Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1871-01-26
ITALIAN UNITY
Letter from, Vice President
Schuyler CoIfaX.

The following letter from Vice
President Colfax has been received
by MIR. Theodore Roosevelt. Chair
man of the Committee of Arrange
ments of the meeting for the ceiehra-
ton of the completion of Italian
Unitv held in New York recently !:
Washington. January 6, 1871.
My Dear Sir-It woald afford me
grea. pleasure to accept the invita-
ton of your committee to attend the
meeting next week to celebrate the
completion of Italian unity if it we.' e
within my power. But public dntieA
devo'ved on me by the people, and
which have prior claim Oh my time,
forbid my leaving the Capital while
Congress is in session except in the
rarest possible cases.
While I recognize to the fullest
extent the considerations of propri-
ETY. which restrain American citizens.
and especially those in official life
from active interference with the af
fairs of other lands by illegal pro-
pagsndism. improper intervention,
&c, there is nothing in either pro-
priety or usage which prevents the
open expression of our JOY when for
eign countries take sep forward to
assimilate their Institutions in gI eat
er or lesser degree with those of
which, we are justly proud, and which,
with Gods providence blessing them,
have achieved tor us as nation our
wonderful historical progress and
development.
81 can, therefore, heartily respond
to these emphatic words of Victor
Emmanuel to the Italian Parliament:
Italy is free and one. 1t now de-
ponds on US only to render her great
and happy" We only live here un
der the protection of a constitution
which unites SO many millions of
people into one nation, forbids the
establishment of any State religion,
and which guarantees the free exer
else of all religious thought, can real
ize The full import of those short but
we;ghty words of the italian King,
free ana one" And he say truly
that it depends on her people only,
thus united and free, to render their
nation great and happy" would
rejoice evermore if Italy had reached
the summit Of true popular sover-
eighty our rebubiic has attained, for
| am one of those VITO believe that
republics, with wise men at their
heads, are possible on all continents
and in all barallels of latitude.-She
has, however. chosen her own form
of Government and we can not cal
lenge her decision. But l may add
t'iat n thing is clearer than that it
she desires to be ''great and happy"
she must establish and maintain as
the very corner stone of United Italy
civil and religious liberty. The
equality of under the law. by protect
ing in Courts and Par iaments the
civil rights of the poorest as energet
ically and faithfully as those of the
richest and most powerful, and as
the fitting adjuncts of this great idea
or civil liberty the right of all to
worshid Sod as their individual con
science commands, guaranteed alike
to jew and Gentle Protestant and
Catholic, to Priest and Layman. to
King and Pope. In this sign they
will conquer For out of this new
life civil and religious liberty will
flow peace and happiness. progress
and prosperity, with material and ns-
tional developement and advance
ment as surely as healthfnl streams
flows from fountains of purity
Respectfully, Yours.
SCHUYLER COLFAX.
THEODORE RoosEvKLT, Chairman.