National Republican., 1885-06-20
The italian Slave Trade.

From he NeC York Herald Of July 81, 1881.
Mr.. Celso Caesar Moreno, who made the
disclosure respecting the application of the
padroni (slave-holders) system to adult
Italian laborers, in an interview published
in the Herald Of June 90, has since sent to
King Humbert a letter on the same subject,
Of which the following is translation from
the Italian:
WASHINGTON, July 8, 1SS4-May II please
your majesty, thousands and tens Of thou
sands Of deceived and unhappy Italian
peasants, of both sexes, and OF all ages, are
now In the cities, towns, villages, and rural
districts Of the United States, in the ut
most squalor, misery, and degradation, un-
der the control of heartless italian padroni
and their sbameless Italian accomplices.
The condition Of these peasants is worse
than that of the late negro slaves in the
southern states.
Your majesty, the ablect and deplorable
situation Of so many thousands of Italians
(s0,O00) to-day in such inferiority mot
through their own faulty to all nationalites
in this vast, rich, generous, and free coun-
try, is foul stain and terrible and unde-
served stigma upon the prestige Of the
Italian name on this side Of the Atlantic
These words / should have addressed to
the minister Of foreign affairs of Italy, but
since July 90, 1881, on which day l had
long conversation with Signor Pasquale
Stanislao Manelni, l have felt convinced
that this minister like his predecessor, Sig
nor Benedetto Cairoli was under the per-
nicious influence Of the bureaucracy at the
consulta (the ministry of foreign affairs)
which is the principal cause of so many
evils and humilations; therefore think Il
would be time and labor lost for me to ad-
dress myself to Signor Maneni for the abo-
lition OF an evil to which many representa-
tiyps abroad and the bureaucracy itcplf ara
not strangers.
alway remembered the courteous recep-
tion which your majesty awarded to me on
my arrival in Italy In the month of March,
1881, at the quirinal palace. / take the
liberty to send direct to your majesty and
to her majesty, the queen, several Ameri-
can newspapers In which are portrayed all
the wrongs and sufferings which torment
thousands and tens Of thousands of my un-
fortunate countrymen, and the malefactors
who infict these wrongs, who are also
| Italians and get rich, fat, and lazy on the
sweat and blood Of their victims In New
| York, Boston, New Haven, Philadelphia,
Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Pittsburg, and
| even In Washington under the eyes of the
| GODDESS of Liberty over the dome of the
| capitol: The New York Herald Of June %,
| 1884; the New York Stddts Zeitlng, June 80,
| 1884; the New York Star of July /, 1884;
the Progresso Italo Americdno Of July l,
| 1884. The inclosed.. are articles taken from
the patriotic Italian journal, Roma, which
| is published in New York.
Your majesty, the weakness and lack of
influence OF Italy have not their source In
the patriotism, valor, and resources Of the
Italian nation, or In the ministry OF war nor
that of marine; but aside from the mala-
droit, lazy, little patriotic, and unauthorita-
| tive ministers and cOnsuls In foreign coun-
tries, and from the consulta ministry Of
foreign affairs), where the Ignorant and ar
| rogant chief clerks and bureaucracy rule
supreme, and drag the timid and incapable
ministers into the deep vortex of blunders
good name for nation is = universal
majesty, but the ministers and consuls Of
| Italy abroad contribute much to the re-
verse, and 1t will never be through their
ability If the italian name will become a
title Of consideration in the world at large.
The "Moreno bill, which was introduced
In the Senate by the ever-lamented Senator
Charles Sumner and in the House by the
Hon. James s. Negley, and discussed and
approved In June, 1874, by the American
Congress-Senate and House of Repre-
sentatves-has abolished forever the nefari-
GUS traffic In the little Italian slaves of both
sexes in the United States; now have
arrived the turn and the duty Of the Italian
government to abolish the traffic In adults,
and the sooner this scandalous dealing In
white slaves (human ilesh) will be pro-
hibited-namely, emigration under contract
from Italy to Amerca-the better II will be,
and In this way will be washed away foul
stain from the italian name, long story of
grief and tears will be brought to an end
"a story Of Generalization, Of shame, and
ofcrime, which are an outrage upon hui
manity and an insult to this age of progress
and liberty-and the cause Of all these
wrongs will forever be abolished, which
| pnlming Keen n
weapon, to assail, persecute, and disgrace
us every day and hour.
Your maiesty's most respectful and obe-
dent servant, CELso CESAR MORENO.
To HIS MAJESTY HUNDRRT /, King OF
Italy, Rome.