New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1874-07-02
The Italian Slaves.

The bill, which became law last week,
for the emancipation Of italian children is,
to that race in this country, blessing. The
little Italian children that go about our large
cities playing the violin and the harp, have
in the main been kidnapped from their pa
rents in Italy and brought to this country
and placed upon the streets by those who
claim them as .their property. They are
made slaves Of in the city of New York and
other cities. The treatment Of the little
Italian is the most barbarous. Their igno-
rance of the English language prevented
their complaining to any who could help them.
The ears of their own cOuntrymen were
deaf to their wrongs, with the noble exeep.
ton of the phiianthropist who has succeeded
in inducing Congress to pass law for the
emancipation of the suffering children
Signor CELsO CESAR MORENO. This gen.
tlcman is deserving the highest encOmums
for his indefatigable zeal in the cause of his
oppressed countrymen. He has expended
his money and given his time without stint
for the liberation of the little Italian children
from the rapacity and cruel oppression of the
pad,oni. The Importance Of his work and
the accomplishment of his desire may be
gathered from the following letter written
by Signor Moreno to Senator Sumner and
General Negley:
New YORK. January 4, 1874.
My DEAR SIR: You, distinguished menu
Der of that glorious Republican party which
has done and suffered so much for liberty,
and that las accomplished the magnanimous
deed-the abolition Of slavery in the South
ern States-why do you not raise your pow
erful voice in behalf of oppressed and defense
less infantile humanity? Ten Thousand
(lO. OOO) of italian children, of both sexes,
are in the principal cities of the United
States, kept by heartless padroni in the most
abiect slavery and subjected to the most
cruel treatment after having been kidnapped
or torn away from their parents in the south
ern provinces of Italy under some subterfuge,
principally the one to have the children learn
mechanical trades.
Since August 1871, I have done all in my
power to bring before the public this infa-
nous traffic in Italian children. wrote to
the King of Italy, to Messrs. Correnti, LAMA,
Menabrea, Visconti, Venosta, and Ming
hetti, members of the Kings Cabinet, to
Senators and members of the Italian Parlia-
mcnt, to several newspapers, both in Italy
and in America. Now, respectfully, l re-
quest you, NJ. Neglcy, to introduce bill in
the House Of Representatives, early this ses-
sion of Congress, for the adjustment OF this
great wrong, and you may be assured that,
besides my thanks, the thanks and benedic-
| tons of these unfortunate children and Of
their desolate mothers will follow you all
through Your career.
In addition to this evil there is another;
thousands ofmen and women Of all ages who
have been induced by ring of greedy, char
acterless, and irresponsible Italians to leave
their happy homes in Italy and come to this
country under the false representations Of
large grants of fertile lands in South Caro-
lima, Vineland, New Jersey, and elsewhere,
under milder climate than that of their native
place, and numerous chances of finding gold
mines in the lands which will be allotted to
them, as we'll as of fabulous and easy gains
which will enable them to accumulate good
fortune in few years and it is even pro-
posed to them, if they have not the ready
cash, the passage will be paid by the So
called great and wealthy land company, pro-
vided mortgage is given upon their farms
or other real estate in Italy to the quadruple
amount OF the passage money. But, alas!
such bright dreams soon disappear. On their
arrival here, they are under the control of
their deceivers, and thrown by them into the
streets as organ-grinders, some with little
dancing girl or a monkey, others to black
boots, others to sweep the streets, Others to
pick up rags or dirty papers, and the infirm
and the old men and women are put as beg
gars at the corners of the streets and churches;
others also are sent around to houses and
Offices with false certificate in hand of losses
by fire or water or papal or government per-
secutiOns 10 their native country; others are
compelled 10 play the part OF the blind, &c.,
&C., &c., and every evening they have to
give an account Of their earnings through
the day to their impostors. The various
headquarters of my swindled and helpless