New-York tribune., 1871-04-22

The proportion OF crimes against property the same
The OF saerno, it appears enjoys the prmacy
of crime In Southern Italy Again, taking the whole
Kingdom from January 1851, to May, 1870 5000 orders
OF arrest were for various classes OF offenders not
one OF which was executed Thus army Of criminals
spread about the country living in concealinent or
taking to the mountains who were driven TO crime by
the very necessities OF life This fearful state OF things
has at awakened the attention of the Government
and ministers have brought in b most think, OF
an inefficient character, TO check the evil. l will
not trouble you with the details OF 1t but
so long witnesses fear to give evidence aud
juries propagate crime by finding extenuating
circumstances barbarous murders public security
Italy cannot be said to exist In the Romagna and the
Calabas such is the fear inspired by criminals at large
that no one denounces them and the conviction has
become almost part OF public morality that 1t is dis
graceful for the victim TO reveal the name OF his
derer" An instance OF this kind lately occurred, and
have my self met with similar In addition to the
tmidity which often defeats the ends OF public justice
there exists throughout the country maudlin senti
mentality which controls the verdcts OF uries This
week the celebrated case OF Antonio Ardit accused Of
having poisoned his father, and OF his wife and servant
charged as accOmpces terminated after trial which
Lasted IS days The antecedents OF the accused were
bad AS the Imagination could well conceive. A post
morte examination OF the body OF the deceased proved
the existence Of acOne In the stomach and the strongest
circumstantia evidence showed that only the could
employed the case, and the Public Minister well
the advocates for the defense displayed an eoquence
rare even at the Italian bar. The general conviction
was believe, that the guilty Yet mark the
verdict "The accused Antonio Arditi IL guilty M prin
| cipal OF having voluntarily administered poison To
Giuseppe Arditi. In the opinion OF majority OF soyen;
the said Antonio Arditi Is guilty Of having inflicted
wounds on the head OF his mother with weapons
OF ofense, In the opinion OF the majority. ma
iority concur I'm representing that there extenu
ating circumstances" whereupon the Public Minister
demanded In the OF the law that the Court should
condemn Antonio Ardti TO hard labor and mprison
ment life, which accordingly done. Considering
the case all ts features one OF the worst OF the
many OF murder perperaei In Naples that have
long heard Of and yet maudin public sentiment puts
forward "exenuating circumstances" is 1t to he won
dered at that OF blood" increase In fearful de-
greet II Ia more agreeable to remark the influence
which the wild OF the Parisians now exercise
public opinion and feeling II ia suspected that the
Government fears that the fever extend TO this cou
try. feet has been equipped, and an order for dis
banding many thousands Of the reserves has been sns
pended My experience OF the Italians during many
years leads 10 believe that they are much less In
constant and volatile than the French They have had
their revolutions 1t is true but with the sole object OF
destroying the most degrading despotlsms. while with