indeed IL is not'llkely that the govern
ment ,oould permit amy thing Of this SORT"
This is another specie paitern of foreign
government" for US AmerlcaDs--the people
are not even allowed it seems TO turn their
" rags" into books, while we have gone so
far as to turn our "rags" into money. The
writer passed through great part OF Sardi-
MIA some time since, nnd witnessed daily more
poverty and wretchedness than be had seen
III his whole previous life in the United States.
There was not village he passed, but what
was swsrning wth ragged beggars. II q
penny was thrown tothem, they would col.
lect in crowds from all quarters, Immediately,
and absolutely obstruct the passage OF the
horses. The roads were lined with bcggars,
men, women and children. In this foreign
government" there are no banks no manu-
factories, no raiL roads, and no canals, TO
|" burden" the people with "false system
aud they enjoy all the blessings Of "SUB
in perfecton-and yet the writer
can truly say, that he scarce saw well
dressed farmer or laborcr, in riding some
hundreds Of miles along the winding shore
of the Mediterranean through this Kingdom.
The officers Of government were as thick in
every village as office seekers are at flashing
Ton, and were always gaudily dressed. mostly
in uniform, and were evidently looked upon
by the people generally, as a superior race
of beings TO themselves. go.
Madame Stark, a lady who passed many
years in different parts Of Italy, and whose
writings are highly approved OF, in speaking
Of some parts Of Sardinia. says "Thc chill
dren look unhealthy, and seem to be wholly
occupied by watching pigs and goals. ard
following mules and carriages, to collect
dung for manure the food of these poor
rnoubtoineers is chestnut bread, hogs lard, and
snoV Wafer, and when the chesnuts fail,
famine ensues."
Not only arc the poor SO oppressed in this
specie country, but the writer has been IN
formed land has no doubt Of its trulhA that
the proprietor, of the soil or Landlords, in
some districts had seriously determined to
abandon their lands to the government, un-
less they could obtain a reduction Of taxes,
as even after grinding the poor tenants to
death, they did not in many instances receive
enough rent to pay their taxes. A man IN
Sardinia and in Italy generally who has
property never works himself. and the writer
was frequently amused both in this and other
Italian states in seeing the astonlshmcnt
depicted in the coun,enances of the ragged
bystanders upon his occasionally assisting in
some slight work with his own hands. The
wages of labor are not only exceedingly low,
but there Is not work at amy price for great
part Of the population. The government dis
courages all kinds of business, that tends TO
elevate or enrich the people and seek to keep
them in degraded and ignorant condition,
that they may be contented in their state OF
servltudc and poverty. A stranger was
short time since imprisoned IN Sardinia for
more than yenr for simply lending subject
of that g. foreign government" a Bible, and
was only relieved by the interference Of the
government of which he was subject. ST.
perhcal observers nre too apt TO conclude
that the manufacturing business creates the
miserable population that frequently crowd
the large manufacturing towns in Europe.
Not so, it simply furnishes employment forlhal
description OF people, and they therefore re-
sort to the manufacturing districts in search
Of the medns TO live, which are denied them
elsswhere When congrcgoted in large mas
ses, there is apparently greater amount Of
misery, than when scattered over tho whole
surface Of a country, but it is probable the
average of individual suffering is not so great
at the same time. The writer frequently re-
marked while in Italy, ,ha: he believed the
whole clothing of Europe, $50 far as the man.
u.aciure Of il wen,l might be made by the
population of Italy without costing in reality
one cent. there being enough idle people,
who could not get work at any price to make
all the goods necessary. These people live IN
some way on the public, whether they work
or not, and it is doubtful. if they would not
be much happlcrif they had employment than
they are at present, even should they receive
but little or nothing more than the amount Of
their present miserable and prccarous main
tenancc as their compensation. The very
best laborers in Sardinia get IN the summer
season but from ~ to IS cents per day and
board themselves. The appearance of their
houses is squallid and miserable in the ex-
treme. The people on the coast wash their
clothes in the Mediterranean sea and spread
them on the stones Of the beaches TO diy.-
An American who has not been an eye wit
ness can have no idea of the wreichcd, rag
ged appearance Of the linen and other gar
meDts when thus spread to dry. For some
time the writer mechanically averted his eyes
as he passed these poor people in the act OF
washing their clothes, we'll knowing the ef.
feet which would have been produced on the
feelings of the poorest American, should n
stranger have remarked in their case, such
extremity of poverty. bat he soon found that
the Italians possessed no scnsiblity Of this
kind. Misery and pcnury had crushed every
natural feeling Of pride, and their counte-
nances underwent no visible change, whether
they noticed the stranger gazing on the tat
tered garments of the people or on the splen.
did eqnipages, or palaces Of their princes
Squalid women were seen knitting straw by
the road side, with their children lashcd fast
TO board or stick Of wood, and set up agalns,
wall as stationary as pair OF tongs. Tha,
specie currency has wholly produced this
state Of things, the writer does not pretend
to assert, but that such a, Estate of things could
hare been produced. without its aid, is at the
same time rery doubyuI IN his mind. Al any
rate he trusts enough has been shewn to
prove, that the I" joreign government" of Sar-
dnia is hardly n SUITABLE PATTERN
to be initiated by AMERICA, not withstand
ing Mr.. Van Buren's Recommendation to the
contrary.
NARRAGANSETT.
I