Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1859-08-03
DasBSilIs anioni ion. anS nj sneriilttarna. iltr /
Daily IS; Tri-weekry s5; weekly sg.

Edward Everett on Italian NaaIOnaIitv.
The Hon. EDWARD EVERETT dsvO;es paper ia
the New York Ledger 10 a consideration of The
cause Of Ialy and defence of The people of that
country from The charge Of drgeneEasy SO often
brought asains. them. The following is AD:extrsct
from his article. . ~, - l..,
On all the grounds of geographical position. race.
language, and religion, the lttlans might fsirly
claim 10 stand as an Independent State in the great
family Of Nations. There is really ne other rennie
| in Europe, which unites in the same degree tbe
| FOUR great clemens Of prosperous nationality;
not either of the great eontending powers Whose
armies now cover her soil; nor Eagiand. Prus.ia,
or Russia, who, with hands on their swords. are
anxiously watching the progress Of the struggle.
What then Is wanting to the Nationality of The
Italians; and how does it happen that the People,
whose ore-fathers gave Law to the world, have for
centuries taken the law from France from Suaiu
and from Germany2 p F. 1s5-s- .fas5 digsE's
shall attempt an answer to this important ones
lon IN smother paper; in the meantime win oB v
oeserYe IN few words, that the cause of this un-
happy state of things is not TO be sought as is pe,
haps generally supposed, in the degeneraoy Of tie
people Trusting to the hxsty generalization of
tourists, who pass few weeks in the large towns
and see the outside Of Italian life and manners-tLe
general poverty Of the pessantry-the incidence Of
Inc Lszzaroni-the sWarms of beggers and Of monks
N some portions Of she country-who see some
thing and hear of the diss0lueness Of mapners
IN h'gh lfe-and the want Of occupation which
must exist where there is but little commerce, few
manufactures, and no political career, and almost
all hesprings of industry feel the pressure of ar
bitrary government, we hastily agree with them,
that the people themselves must be degenerate
This, however, is far from being che case. TIE
physical development of the population in Italy
male and female is in The aggregsts as far as my OBJ
serFstion has extended quite equal 10 that of ths
population Of any other part of Europe. No Where
are finer forms or faces TO be seen in places Of pub
lie or private resort. The Italians are temperate
people, and the climate allows them to live much in
the open air, and this in the large towns leads 20
social and eompanionable habits and is everywhere
favOrabletO health
In intellect they are surely not degenerate race
Their universities still boast accomplished men of
science and distinguished scholars in all the faeul-
ties; and though the provision for popular educa-
on IS IN none Of the Italian States to be compared
with that which IS made in Prussia, England and !
this country, it is respectable in Tuscany Sardinia
and even LOmbsrdy, and about equal in the other !
portions Of the Peninsula to what is in most parts
OF Europe l attended the meetings of the Asso- |
citation for the Promotion Of Science in Italy which
were held at Florence in 184I. -si s -5l Ire
About thousand persons were present and it |
appeared to me that the discussions and the me- |
moirs compared fairly with those of similar bodies
at which have been present in England anc this |
country. AT the close Of its meetings the entire /
association was invited to dine by the Grand Duke
and conveyed in carriages at his expense to the /
halls where the entertainment wac served Each !
member also received present Of bronze medal |
of Galileo, with copy in quarto Of q new volume /
Of his experiments. :.=.., !
Every trsnch Of Letters except those which can
exist only under free constitutions, hourishes and
has always fourished in Italy Some of the most |
eminent writers, scientific and literary of the pres
ent day, astromers, Psychologists, antiquaries pub
licists, historians, poets. and writer's of popular
fction, are Italians. Their museums and libraries
are unsurpassed in Europe. Italy is still the land
of Art 10 the highest walks of painting and |
sculpture she is excced BY foreigners but there is
an atmosphere of artists culture which still draws
the foreign artist to her soil. Most of the distin-
guished German, English, French and American |
artists have studied their art il Italy. In music
she still reigus supreme divides the empire with
Germany alone. Surely il is the extreme Of arro-
gance or Ignorance to speak Of such people as de-
generate.