The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1845-04-17

n,sfoK.c n,srs ON raH CONSTITUTION rHE FLo-
KEsrlsE RErusLlc--coNoLupEp.
Tuss, Oct 18th, Is44
SEA- A country which drives out tyrant aud as
serts its freedom, sets example, which It's CO.
lonies and dependencies are apt to follow, II Is not
therefore surprising that whilst the Florentines re-
leved themselves of the Duke Of Athens, they should
also lose portion Of their territory Many OF the
Tuscan towns revolted from the Republic and as
serted their independence. Some OF them, however,
from interest and others from fear returned to their
allegiance. Placed again in state OF freedom, the
people established constitution. They were
induced to make changes in the government, because
the SIX wards of the city not equal and BECAUSE
in order to make place for additional mobiles, il was
necessary to increase the number OF the Sgnoria. -
The city was therefore divided into quarters, and
from each Of these quarters, three Signori were
chosen. They dispensed both with the Gonfa-
lonere Of Justice and those of the companies Of the
people and instead of the twelve good Men, choose
eight Counsellors, four from the nobility and four
from the commonalty. Under this form Of govern.
ment the Republic would have enjoyed quiet and
prosperity but for the restless ambition and eternal
discomfort Of the mobiles. This class dissatisfied
because the companies had been abolished, and be-
cause they wished to be masters in the magi straoy
Notwithstanding the ntercession Of the Bishop, they
refused 10 listen to any terms but the complete graft
hcation of all their demands. The people and the
mobiles, mutually soured aud excited, prepared for
bloody conflict. The people flew in arms to the Pa
.na h.. tha rio nhaxu
of their opponents, did not venture to leave their
houses. Several members of the Signori with diff
Guilty escaped the fury of the populace. The nobility
stript Of the right of having four of the Coun-
sellers chosen from their order, and the whole
ber il ordained should be elected from the people
! The remaining eight Signor elected Gonfaloniere
Of Justice appointed sixteen Gonfalonieri of the
Companies of the people, and reformed the Councils
Thus the whole power Of the State lodged in the
cOmmonalty. To grant a portion of power to those
who satisfied with nothing but the whole, is emf
nenty dangerous, and evident is the folly of those
who content with the authority which the safety
Of the people and the interests of the State allow,
lose what they lawfully have in attempting to grasp
that which is prohibited.
The attempt Of Andrea Strozzi TO take advantage
of great scarcity of corn, and by selling it cheap
to bride the people and oyerturn the Government,
was suppressed. And shortly afterwards in pitched
battle at each of the three bridges that the Ar
no, the mobiles were routed by the people. As the
citizens were divided into three classes, the power
full, the middle and the low it ordained that two
Sgnori rhoud be chosen for EACH and that the Con
ialoniere should be elected sometimes from the one
= A
the enforcement of justice were re-enacted against
the mobiles, and many of them to avoid the severity Of
the regulations, mixed themselves among the
commonalty. This entire destruction of the nobility
Machiave regrets, and declares that il stripped the
city not only of the glory of its arms but of every
generous distinction. All history, however, shows
that nobility is drawback and pest to a city whose
power is based on commerce. The principles which
sustain its influence are hostile to freedom Of trade
and universal activity, and if England to form
exception it is because her energetic population
although it sometimes totters, has not yet fallen be-
meath the heavy load of titled sloth class legislation
exclusive privileges, and monstrous monopoly.
The struggles between the mobiles and the people
having been terminated the contest now began be-
! tween the higher and lower orders Of the common
atty. The city was divided into two factions by the
Ricci and the Albiss, and as it suspected that
the latter Ghibbelines, Uguccion dii Rcci, in
1854, succeeded in re-enacting the old law which had
fallen into disuse, and which excluded the Ghibbe-
lines from office. To have opposed this law, al
though evidently very unjust and impoltic enact
ment, would have been on the part of the Albissi
confession that they entertained the principles which
! how I'd fol old ,oin al
zeaously in support of its passage and the power
and influence of their family continued daily to in
crease. Under this law the Captains were author
lied to adnonish those who were Ghibbelines not to
accept the magistracy, and if after this admonition
they presumed to assume its duties they
demned. Those thus warned were called .4mmoniti-
But the injustice of this law was moderated, at the
instance of the individual who had renewed it,
because its re-enactment had not answered the pur-
pose which it designed to serve, and instead of
humblng had increased the power of the Ricci.-
The hostites of these rival families daily increased
and at last the citizens assembled in the public square
put end to their discords and to provide for the
quiet and safety of the state Fftysix citizens
invested with absolute power to protect the state,
but their measures, although levelled at the ex-
sting factions, did not strike at the causes which
produced them and sowed the seeds Of future
and still greater discussions. The Legate of the
Pope at Bologna, taking advantage of famine in
Florence, and wishing to make himself master of
Tuscany, raised in the Spring of 1875, large army
to invade the Republic. The Florentines, having no
other resource, brbed his army to desist from tho
invasion of their territory and the destruction of their
crops. The management Of the war was entrusted
to eight citizens, who decided measures without ap
peal and expended the public money without the obi
cation to render accounts. They were called HOLY,
although the against the church and the spolia-
tion of the clergy seemed TO render that appeaton in
appropriate ifnot facetious After the death of Pope