New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1843-08-15
THE TRIDUN E.
9ettcrs from Europe..... No. XIV.
Foreign Correspondence Of The Tnbun
BEGGING AND BEGGARs.

Won would not he interested in description OF
the houses and streets You know already that
Toledo is the Broadway of Naples, and that 1t
has palaces churches and shops. Inc museum
Won have heard Of thousand times, and the
copyinp of guide.book entire would not convey
70 vou an idea of what it contains. The gallery
Of paintings DO not think SO very remarkable.
portrait of Masanillo, taken the day after his
victory, interested gle exceedingly. He is IN his
lazzaroni dress and slouched hat, smoking his
nine leisurcly, and with as Independent and beg
aarIv an air as ever. His counenancc Indicated
perfect good humor and entire satisfaction with
the position in which he had placed things. By
tho way. I.azzaroni IS not a term confined to
beggars but a certain poorer class, OF winch Ma
sanilIo was one | had heard so much Of the
azzaroni of Naples, that expected to be bcslcged
at every step by importunate beggars; but, on
the contrary, was less annoyed than | had been
for months 1t surprised me, and inquired the
cause. | was told that Government had issued
a law against street begging, and the delinquent
was Immediately placed i'll confinement. THIS
certainly is great relief to strangers, but have
entirely changed my views OF the beggars OF
italy, There arc doubtless multitudcs of villains
among them, bat there is also great amount of
misery for which they arc rot to blame. ! was
first led 10 reflect on my prejudlccs by seeing the
poor give to the still poorer oftencr than the rich
did. thought the poor were the best Judges of
the claims Of their companions This induced
me to inquire of the very ordinary class of per-
sons of the amount of real distress among the
people, and never yet spoke with one that he
did not express himself with an eamestncss and
sympathy that told me his eyes had often looked
on scenes that memory recalled but too faithfully,
and with an Indignation against the Government
that convinced me the cause of the suffering
was too plainly visible. Just reflect for mo-
ment on the kind policy that prevents street beg
ging in Naples. First, oppression, sclfshness
and extortion reduce the brightest land the sun
ever shone upon to beggary-but beggary be-
comes annoying and dangerous, and so police
and standing army are created to keep them in
subsection and quietness The support olthis army
and complicated system Of police, prisons, SC, is
wrung out from the very class which similar ex-
tortion has made discontinued and dangerous and
troublesome. This is ever the economy Of tyran-
ny--hrst it makes the distress which must bring
insecurity, and then increases the distress to re-
store the security. And yet if, when in the attempt
to carry out this strange system some popular
ebn!tion and manly efforts exhibit themselves,
We have long essay on the necessity of rigid
Il do NJ mr. IN
rights. Indeed, this tlaying men alive and then
spearing them 10 keep them quiet, has long been
iavorte measure Of kings, and it is time to
curse the suffering maker and not the sufferer.
a mans philanthropy in Italy depends very
much upon The notions he gets in the outset. If
he looks on the heaps of rags that lie along
church.steps or on the sunny side of some street
wall, moving only as the lootstep Of passcrs-by
hndles feeble hope that copper may be cast
INTO his apology for hat, as so many personltca-
tons of voluntary crime, he will stand amid the
mass of suffering that surrounds him as cold and
enotlonicss as the marble statues at the base Of
which they are often found. If, on the contrary.
he regards them as so many martyrs degraded
'aough they be- to a selfish and oppressive pollt
Cal and social system, starving TO load another
mans table, and dying TO enliven another mans
ieasts, their rags, they drop Off, will appeal to
inn with power he cannot resist. In that frag-
ment OF a man tina: turns his face to the wall
with moan, and drops at its base to die he Will
ehold brother slain TO make kings holiday.
Naples is swept comparatively clear of bcggars,
pt where are they swept to Not even the poor
Charity Of work-house has been provided for
lien. No snug little farm from his Maicsty's
parks and hunting sgraunds has been allowed
.aGm on which to grow industrious and happy
They have disappeared, but ,rhere and to 'ohat2
Va as permit my imagination to pass INTO the
DIRTY holes where they lie and ianish and die, |
Npfoach myself for having wished often to be
aaeged from their opportunities Who can tel!
Tie suffering this new policy has only hidden, no,
Amoved This IS one of the improvements. Ii
Kake the siaugh,ers Of former ages, when ty-
ant would depopulatc a country, and call the
altitude and silence that succeeded peace. |
have been aSton:shed at the freedom with which
The lower classes speak Of the government as
The cause of their saherngs. And yet notwith-
sanding all this the Neapolitans are a gay and
! careless people. The perfect " care-for-nothlng
s,s is one of the first things that strike stran.
get, 1t belongs TO their climate, and ever will
eso-neither moral nor physical VOLCANOES under
hen will change this feature of their character
one thing has amused me much. AT evening
ue wharf that forms part Of the bay, shelter
agt from the west winds, is covered with the
over classes, gathered into groups. From my
widow had often observed it, and wondered
MAJ could keep them in such distinct and dense
soups Strolnr through them one evening, l