The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1872-07-30

ed better dog
story, l can show him the place where
Knave is buried.
The SPIRIT OF ITALIAN PATRIOTISM.
France exerts a powerful influence
over the peoples of the two peninsulas
beyond the Alps and the Pyre1ees. All
three peoples - French. Italian, and
Spanish-aro united in their humanitar.
ian spirit by contiguity of territory, and
are one in the Latin race and blood. Con-
sequen.ly our ideas are analogous, our
movements simultaneous, our revolutions
mutually contagious. But the spirit of
all Italian policy in the present century,
and especially the impulses of republican
ism, are invariably connected with that
cause which fills with enthusiasm the
hearts Of all the inhabitants of the penn-
sula--The cause of independence. The
Croats on the fertile plains of Lombardy
and the beautiful lagoons of Venice their
guns mounted on the fortresses of such
patriotic cities as Verona, and Peschiera,
their lieutenants commanding in Modena,
in Parma, even in the Attic Florence !:
the genius of the Bourbon inherited from
the ancient Spanish domination converting
into prisons those sunny regions bathed
by the classic waves of the Tirrhene. and
Illuminated by the inspiring sun Of Mag
ma Grecia; the ponti6cate in Rome, which
through its universal ministry and its cos
mopolitan authority, is always bringing
foreign intervention to Italy-all these
historic misfortunes filed the Italians
with dispair whose echoes are felt in
the stanzas Of her poetry and the caden-
ces OF her music. tinged with such sad.
ness that you seem to hear in them, as in
the lamentations of the prophet, the sol
of an entire people.
The fate of Italy has interested us al.
ways, and always will interest us. like
our own fate. From the soil of italy
our own bones are made From the Ia
bles of the pretors comes our law and
the language which we speak is the son.
orous echo OF that which resounded 10 the
tribune of the Rostra. The temple in
which our first prayers ascend is shadow
OF the universal catholic spirit of Rome
Our poetry was sucked at the breast OF
Italy, and our arts of coloring and design
sprang, like Venus from her SHE'LL from
the Italian palette. All nations owe
something to the Italian-France, the
teaching of St. Thomas for her philoso-
piers and of Cellini for her artists Ger.
many the thought of Giordano Bruno,
who appears like an anticipation of the
German genius; Spain, the inspiration OF
christopher Columbus, who created world
like the Divine word. Nevertheless. all
nations have opposed her, forced her to
10 adorn our palaces, to tinge our robes
with her colors, to delight US with her
song, and have compelled the divinity o..
her arts to do us service, as if the I.al.
lans had always to play in the modern
world the part of the Greeks in the an.
cient imperial word--our masters but
still our slaves
But Italy, nevertheless, did not loose
her great spirit, and her dignity of mind
and heart. All the revelations, music,
sculpture, letters, philosophy and law,
were consecrated to the vindication of her
personality and independence. Her pol.
itlcs more than anything else was tinged
oy this universal aspiration, and especial
ly her republican policy. A people
which has lived so long and with such
glory as Italy never renounces its tradi.
tiops. Therefore Italian republicanism
has something Of the old SAVIOR in it,
something Of the classic spirit Its men
have been chiefly inspired by the men of
Plutarch There is in them the same
sacrifice of private to public virtues, of
conscience to country. Conspiracy ap-
pears the permanent state of the mind,
while tyranny continues. Their own in
divlduality disappears for the advantage
OF general liberties The secret society
takes possession Of tho men, accompanies
hun through life e,commands him through.
out the world, and demands of him even
the ailment OF his conscience, aud, if it is
necessary, death. Every republican i'm.
AGNES himself the judge and the execu-
toner OF despots Tyranncide becomes
dogma. There is no code, human or
divine, for these classic trllumes which
could protect wretch capable or subuga.
ting his country, of invading the domestic
hearth of prosecuting the family; of TAX
ing from the eyes Of the people the light
OF their native heaven, and of attacking,
like hyenas, the remains of past geuer.
ations. Thus in the Italian democracy
you will encounter many who have taken
for their model that ancient patrican the
descendant Of those who abolished the
monarchy in Rome, the disciple Of Cato,
the master Of Cassius, the husband OF
Portia, student OF the Platonic dialogues
which breathe the sentiment of immor.
tality, discreet in his language, resolute
in his actions, capable of killing tyrani
even though he were his own benefactor.
and taking his own life on that clear and
starry night of Philippi in which he lost
the hope of seeing liberty once more in
Rome. | do not think that Brutus ex.
ceeded the stoicism of the Italian pat.
riots who, blinded by their love of the re-
public, went to Paris and attacked the
emperor, and then died eheerlully, invok-
ing the name of their country, as if the
guillotines were where they welded i'm
mortality.
The SOCIAL REVOLUTION IN WASHING.
ToN.-Things have changed in Washing.
ton. A dozen years ago our colored
brother was no positive weight n the So
cial or political scale. His present status