The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-04-02
ORSINI AND HIS CHILDREN

In the year 1854, when about to start on the des-
perate mission which led to his arrest at Hermann
stadt and confinement in the citadel of Mantua, Or
SIM ntrused the education of his daughters to his
brother and uncle, and to the former addressed the
following letter. His frame of mind at the time is
thus depicted by himself in his memoirs. He says:
Before leaving for Italy again overcome
with melancholy. | was sick of everything. Asad
presentiment told me that should my children,
my uncle, my brother more. | wrote to the two
latter that was going into ASIA that they should
have no suspicion that was engaged in new con-
spiracy. | sent the letters open to Mr.. Columbo,
of Nice, to forward them They were dated from
Geneva, that the police, if they opened the let
tiers, should not know where | was.
TO ERNESTINA AND IDA oRSINI.
SWITZERLAND, Sept. %, 1854.
My DEAR DAUGHTERS These few lines, together
with two little hearts, which contain two locks of
my hair, will be consigned to you when l am
alive no longer; you will also receive portrait
greatly resembling me, and have left the neces-
sary instructions with my brother Leonidas, that
you may have it, and keep it in memory of your
poor father.
left you in your tender age: you were very lit
tie, and the last time that ever you was in the
prison at Nice. | was driven from Piedmont be-
cause ! had cOnspired against the foreigners who
occupied my country.
The vicissitudes of Italy do not permit me to
watch over your education myself and have not
had the sweet pleasure to caress you in your most
| beautiful period of youth
In the lines which have written to my brother
Leonidas and my uncle, have explained that leave
everything to you. l have begged them to transfer
to you two, everything which they might have in
tended to do tony advantage. / have recommended
you more than myself, because | anxious that
they should love you, and take the greatest in
your education go to fare off lands embittered by
| everything. carry with me two thOughts-ot
you two dear children, and that of my dear country;
and trust that my occupations, my sacrifices, may
be useful to both. If die soon, it will not be my
fault that have not executed these two objects; it
! will be that of death.
! Before concluding | must give YOU some advice,
which you will RETAIN my dear children, as pater-
nal memorial, and which may be a valuable guide
to you throughout your lives; at least, | hope and
wish so. First, believe in God! lhave firm con-
victon of His existence. Second, possess unaltera-
: Bile principles of honor. Mark | do not mean
malleabe and material principles no, but those
which are universally recognized as such by all peo-
pie and nations which dOnot alter with the changes
of time, of country, of governments; | mean those
principles which eternal truths, absolute, mmu-
table, not depending on any ones caprice.
Pay attention to this. Everybody considers him
self honorable but this is not always in his
acts, but instead of it we find deceit, hypocrisy,
equivocation, and cunning words to injure others.
This Is what the greater part of men do, who re-
! gard the principles of honor a piece of India
| rubber. hen the true principles of honor have
taken root In you rs have explained and that they
are considered by you as the basis of public and
private morality, YOU must necessarily be lovers OF
your country, honest affectionate towards your pa
rents, pure IN your YOUTH pure anG faithful to your
husbands to whom you may be married; in fine
loving towards your children, and adorned with the
finest qualities which can be desired in women des
tined by God and nature to embellish the life ofman
and to render his existence less miserable
Gain as much instruction as you can, and inform
yourselves well to what belongs the familiar
domestic life and recoect that the greater part OF
the crimes and errors of men proceed from igno
rance, that enemy to civilization progress honor,
and the liberty of nations. Remember, that as soon
as you can use your intellectual faculties the world
will seem a paradise to you; everything will smile
on you; it will seem like beautiful Spring full OF
sWeet-smelling and beautiful flowers, a Spring
winch promises everything lovely and dear that
the imagination can conceive. All that is lovely
Will smile upon you, and your hearts will expand
with sweet hopes and affections towards whatever
tascinates You towards the ideal-beauty, goodness
and love, which, alas in reality do not exist
Ny dear children, do not believe in or be dazzlet
by the appearance which this world will at frs
present to you. Be careful. 1t is but the appear
ance, the external surface which fascinates, and
you are dazzled by its witchcraft disappointment
must come-and then-and then-you will find al
immense void; a void which you would never hay,
experienced if you had looked upon the world as i
is; a void that will show you but too plainly thai
the world sfull ofrottenness deceit and ingratitude
that we must not here seek the summit of felicity;
| but tempered contentment,
You will fall into despair-into tears-you will
wish to retrace your steps, but you too late
Give to these words which your father com
poses with tears in his eyes. hope that you may
never suffer the lightest of the misfortunes ex
perienced by me, the least Of the disappont
ments in friendship. If you marry, be careful
how make your selection; let him be honest
honorable, a lover of his country let his
heart be large, and let him be capable of true
friendship, and be careful to return it on your
part with conduct equally noble and affec
ton equally pure. Be faithful to the husband whom
you select for your lite-companion let the very
thought of indelity strike you with horror; destroy
yourself rather than fall into that fault an error
like that nothing ever remedy; the pardon which
might be conceded does not remedy the evil in YOU
remains an eternal stain, in the husband an eterna
rancor - an eternal remembrance of your guilt
| OF your dishonesty remember that such an ac
ton ON the wi!es part pOisOns the husbands exist
ence II he has heart a feeling of honor: that il
eXtnguisheS domestic peace forever that DESTROYS
domestic tranquility; that it causes the love anC
! sweetness which should exist between husband and
wife to cease cOo and abates the Glove of the parent
for his child that in fact, casts dishonor upon the
| husband, upon you, upon all the family. Take care
OF yourselves. and keep this general maxim, that
! the greater part of men are bad and wicked; and
lastly, in leisure moments cultivate your minds with
pleasing and moral reading, which will have the eff
feet of guiding your minds early towards good and
nourishing you with the fruit of wisdom. Do
weary You with this long letter? Pardon me!
must have written to you even if had not wished.
These lines have been the first and may be the last
| shall ever address to you, and, as YOU perceive
! they are written by the hand of your unhappy
! father
| May you have serene and long life Take a
| thousand and thousand kisses from your father
who carries with him the pain of not being able ia
! see and embrace You, impeded by the infamv OF
men. Receive the paternal benedictOn of your
FELIcE 0RsIN1.
| Farewell farewell farewell from NV heart