New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-01-27
CRISPI AS A PHENOMENON.
"A SCIENTIFIC STUDY BY ONE OF LON
BROSO'S DISCIPLES-CAVALLO
AS CICERO.
AS a CICERt
Paris, January 5.


| the men Of science have begun at him.
! pamphlet Of eighty pages has just been pub
| lished at Turin. in large part devoted 10 tEe
! study Of the Prime Minister as a phenomenon OF
political psychology. Its author ia Gugl!elmo Fer
zero. one Of the brilliant disciples OF the
terrible Dr. Lombroso. He has already made him
self favoraby known by his studies of criminolo2y,
especially in the important publication, III Monde
Criminae Itaano" His Investigations OF the cleo
toral contests OF the Romagna have thrown posi-
tive light on the transition of Italy from the old
civilization to the new, through universal suf-
frage. He has now risen to higher game
In the first place he tells Cr.spl Is a OF
Imagination all compact. His is not the ina gina
ton of great generals like Hannibal Napoleon,
which things they really prove to be. 1t
is rather the imagination that fctions. like
that OF Don Quixote, or Peter the Hermit Our au-
thor recalls the circumstances which followed the
assassination of the Gear Alexander ii. A great
number Of Russians fearful OF being suspected of
completely with the Nihil.sts. took refuge in Milan;
land subscription was opened to supply their
wants. Those who grow giddy at the mere name
of liberty quite lost their heads when the veteran
revoutonlst Crsp. in spite OF his being the main
stay OF monarchy in Italy. came forward with
letter which was like the proclamation of a
SADIE against the new Car. Some years later he
suddenly discovered that the French feet was
about to seize the port % Spezia In 1882 when
the riots OF the unemployed were taking place in
Rome he declared in fun Parla ment tnat the po-
lice had found gold pieces on the persons of sew
eral OF these workmen. 'and." he added. dramati-
caIly ut was not Italian gold Last year he let
IL be known publicly that his severity toward the
Socialist Deputy De Fellce was justified by the
latter having conspired to hand over Sicily to
France and Russia. He did not hesitate to give
this excuse for ordering the state or siege
throughout Sicily.
Now Signor Ferrero asks. to think that
Crispi himself believes in all these preposterous
things? Only yesterday. and therefore since the
pamphlet written. this extraordinary Prime
Minister has reafIirmed his persistent dstrust Of
France by recalling Baron Ressmatln. the Italian
Ambassador at Paris Our author the
question proposed with great ingenuity. We must
not suppose that Crispi adopts in bad faith these
canards fit only to be swallowed by country
apothecary, using them as preteXt for political
action I'm accordance with his own previous views.
No his FICTITIOUS Imagination makes him be-
leve that they would happen under the circum-
stances. The cause OF this vertable creduli;y IS
to be found In moral phenome non, when Is not al
all rare. This is the persistence in old age. after
all the years and vcissitudes Of life. Of the IDEAS
and feelings and habits of youth. Now CrspFs
youth was that OF a conspirator. For him. from
that time onward politics have been simply
harvest field Of plots and conspiracies. To con-
spire is the prime method % all political struggle.
1t has succeeded once; 1t ought to meet with the
same success now and in the future. Hence the
should be TO watch out FOR ambushes and secret
plots Staiesmanship consists not in wise calcu-
aton. but In the battling OF adversaries.
Another Characteristic OF Crispi is what this
anthropoogist calls ''intelectual and voltive I'm
pulsvlty" In other words. his impulses extend
TO his IDEAS well to his resolutions. Let
strong impression be produced on his mind and 1t
will end By mastering his reason The impression
becomes to him the same thing verified fact.
and the will follows at once. almost automau-
cally This is taken to explain the numerous self
contradictions with which Prime Minister Crispi
/ Is constantly reproached by his opponents. AS
candidate deputy. he sets one thing down In his
programme: but Il Is just the other which is dis
covered In his action minister. This has almost
beer the rule OF his political career
Crisp! himself. Signor Ferrero acknowledges.
mas another explanation OF these variations He
has never been abashed by the best founded
proaches made him. and Will probably not appre-
ciatc this attempt 10 explain his tangled course by
! an abnormal mechanism OF his mind on the con-
trary he has repeatedly justified all his nconsist-
cncles by an axiom Of political geometry. ION the
top OF the pyramid YOU things very differently
from what you do at the foot"
our man Of science has not limited himself 10
this description OF the psychological phenomena
presented by the Prime Minister lie tries - search
out their origin and caus,. AMI then proceeds to
state the effect the Italian people at large The
latter part Of his pamphlet which bears the s.gni-
cant title Of la Reazlone" (reactcn) is OF value
as bearing independent witress to the present po-
ltca state OF the italian people. This is more in
ercstng than the present state Of their public ar
falrs-for however politics may veer. the people do
not change easily.
In the first place then. Crispi Il not an italian
type" at all The proof which Ssnor Ferrsro seeks
for this in the fact Of heredlty cannot help doubt
ing II is true that the sreIt Sici.ian belongs at
least by his fathers side a family OF the Alba
man colony which took refuge here from the Turks
H.. Al. Z \rno
"Greci" as they are called-have also preserved
the rites o. their religion Onier the Pope. of
Ike the other United Creeks and their separate
schools for the formation of their own clergy. |
am not sure that Crisp himself. boy, I'D no;
attend their little seminary" whose quantity
gowncd pupils any visitor 10 Palermo can still see
az they walk through the streets under the super
vision of a purple-heted eccesiastc wearing the
Greek clerical bonnet-somethnS like a tall hat
without a brim But his university studies his
friendships and intrgucs and political passions
were all OF the ultra-Itallan type Of his day And
he has shown more az the Greek charac-
terlstcs than any average Neapolitan The fact
that unity u language may 20 along with vital
differences Of has never been appreciated by
those who expected that lions and lambs would lie
down together in a millennium OF United Italy. The
North remains what II was region OF G0ths and
Lombards. brown-h haired. b.ue-eyed enterprlsng.
capable of an orderly equality. SO does the Centre.
with its Etruscans and Latins. dark, square-fdced.
rcposefu when no: dangerously reused and con-
tented under any rule that Is not too stringent 50.
too does the South. with its Greek and Oriental
strain. gestlculating. turbulent with genius for
agitation and happy in the midst OF noisy dscon-
tent There Is need OF going to Albania to search
for the Crsp type in the former kingdom o. the
Two Sices.
Our author Is happier when he contrasts the
Prime Minister'S character. which. as in every one
else is the total OF the moral habits acquired
In his experience OF life. with certain too common
traits of the people he ha 10 govern. The average
Italian Is a confirmed scoptic. which most foreign
ers will think reasonable habit of mind where
recent Italian politics coHerned. 1t Is because
he Is clear-sighted and intelligent But he is also
ndoent. desires to liYe Mt peace. dslikes putting