New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-12-13
ITALY.

counted among the most eminent American think
ers To what extent let ask, is this almost gene
raj sentiment Oh the other side just Can we make
no exception, supported By history aud positive
fact Painful il is to every lover of liberty, who
embraces with uDp,eudced eye the present aud
it's evolutions, to have to avow that there seems
to dawn but little if any hope for the lapsei
natonalities of Europe.
Il is, however, refreshing to feel that bistO-
n, as well az present actually, entities ITALY,
taken az whole from the Alps to the Tenaro
to an exemption from that funeral pile to
which her two sister nstionalises seem devoted.
In the whole course Of the life of nations,
their progress, culture and civilization, from the
most remote epoch-wben myth and legend fore
BODIED its story literaly-to this day, no soil has
shown such fecundity, none has sent forth to the
world such manifold manifestation Of the richest
mental and social power as the soil of Italy. In
Italy the m!th of classical antiquity placed the
golden bge Of Saturn. To Italy, ere 1t had issued
from primeval darkness, the science of archaeology
personfed in the eminent Cseutzer, traces that
GIecisn plastic art, whose originator we're the
Etruscans and Tuscans. From the hour of
Rome's birth this Italian mind appears in it's full
power of organization, unequaed In its SYM
metry and width of reach by any other
of the human family. But what with its
variety Of inhabitants and hitorc periods, It
sly has bad more ups and downs, more succe.
sions of high and Low tide, Of centuries of light
and darkness, than any other country has ever
seen. Yet has it ever, recovering after each
prestrstion, sprung up with renewed elasticity and
force. Thus, from Italy issued, and extended over
the world at the distance Of several centuries the
two most powerful aud vital organic atoms known
in the life of European races, those Of the Pagan
and Pspal powers.
All of our readers are familiar with the his
tory of Rome, how it Frustrated the influence
of bumanits. how it still rssounds, and various
" directs in different quarters the action OF
our times. They know the darkness which
covered Italy and the Roman world after the
destruction Of the great empire. But Of all
the nations of Europe, Italy was the first to re-
cover and disentapgle herself from the barbarous
sbroud Her introduction of the beautiful arts
into Europe, and her uDequaled supremacy in
them, is absolutely settled. But need we call
to memory the fact that nearly all the sciences
can be traced at the earliest epoch to Italy They
either took birth on her soil, or were nursed and
developed on it, The italian mind was omnipres-
emit. and from it other nations drew sparks of
LIGHT Anselmus who first introduced philosophy
into religion, was born and educated in Italy. To
her belongs Peter Lombardus, the other godfather
of reason in the epoch Of medieval darkness
Among many, Arnold Of Bre,cis the precursor
of Luther in his opposition to the temporal
power of the clergy and the POpes, paid by his
life in the twelfth century the penalty of his sue
ce,sful attempts at reformation. Need we call to
memory that the Italian cities were the irst to
raise the cry of emancipation-to break aud over
throw the crushing power of the feudal barons-
TO orgarize municipal and free communities IN
aided by kings or emperors, as was the case in
France and Germany Italians plowed the
waves of the Mediterranean before any Northern
or Norman sail appeared there. The great LON
bardian lesgue, with Milan at its head, fought
against the Emperor Frederick for the iadepsnd.
epce of Italy and for the domestic liberty of her
cities snd communities before similar move
was made in any other spot in Europe Need
we call to mind that industry, manufactures
and trade were taught by the Italians to other
European nations and that in Isaly republics ex.
listed when everywhere else the name was for.
gotten or unknown Italy was the nursery of
all statesmen and her universities the teachers OF
law. Calico was the forerunner of Keper and
Newton. He il was who facilitated their dis
cOyeries. Turn where you will, explore whatever
of the immense and various regions of the human
mind YOU msy, you will alsays at the very earliest
epoch cone on Italy. When other nations had
but chronicles, Italy had Ter historians and phi.
lo,ophers of bistory-as Guiccardni and Mac.
chiayelli. Study the customs aud manners of the
past. you find in the fifteenth, sixteenth and
seventeenth centuries that nowhere else in Eu.
rope did there exist so much social refine
ment, such msnfold effort in literature and art
30 much impulse and racy intellectual enjoyment
and. in fine. On existence so filled With interest
which captivated the feelings and engaged all the
powers of the mind, IS In Italy
Thus Italy was in every sense the Eden of Eu-
rope up to the period when other atoms began like
wise 10 give uttersnces ard manifestations of high
er intellectual life and when the Reformation gave
them new and fresh start. From that epoch Italy
of course DO lor ger maintained herself on the same
hight .he had held. but she was far from remaining
behind. Continually she flashed forth CLEANS of
loht ard intell,c ct Science continued to be illu-
minated BY the Italian mind. For example. in the