Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1859-10-15
LETTER FROM avid mIsHNAH."
italian Histnm

| same Tune one OF the most confused and per.
picking to the student, imaginable. This is
easily accounted for Italy, though having a
boundary well defined, and people Of COM
mon origin, language and religion, has not bad
the advantage. since the disruption Of the Ro-
man Empire, Of q united or National Govern
Inent. Instead of this, it has been split up
into host of little Kingdoms, DukedOms,
States and Republics, that had scarcely point
Of policy in unison, pursuing the most con-
Trajectory courses, having nothing in common
but jealousy and rivalry, and wasting their
energy and strength in petty warfare, the
more easily to succumb to foreign master.
Thus it is, in studying Italian history, in
stead Of perusing q glowing and connected
narrative illustrative Of the life Of great and
prosperous nation, where every page throws
light on its policy and progress, We have to
pore over the history Of . number Of States
that keep constantly shifting their name, ma
ture and boundary, as their own wish and in
terest. or the will Of foreign master dictated.
Here, il ] may diverge, for take huge
pleasure in digressiOn,-I would wish to ask
the questiOn-is there more emphatic warn.
ing to be found any where in history or out Of
it, for the American people, than this history
Of ItAlyi A solemn warning against disunion;
the effects Of it running through many, many
long weary centuries. What is the good Of
history if it proves not Eight to our feet and
. lantern to our pathsg" respect the prin-
ciples Of our State Rights friends; but the Union
before every thing. Where would the free.
dom, or even the prosperity Of the American
people be- had each Of the old colonies retain
ed its isolated sovereignty?
The freedom Of people, as we'll as any 9TH
er valuable attribute, can only be maintained
by their being powerful. Small or poor COM
nunities can never grasp or maintain much
that is valuable; particularly liberty, being
the most valuable. "Union is strength !" il
is happiness and prosperity likewise.
But recur to Italy and her French inva.
ders. After the grasp Of Italian Sovereignty
had weakened in the hands Of the Constantine.
ople EmpcrOrs, and Italy had presented her
delightful plains, unprotected, 10 the adven.
turouS tillibusters Of those times, the Lom-
bards were the first to take advantage, by an
easy conquest, Of such an inviting field. They
conquered and settled in Lombardy; on those
fair plains that have reeled with the shock Of
cOntending armics-where all that il great
and glorious, and dark and terrible in war,
have happened. Wild fighting barbarians
they were, and soon grew to be power in
encrvatcd Italy. Not very Scrupulous were
they either, for Astolph. one Of their Kings,
seized Ravenna and then dared to besiege
Rome. There being no power in Italy strong
enough TO encounter those fierce warriors,
the Pope called on Pepin, the usurping King
Of the Franks, to come to his assistance, which
Pepin. like other French Monarchs, was not
slow in asserting to, having q very natural
wish to be invested 10 his usurpation by the
head Of the Church Then were heard for
the first time, tho trumpetS Of the French
coming over the Alps. They subdued the
I.ombArds, secured Rome to his Holiness, and
returned, the soldiers with the Pope's bless.
ing, and Pepin with his investiture. Thus,
for the first time, the French learned what lay
the other side Of the Alps. They did not for
get it in the future, nor the way thither.
The celebrated ChArlAmagne, Pepin's con.
DESTROYS Of emulatng his father, dreaming OF
adding the faded glories Of the Imperial crown
Of the West to that of the East next, Of French
Monarchs, descended into Italy. He, on his
part, invested the Pope anew in his old do
mirinns, besides adding more that was new.
The Pope, on his part-what loving reciproc-
ity.-cIOwned Chsrlemagnc Emperor Of the
West 1t was . very nominal Sovereignty
with the Carlovingians, however, and did not
last century. Alter this time, for some cen.
turtles, the French power was in allegiance in
Italy. 1t gave place to that Of the German
who held loose Sovereignty over it, with
many interruptions, under . succession Of
Othos and Henrys.
Henry II Of Germany Was crowned Emper
or and King Of Italy. The famous iron crown
Of Lombardy being Of course the insignia Of
his power. In the lapse Of time the Emperors
of Germany succeeded to the Norman throne
Of Naples and Sicily.
Then the Popcs grew jealous Of the Dutch
While high sounding titles and nominal Sow
rreignty pleased them. they were granted t.
tho extent Of their wishcs but when the tan
gib!c power Of Italy began to gather in thci.
hands. the Popcs, as Italian SOvereigns natu
rally enough opposed it with all their might
This brings Us TO the period Of another
French descent into Italy, in which, at the in.
stance Of the Pope. Charles Of Anjou. wrcst
ed the throne Of Naples aId Sicily from tn,
Imperial prctcntionS Of the Germans; so that
we see that Mercngos or Solferinos are no
new develo ,ments Of the evidences Of the su
pcriority ofFrench troops over German.
Now to German succeeded French intrigue
in Italy. Philip the Fair, even went SO far as
to have Bonifacc seized, and imprisoned. Il
vas also through Philips agency that Clement
the 6th-a French Bishop--got the tiara
He. like Pho Mono, had holy horror Of the
turbulence Of the Romans refused to quit
France, and so the Papacy was centered for
many years at Avignon. A period now was
initiated when :he French campaigncd in Italy
more by policy than force; which state Of
things was interrupted by the wild, weak and
Quixotical schemes Of Charles VIII. This
Monarch was singularly unfortunate. His
father denied him the education not only of a
Prince but o gentleman and his own after ef-
forts TO remedy this defect were most injudi-
cious. His fayOrite reading was Of the cele
brated exploits Of Cesar and Charlemagne,
which served but to influence . naturally vain
and ambitious spirit with vague and visionary
ideas Of glory. At the invitation Of the infa
nous Ludovico Sforza, Charles set out for
Italy to renew the hereditary claims Of the
House of Anjou to the crown Of Naples
He crossed the Alps in l494 at the head Of
1000 men and entered Italy without opposi.
ton. The Italians were terror stricken at this
formidable host, the largest that had crossed
the Alps since the irruption Of the northern
barbarians. Having defiled into Rome on his
route in February, 1895, he entered Naples at
the head Of his troops, Ferdinand, the King,
having fed to Sicily, hopeless Of causing his
subjects to stand by him in this perilous ex-
tremity. Charles now thinking he had done
enough for glory resigned himslf, without be-
slowing thought on bis new dominions, to
eli the Iicentious prOmptings Of his disposition.
During this period Of supineness and dis
graceful levity, the league Of Venice was form.
ed which woke him up to the extreme peril