Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1856-12-19


iset os his lecture YVES "Itsly, pas, and pre-
ssot."
Italy, said be, 10 country which Is full
Of interest 10 oil classes. The skies are the
most beautiful, the art Of sculpture Is un.
nvalssd, painting The most perfect. Italy IS
the battle ground Of nations, the chain 'nst
connects the present with the past; The
lecture was divided into three heads. The
history Of Italy, what literature AMI civil
nation owes TO her, and her present condition.
Greece has had her spirit trodden out, and
It will be many centuries before she regains
any VI the traits VI her former greatness.
Ne, % with Italy. True, i, has been over
run many times, but she has u buoyaney
that will easbls her. In no distant future 70
regain what she has lost. We all know
that dusiag The various periods of the Ro-
man Empire there was wonderful deve-
iopsment, q singular expansion Of dominion.
But there was deeper providence IN all
this greatness Of the Empire. twas raised
uRto spread a general language among all
M nations Of Europe, preparatory 10 the
ushering in Of the grand even, towards
which the Empire had eliminated. In the
reign Of Augustus, Christ Jesus was born.
The Latin language, then generally spoken,
was the medium for spreading widely
abRsd the doctrines Of Christianity, and
pagan Rome, with all its glories, was swept
sway,and the reign Of Christian civilization
commenced. As Christianity increased, so
decreased the power II the hordes iha, had
conquered Rome. The Cross conquered the
eonquerors Of Rome. With the destruction
Of ancient Rome also came the destruction
OF its arts and laws, but there was built up,
little By little, upon It's ruins, aud BY the aid
Of Christian civilization, new arts aud a new
literature, destined 10 create a grea, moral
revolution. Italy supplied the fire, from
which other nations lighted the torches o,
the new civilization.
Regeneration frs, commenced IN Italy,
next in Spain, then in Germany, then in
France, and last of all in England. italy IL
the middle ages was like Mount Asrarat in
the flood. As the iood OF devastation first
left the mountain, 50 pagan iuuuGal,ous
first receded from Italy.
II we want 10 find master pieces OF pant
ing of architecture, of, music 81 sculp,ure,we
go TO Rome.
What do We owe 10 Italy? We owe 10
her paper, which wa use IN writing al for
books, the invention % musical no'ss. The
hrs' musical Instruments, the inst organ
vas made in Italy; window glass. wa, frs,
introduced al Rome. The fist Use at glass
was IN the ath century. Italy led the nd e
vance for three centuries We oweto her
the Mariners Compass. The first disc6ve-
.Tirs were made by Italians -ChrisioIli.r
Columbus, a. one Of them with thai con pasI
found America
We owe to the Italians som thug b tier
yet, the republican system Of government
ihe Republic OF Venice add Genoa. OF Flor.
encs and others sprung up IN the It'll AMI
'2th ccniurles, under the direct iAlnrncc Of
The new civilization. Then sprung % the
Lombard league a. protection against,
The agsress'ons of the government under
oarbarism. Pope Alexander III, wac the
protector Of these Italian republics There
IS little republic entirely surrounded by
pap.' territory, that has existed 1900 wears
protected by Popes-a sparkling iewel in
the far lands Of Italy; this republic i. cal
'ed 81. Marino, aud Is as .idlcal iittle re.
Puoic as any on this continent. So lealous
- u OF i's iibei ties that il elects tw d COVER.
hofs, one TO watch The other. and The popu.
'a''on Is but about 1000. The popes could,
u so desired, have crushed Il hk. 81 .ss
but they have :ostered il.
We owe the first Newspaper 10 Italy,
called the Gazette Also the tir., banks
Tor exchange. Tue origin Of The word bank
rup', was from the words bank. which
means desk or bench, and when merchants
ana bankers could no, pay their debts their
benches were takeu--Lence they were cal.
led bankrupts or broken merchants. Some
OF Tie Eng Iishmen who go to Italy DO so be-
he'ing that there is nothing gooa outside of
England, and many Of them can; speak In.
giish, but speak half the words AID snal.
low the other half Well, these English.
meh 90 TO Italy las Dickens and MIS- Trollop
came TO America, TO be treated we'll and 10
20 home and abuse those who have fe.stea
them. Dickins' writings upon Ialv are
as they were OF America, mere carica'ures.
l say this because we obtain nearly all
our knowledge or information of Europe
through the peryeriing channels of English
literature. Italy is not perfect, bu, il is the
garden spot Of Europe. In this little pen-
insalsr Of Italy, there are p, Ooo, 900 of
people, crowded together, with no Kansas,
no California orNicaragua 10 60 TO 10 LEI out
those who have fillibus'-ing restless nature
and they occasionally get up 6eh, there,
- an escape valve, and by way of amuse-
ment. Here the Lecturer spoke of the
production and trade Of Italy in the same
style Of the Hon. Jasper r. Chandler in his
late lecture. The masses Of the English
are not one half - well Off US the masses of
the Italians. Italians are a SEEMINGLY harry
people BY nature, but il you meet an En-.
e''sh"an while you are passing a cellar
door, You ere inclined to dodge into it! Ia
UaIy oekgars are well cared for throush
the prevailing charity, but in England they
ere put IN prisonl Il The speaker a, this
point told several anecdotes, which con.
vulsed the audience in laughter England's
course towards Ireland may be compared to
that Of the begsef and the gentleman. wien
the beggar stripped the gentleman Of his
slothing and gave him his own ,attered gar.
ments instead, and than twitted him of bis
rags England has robbed ireland and
aow tann's il of poverty.
The political condition of Italy is some
what peculiar. 1t is cut up into different
states, principali,ies, and kingdoms, and il,
IS the custom Of soms vb>c sh.,, ..n