The Jewish advance., 1879-08-22

guished General and Minister on one
occasion gave public utterance to the
respect he felt for him and the services
his pen bad rendered to the Italian cause.
Giacomo Dina was born at Turin, in the
month of August, 1924, of Jewish pa
rents of moderate means. After hav-
ing completed his studies in the Colonna
College, where he distinguished himself
by the intense love he manifested for
the study Of Biblical literature and
philosophy, he became secretary to the
distinguished Orientalist Lelio Cantoni,
of Mantua, the Chief Rabbi of the Jew
ish University of Turin, and at the same
time commenced an ardent study of for
eign languages and political economy,
succeeding so well that in compara-
lively short time he was able to read
Gethe's Faust and Byron's Don Juan
in the originals
In 1847, Giovanni LAMA, afterwards
Prime Minister, Massimo Cordero di
Montezemolo, Carlo Pellati, and others,
founded the Opinione newspaper, and
Dina was engaged as writer Of politi-
cal and financial articles, to become
few months later it's editor-in- chief on
the retirement of Aurelio Bianchi-Gio-
vini, to whom the direction had first
been confded From that time Dina's
life became merged in that of the paper,
and in the events Of the resurrection of
his country, for which comparatively
unheard of behind his editorial desk
he fought as steadily with the pen as
others did with the sword, and that
equally at the expense of his life. Over
wrought with excessive work he was
struck with paralysis at the end of 1877,
when only in his fifty third year; and
other attacks following at intervals, he
died at Turin on Thursday, the 18th
ult.
In March. 1867, he was returned to
Parliament, sitting for Imola until 1870,
and from that year until 1876 for Citta
di CASTILLO but in entering Parliament
he had no intention of seeking new dis
tinction there. As the editor of the
Opinsone he had all he desired. He
neither was nor wished to be anything
more than d journalist. To have made
the Clptnsone what It is, was sufficient
boast for him. and the position thatspa-
per has gained, the authority it possess
es, and the influence it exercises, afford
the amplest proof of his ability. 1t is
justly considered the leading organ of
the Right, but Dina never permitted it
to become, like the great majority of
the Italian papers, the mere servant Of
a party.
" His aim was to make it the express
sion of italian, not sectional, opinion
and hence it was often, as, in fact, it is
at the present moment, the Indicator of
the course the Right should follow,
rather than the dumb reflector Of what
others had determined. When, for in
stance, the September Convention was
signed, Dina looked upon the removal of
the capital to Florence as the accom-
plishment of a stage, not, as many of
the party considered it, the completion
of journey. He was man of extern
sive culture, ell-balanced mind, and
tolerant Of the opinions Of others. A
limpid and powerful writer, he was able
to inf1ict severe punishment with his
pen, and, when necessary, used it with
unsparing rigor; but, even in the hottest
strife of political controversy, he never
overstepped the boundaries of what is
permissible in argument and what was
due to the position of the paper he con-
Quoted
" His conduct in this respect is recog-S
nized as having afforded an example to
italian journalists, and it may be claimed
for him to have done more than any
other political writer in Italy to main
tain the dignity and raise the tone of
the Italian press. How much this was
his desire, was manifested by the inter
est he took in the welfare of the re-
ntly-established Associazione della
Stampa Italiana, of which he was one
of the Vice-Presidents, and to which he
has left legacy of 1,OOOf'