Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1874-04-18

children attend the public schools,
where under the old state of things,
there were no schools provided for
the children of the poor But there
are still $4,000 ragged urchins who
never put foot inside of a school
room, or know letter of the al
phabet. The friends of a united and
progressive Italy complain of the
HOSTILITY OF THE CLERICALS
towards the free school system, and
charge them with keeping their
children out of school by poisoning
the minds of their mothers against
the system, while they are too lazy
or indifferent themselves to open
schools and teach them. 1t is charg-
ed against the ClericalS that they
are in favor of ignorance for the
sake of superstition, and are afraid
of popular education of the masses
lest it may cause them to lose the alb
solute control they exercise over the
minds of the lower orders, especially
the women.
The feeling towards the Clericals,
on the part of the friends of the
Goverument, is very bitter; but the
Ciericals reciprocate the animoSity
with interest, and wait and hope for
the expected French Intervention
which is to dethrone Victor Emanu-
ell and break Italy into fragments,
as of yore. But, from present ap-
pearances, that event is long way
off. Every day is strengthening,
not only the determination of the
people to maintain national unity,
but to defend it against France or
anv other Power; while the feeling
in France against interference in the
affairs of Italy is steadily gaining
force. The Italians have a standing
army of 100000 men. Each year
there are $4,000 young men called
to serve in the ranks, and an equal
number who have served three
years are furloughed and sent home,
until their services are needed in time
of war. Already over 100000 men
have been thus drilled and furlough-
ed. In few years more, the Gov
ernment will be able to call out
A MILLION
of we'll trained and disciplined sol
diers to defend Italy against inva
sion. All classes of young men must
serve in the ranks, without the right
of substitution, whether prince or
peasant, noble or workman. Those
who are unable to read and write
when they enter the ranks are re-
quired to learn, and cannot receive Il
discharge until they can pass an ex-
animation in reading, writing and
the elements of arithmetic. The COM
pany-officers and sergeants are re-
quired to teach the illiterate privates.
From Southern Italy, three-fourths
of all the conscripts, when they en-
ter the army can neither read nor
write. In Central Italy, the proper
tion is so per cent; and in Northern
Italy, about 40 per cent. Sardinia
only returns about % per cent. of
'know-noth ngs,," while some prov
inces OF Southern Italy returned IS
per cent. a few years ago. The Lib
erals say that the Clericals may in
tercept education at home, but they
can't prevent the Captains and Lieu
tenants from teaching the young
men to read the newspapers, or the
Bible, or the history of Italy, after
they don the National uniform. An
ether thing is done: The conscripts
are mixed together in the regiments.
The better educated and more pat
riotic young men of the Northern
States are put into regiments with
the less-educated conscripts of the
Southern; and regiments composed
mainly of Northerners are sent to do
duty in the South, and vice versa,
those of the South are sent to the
Northern States. A few years ago,
the people of the several States of
Italy had scarcely any intercourse or
acquaintance with each other, and
spoke a dozen dialects, greatly diff
fering from each other. But the
method of mixing and educating the
young soldiers is having the happiest
effect in curing these defects, and in
producing and dilfusing a national
and patriotic sentiment all over lta-
ly. In making the people of the diff
ferent sections acquainted with each
other, trade and commerce are foster
ed and increased, and national pros
perity is thereby promoted.
But returning to Naples after this
DEPRESSION: The fashionable part of
the city is
THE "wEsT END,"
which is long strip between the sea
wall and the ridge called Mount PO-
solipo. On this sloping strip of
ground is laid off, next the sea, lit
tie park, of about the width of the
Michigan Avenue Lake-Park, and
perhaps mile in length. The park
is beautifully decorated with many
kinds of semi-tropical trees, which
are ever green, with fountains and
groups of statuary, and laid off IN
Shady walks. One or two little
round temples, with statuary within,
after the Greek style, and two or
three handsome Ice-cream and cake
restaurants, are also in the park, for
the delectation of visitors.
A wide avenue runs along this
park, the outer thirty feet of which
is fenced off for the use of equestri-
ans, aud the inner seventy feet is
paved with broad granite tagging
for the carriage driveway. The OPP
posite side of the street is occupied
by numerous four or five story pal
aces, and hotels, and residences of
the wealthy classes. Nearly all the
strangers who visit Naples take up
their quarters on this favorite, sunny
avenue, called the
RIVIERA DI CHIAJA,
which looks out to the south over the
park and bay, and commands view
of mountain and island-scenery hard
to surpass. Every afternoon, all the