National Republican., 1877-10-25
Slavery In England /.


IL may seem an astonishing statement buA
II is nevertheless true that there exists in the
civilization Of this nineteenth century trails
in human beings scarcely eIcollcd In barbarity
by the dark ages, Of which this right little,
tight little island" is the center. Poor, isnos.
ant and crafty Italians are the traders and
Seapolitan beggar qanias Of tender age are the
slaves. These wretcbed little ones are lenS
out to hire for term Of years or sold, outright
for sums Of money to italian padroni who
import them into England, to regularly estab-
lishcd "dcpots" in London, Liverpool, Brad
ford and other towns, whence they are
distributed throughout the country and
exhibited In the public streets Of cities
to plead for pennies which find their
way by secret channels straight 10
the pockets Of their employers. The poor
children being able to speak nothing but ttak
ian, are unable to complain Of their wretohed-
ness to any but the padrOni, and precious littls
sympathy their sorrowhil tales incite in the
hearts Of men whose money is coined from
from signs and tears. The homes Of thsas
slaves are the lowest and most squalid, their
only c0mpanionship that Of thieves and VII
lains Of even deeper dye, and Of course thsy
grow up entirely without education, except IN
crime. They are compelled to walk from Italy.
| through sunny France, into England, earniA1
the scanty morJcls of food which are Crude
ingly given them merely to keep soul ssi
body together, by
DANCING AND SINGING,
when their little hearts are breaking undo
| daily abuses and their fragile limbs ready b
sink from exhaustion and fatigue. Many,
unused to such scveritics, mercifully perish In
| the terrible journey, for which Heaven b.
| thanked; for An early death is preferable for
these unfortunates to the lives they arc con-
demned to lead.
A charity organization has lately been aD-
pointed to inquire into this nefsrious traAA
and Its report states that within the past few
years there has been great increase, esPo-
| cially in the importation OF Italan girls. THey
| are taught to play on tambourine and othsf
| musical instruments, and are initiated lao
THE ART OF BEaoISG AND STEALING,
while care is taken that their childish coun,
| tenances have never cause 10 show gleam q
| cheermlness, aud thus deprecizte their market
value. The picturesque and tsttcred oos-
| tunes and the fOrlorn and piteous faces Of the
| hoine-sick and suffering little wretches com
| pei even tho most stony hearted and thoss
who are conscientiousy averso to indiscrimi-
| nate charity to give them the money which
they seem so much to need. But aims 80 be-
| slowed are mistaken generosity, of no beneht
To the real sufferers, but serving only to invits
| the cupidity of their owners to fresh cruelti0
to increase their pitiful appearance, which b
| their stock in tnde
Such iniquitics, pcrpctnted by the strong
| against the weak. the wicked upon the inno-
cent. are damaging to the doctrine Of "fore-or-
| dnation," and the comfortable theory that
| whatever is, il right" If the careless heart
of humanity Is indifferent to the woes Of thess
child.martyH how long shall the justice sleep
Of Him who notes even the fall Of sparrow