Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1866-12-28
Correspondence Of the Boston JOurnal.l
The advancement of Italy.
LETTER FROM " "CARLETOS,p ~
FLORENCE, Nov. &c, 1866.
FLORENCE, Nov. I6. 1866.

The struggle of ls59-the short, decisive cam
paign. beginning at Magenta and ending at
Solferino. By which the Austrians were pushed
out Of LombardY, was followed hy the revo
luton in Tuscany, Naples-or the Two Sicilies,
as thst Kingdom was called and the States of
the Church, all Of which. with tie exception of
the present territory Of the Pope. were annexed
TO Sardinia To speak more correc;ly, We should
say, that the Constitution aud King Of Sardinia
were accepted by the people Of these kingdoms
and duchies, and that Italy became nation.
Naples at that time WIS ground to poverty
and degradation between tW0 millstones that OF
the Bourbon King and that Of the Church.
VIII ch grodnl hardest il Is difficult 10 say. The
King was a despot and tyraut he was, how
ever, but one man, while those eccltsiastics who
lived upon the people were numbered By thon
sands. There were 1920 establishments for
men, containing II ,6ll monk, OF whom SSgg
were mendicauts. The rem iiuiug 47l2 had an
annual revenue Of Sg50,0O0. In addition there
were 272 nunneries, continuing S,00l nuns,
having an annual income from invested proper
ty Of S95O,OOO, makinga total annual income Of
one million eight hundred anI eighty thousand
dollars, Consumed by l2,7I3 men aud women,
who were nCn-producers IN the Community, and
who, however ferveut their prayers may have
oeea. gave only prayers and the counting Of
beads in return, with perhaps on the part Of the
nuns occasional nursing to the sick
The valuation Of this property is estimated at
about fifteen million dollars.
We are not 10 confound the converts aud nun
Leries with the churches. which are possessed
Of almost fabulous wealth. The report on the
valuation Of The property Of the iInglom gives
the total annual revenue Of the colleges, chap
ters aud churches At Thirteen miili07 ir-o hun
dred thousand dollars! Let It's be capital
iEed at four per cent. and We have an invest
ment Of over HircteeH hundred million dollars.
otrHed and controlled By the R0xaa Church
in Italy, not including the enormous wealth ac-
cumulated at Rome This Is about equal TO
four-hfihs or the present national debt Of the
United States, the whole Of which has been
taken from the people by various methods.
II is hardly possible to conceive Of the ignor-
anee and debasement Of the people when the
constitution Of Sardinia was extended over
Naples a1d the States taken from the Church
Those provinces which had been under the Pope
were lowest down in the scale Ia that terrific |
~, according 10 the census Of 1864 Of every
1000 persons, 9l2 could neither read nor Erite !
Throughout the whole Of the Basilicata and |
Naples, more than nine-tenths Of the people |
were neither able to read and write Piedmont |
stands highest Of all the provinces IN the scale
OF intelligence our there 90 o. OF every 1000 |
are unable to resd OF write
According to the census Of 1864, out Of a totsl /
population Of u. .7O3, 40, there were only g. 1
eo4, ,2i5 who could read and write Here vas
a country where the Roman religion was the /
only religion. Education was wholly in the /
hands Of the priests, monks and nuns, who |
were under the jurisdiction Of the Pope, and who |
were independent Of the STATE In Naples alone
here we're 509i large parishes which had no
schools. and the few schools which were ia exis-
terce rere taught by men who were devoid Of /
the most elementary knowledge. Let ne not /
be understood as saying that eli Of the Romish |
priests are ignorant and degraded men on the 1
contrary many Of them are learned and accom-
plished, but such men are net found teaching /
common schools /; they occupy high positions in
the church, or in ecclesiastical colleges.
To comprehend the condition Of Italy as il /
was two years ag, We must compare il with the /
United States-or as the United States would be /
II II we're like Italy. Imagine all New England, |
New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania. Ohio. /
Indiana, Illinois and Michigan 10 have less than |
one thousand schools, and AL The people q those
States. every man, woman and child, 20 be un- |
able TO read or wTitc-seventeen millions in /
utter ignorance, and you will have the condition |
lf Italy