The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1860-06-27
The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.
The operations of Garibaldi in Sicily,

The operations of Garibaldi in Sicily
render the following account of the coun
try peculiarly interesting at this time
The kingdom OF the Two Sicilies com.
prises all the southern portion of the Ital-
ian peninsula, from he southern bound.
ary of the States of the Church, and
likewise the splendid island of Sicily
The latter contains about $1,000 square
miles, the peninsula about $1,000; SO
that, together, the area of the kingdom
is about as large aa that of the State OF
Louisiana. The population may be
roughly stated at 5000, 900, Of which
Sicily contains over two-probably not
more than quarter of the population Of
the same region eighteen hundred years
ago. This kingdom, and these nine mil
lions Of people, are ruled by francesca
Secondo, a Bourbon, son of that king
who was known throughout the civilized
world by the nickname Of Bomba, in con-
sequence of his fondness for bombarding
his own cities. The occurrence at Mar
sala shows that in this respect, the son
treads dutifully in the steps of the father
No part of the globe has been more fav-
ored by nature than the kingdom of the
Two Sicilies. Blessed with splendid
climate, a large area of very fertile land,
sea coast even more extensive, in pro-
portion to the interior, than that of the
United States, healthy air. and an ad-
mirably central position, Sicily and South
ern Italy were evidently intended to be
the garden and the granary of the Med
iteranean. But nature was not satisfied
with supplying this happy region with
the ordinary products of fertile countries
Besides wheat, maize, cotton, rice, oil,
wine, tobacco, olives, fruits, which il
can produce as abundanty as any other
part of the world, the kingdom of the
Two Sicilies contains sulphur, silk, and
mamma, in quantities sufficient-if the
production were wisely encouraged-to
afford handsome public revenue, and
to enrich a large population. 1t enjoys
every variety OF climate snowy sum
mis on the Abruzzi look down upon de-
licious temperate regions in the mountain
valleys and tropical plains in Southern
Sicily.
There was a time when these adyanta-
ges were appreciated by their possessors.
and turned to good account. Before
Rome, Tarentum flourished and rivalled
the great cities of Asia in splendor. Au-
thentic European history dates from the
great struggle between Rome and Car
thage for the possession of Sicily. From
the close of that war down to the dark
ages, Sicily was what God intended il
to be-the garden of the Mediterranean
When fierce North winds delayed the
arrival of Siclian ships at Rome, rich
men were forced to put up with plain
food and the poor starved. Nor was
Southern Italy less prosperous. On the
hills where the long struggles between
Rome and Samnium, Rome and Umbria,
and lastly Rome and Hannibal had been
fought out, countless flocks of sheep and
goats were fattened for the markets of the
Imperial City the shore was studded
with tlourlshing towns and lovely Roman
villas. Wealth, plenty. happiness and
luxnry-such is the picture Of Southern
Italy which we find in the historians Of
the palmy days Of Rome,
What change now In the penin-
sular portion of the kingdom there is but
one town Of any size-Naples in Sicily
two-Messina and Palermo-both mon
uments of the past rather than actors in
the movements of the present day OF
the 1900, 900 inhabitants, about 40, 900
are priests and monks, and probably
100000 dependent, directly and indl-
rectly, on the Church for support. The
Church owns nearly one-third of all the
land in Sicily. The foreign trade of the
country has fallen away to mere nominal
proportions, and would have been extin.
guished altogether but for the indignant
remonstranees for foreign nations. For
years the best men in the kingdom have
been either driven to foreign countries or
kept in dungeons at home. The govern
ment, sustained by Austrian troops and
Austrian influence. appears to have de-
voted itself exclusively TO the extension
of the power OF the Jesuts, and the
crushing out of liberal ideas. The re.
ports OF the travellers who went through
Calabria after the fate earthquake are
fearfully suggestive. In most instances
the only relief obtained by the sufferers
came from foreigners. The English and
Germans raised a large fund for the pur-
pose, but refused TO allow any portion OF
it TO be dsbursed by native officials. The
almoner OF the English fund--a man OF
great energy and courage. went through
the devastated region in person. with the
money. In one place he was attacked by
robbers ; the man who tried 10 garrotc
him, while contederates grasped AT his
bag OF ducats. was the village curate,
This was in broad daylight This is the
kingdom, and these the institutions which
Garibaldi has gone to war 10 overthrow
London Netgs.