Louisiana capitolian., 1881-11-03
GARIBALDl and Hts SONS.


one would describe him as % man with
the heart of lion and the head of O less
redoubtable animal. But it IS impossi-
BILE to do justice to q great man in o
couple of lines. The truth is that it is
not Garibaldi's head that is small but
his heart that is 50 large. The moral
qualities in him have dwarfed the intel
lcctual Consumed through half q life
time with burning sense Of his coun-
try's wrongs, he lost the power OF dis
cussing political questions with calmness
He could scarcely be blamed for failing
to see that Austria was political neces-
sity (; or that even treaties which i'm
posed q foreign yoke upon Italy repre-
sented international engagements Of
the most solemn kind and could not
be flung into the fire ut u moments no.
tice without imperilling higher than
national interests. His trade has been
to fight not to critiCise to do, not to
think. 1t was Mazzini who
"Bade the conqueror 60 forth,
"And launched that thunderbolt OF war.
on Sicily, Naples and Rome. The one
thought out the idea of united Italy !;
the other worked it out
,Sisie yiator, heroa calcas. That is the
mood in which one should approach the
examination of such o character as Carl
baldi's; thankful that 1T is indeed d he
70 one has to deal with, nor vainly re-
GREETING that he is not a critic into the
bargain. If the utterances of the old
warrior have been Incorporate of late
years, one must make allowances for the
efleryescence of the spirit which car
ried him to victory in 1860. Had he
then reflected, Italy might still be
awaiting her savior. They laughed at
Turin when he sailed for Marsa)a. "That
poor Garibaldi,p said Victor Emanuel,
as he lighted cigar, "ho'll infallibly
get hanged, and then what "a fine funer-
al we shall give him" 4 few mouths
later Garibaldi saluted him Us King OF
Italy "Ah, Garibaldi, how do you
do !" was his Majesty's only reply. As
a matter of fact, the easy-going monarch
was not particularly pleased at the ad-
dition to his responsibilities. The indo-
lence and apathy Of those whom he shed
his blood to raise to honor-these Carl
baldi has always found the most tronb-
lcsome obstacles in his path. No won
der he hates Opportunism and Modera-
tion. Too often he heard them prated OF
while Poerio and Carafa languished in
the dungeons of BOmba.
The zeal Of humanity has eaten him
up; and let it always be remembered tc
his praise that the lberator Of Italy il
man before all things. He is o friend
of every country and his own. Let Q
nation be in trouble and Garibaldi will
come to the rescue. Ii matters not that
the nations troubleis of it's own making
He will even forgive that nation the
wrong it may have done to Italy. How
bitterly Garibaldi felt the annexation
of Nice to France he showed in Other
ways than by the issue of flaming proc
lamatons. A friend of mine was once
in conversation with him, when the
General took out his cigar-case. As he
rendered the contents, "they are all,
he SAID, "that is left me of my country
for they were of Nizzan manufacture
Yet when France lay well-nigh pros
trate after Sedan, Garibaldi Indignantly
secuted the idea that advantage should
be taken of the situation to strike a
blow for the recovery of Nice and Savoy
He did more; receiving small thanks
from Generals who would have prefer
red the ruin of their country to its de-
liverance by foreigner.
The story Of the cigar would be incom
plete, if / omitted to mention one lit
tie circumstance. Italians who dc
not gamble are among the thrifties1
of mortals, and Nizzans are pre-eminent
ly Italian in this respect. His friend
having helped himself, Garibaldi broke
q cigar carefully in two, restored one
half to the case, and lighted the other
A poor man, he considered that tht
strictest economy was due to the dignity
of the cause he represented: and it wa.
a cruel blow to his self-respect to have
to apply for pension. Not his own ne
cessities, but his son Ricciotti's debts
compelled the step. Ricciotti has beef
described as ''the gentleman" Of th'
family. Certainly he is son many 9
father would be proud of-blessed witt
courage, generosity, talent aud % charm
ing manner: but lacking the virtue
(Which republicans like to claim as thel