The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-09-20
BALTIMORE.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1860

In an interesting paper, descriptive of the pro-
auctions of the lonan Islands, and of certain
portions of Italy, which was written recently
by Mr. PARSONS of New York, at the instance
of the Agricultural Bureau at Washington, some
of the causes which operated to bring about the
recent revolution in Sicily briefly hut peril
neatly given. The population of Sicily is set
down at two millions three hundred and fifty
thousand. Its area is estimated at rather more
than six and a half millions of acres. Of the
latter, four millions of acres are cultivated with
wheat, four hundred and twenty thousand with
grapes, one hundred and fifty thousand with
olives, forty thousand with oranges and lemons,
thirty thousand "nh sumac one million
hundred thousand are devoted to grazing pur-
poses. and twenty thousand acres are left in
woodland. The climate and soil are described as
remarkably fine, the peasantry industrious, and
nothing wanting hut enterprise among the men
of wealth. and non-i2terference on the part of the
government. How the latter sought persistently,
by oppressive edicts to parayze the energies OF
spirited capitalists may be understood from the
the following statement Of facts. ''The Neapoli-
'tan Government" says Mr.. Parsons very mild
ly, sis far from being paternal; 1t is, he adds
with much more force and drectness-'th thorough
sly repressive of all development" DESTROYS of
keeping the Sicilians poor, it even went so far as
to sacrifice its own revenues TO attain that object
by imposing a burden on every branch ofinduStry
that became too profitable. Large quantities Of
''Wheat," we are told, ''were at one time
"grown, and Sicily babe fair to become pro-
'ducer Of that grain-Government then forbade its
deportation. They began the production of
oni-Goyernment forbade its expectation.
''They produce largely Of sumac-Government
''forbade the export of trees, and may next forbid
''the export of the ground article. Some enter
Uprising men desired TO construct railroad; the
"stock was all taken and they were about to COM
"mence the work-Governmen threw obstacles
Gin the way and the project was aban-
"doned' Each tree newly planted paid
annually a tax either to the Government or
TO the Church-which owns two-thrds of
of the Isand-''if the tree died the tax was not
''remitted Under such degrading policy as
this, is it any wonder that the Sicilians rose in
Instruction; or that GARIBALDI was hailed as a
deverer? We who live under free institutions
elect our own rulers, dictate our own laws; and
or with any kind of enterprise legitmately I'M
dertaken, can scarcely imagine the intolerable
burthens that have been borne by some of the
farest provinces of Italy, or the system Of re-
preston, whereby the slightest symptoms of disaf-
fection were stifed in damp and loathsome dun
geons or by the more summary processes OF the
cord the knife or the bullet. The despotsm of the
petty sovereigns Of Tuscany, Parma and Modena,
was mild in comparison with that exercised by the
NeapoItau BourSons Even Austrian rule in
Lombardy, insoent and intolerant as it was,
pressed more heavily upon the intelligence
and wealth of the principal towns, than
upon the industrial population of the
rural districts 1t was in the cities that the Aus
TRAN scourge was most deeply felt, and it is there
fore not surprising that the greater portion of the
volunteers who fought under the standard OF Sar-
DINA in that brilliant campaign which was ter
minated by the victory Of S"lfrino, should nave
been drawn from the chief centres of population.
In Venea, at the present time, the Austrian tax
amounts to sixty cents every dollar OF income,
over and above a certain specified sum-whch re-
lieves, by indrection, the peasantry from the
burden that is put upon all others. With the
spirit that animates the people of ltaly-calm,
steadfast, hopeful and harmonious-it mist be
evident that the revolution, which is now in the
act of purging the Kingdom Of the Two Slcllles OF
the Bourbons, cannot stop short of including We
META also The noble reply of Lombardy, when
Austria offered in 1S4S to consent to recognize the
freedom of Lombardy, on condition that Feneta
should be restored to her, can scarcely have been
forgotten " We will stand or fall together was
the substance of the response; and if such were
the sentiments of patriotic Italians when RADETsKY
was recruiting his forces behind the Adige, and
the whole power of Austria was exerted to subject
the revoted provinces once more to her sway,
who in the present altered condition of affairs,
can believe that GARIBALDI, supported by the
unanimous approval of his countrymen, and in
dignanty spurning diplomatic intrigues, will stop
short in his victorious career when he has entered
the Neapolitan capital in triumph and driven its
King into exile?
Even as we write, tidings from Europe reach
us that the Dynasty of the Neapolian Bourbons is
at an end. The young King of Naples has quilted
ANONYMOUSLY his Capital, and taken refuge on
board of Il Spanish vesse-of-war bound for Gaeta.
GARBALDI was reported to be within days march
of Naples, where all was quiet. The time, there
fore, has arrived when the Italian Liberator must
decide upon his future course. Being clothed in
Naples, as in Sicily, with dictatora powers, he is
free to a certain extent, to act according to the
dictates of his own Judgment. 1t is doubtful how
ever, whether England or France would view with
Indifference an attack either upon Venetia or the
Southern States of the Church. and it is more than
probable that they will endeavor to dissuade GAR
IBALDI from attempting to prosecute his enterprise
beyond the point he has already reached. But even
if he was disposed to listen to the advice, it is
tremey questionable whether he could resist the
popular enthusiasm which now, more vehemently
than ever will demand the consummation of the
NAPoLEoNIC programme-'l liberation of Italy
"from the Alps TO the Adratc."