The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-04-23
THE L|BERATOR OF ITALY.
INSTRUCTIVE LECTURE BY REV. w.
ID. sIMONDs ON GARIBALDI.
Tells of the Great Soldier Who Dedi-
Gated His Life to Freeing His
Country-His Exile and Strange
Power Over the Common People.

"Garfbaldi, the Liberator of Italy," was
the subject OF Rev. w. ID. Simonds' reg
ular Sunday evening lecture yesterday
at the First Unitarian church. He said
in part
Perhaps no country IN Europe has
passed through such marvellous changes
In condition and government as the land
of Garibaldi. Ancient Italy was the seat
OF the world-power of the Caesars. Me-
diaeval Italy was the home of weakness,
poverty and servitude almost without
parallel in history, while modern Italy
presents one of the finest examples of
progress furnished by any age or coun-
try. The story OF Italian liberty is in
the main the biography OF three men
Cavour. the statesman: Mazzini. the
prophet, and Garibaldi. the ideal soldier.
Gen. Garibaldi, who in appearance
much resembled our own 'Stonewalr
Jackson, was born for the danger and
glory of war. He was a man of lion
heart, brave as the bravest. and a sin
cerer lover Of liberty never lived. There
came to him in early boyhood a vision of
Italy free from the tyranny of an alb
soiute church backed by the power of an
absolute state. To that vision of free
ana united Italy he remained--in prison.
under torture, In the hell of battle-true
as a martyr to his faith.
"Garibaldi possessed a strange power
over the common people of every land
he visited. When an exile in London he
was cheered by thousands of the English
people. honored by these men Of toll as
though he had been king. When living
in America, following the humble trade
of candle making, his howell of home
was besieged by crowds who strove to
do him honor when his fortunes were
the lowest. 1t was the same In his own
country. Upon one occasion. as he pass
ed down the Lung Arno. at Pisa, men
and women flung themselves into the
river Just to bid him farewell. Hundreds
braved death in all its forms for their
love OF him.
Mere boys would rush upon the bayon-
cts of Austria. would face the infantry
of France. when It was considered the
best In Europe all from love of Garibaldi.
1t Is said that, tortured In vain to reveal
his hiding place, men would die with q
men OF Italy stands alone In military
annals: Soldiers, what have to offer
you Is this--hunGer, thirst. cold. heat, no
pay. no barracks, no rations, frequent
alarms. forced marches, charges at the
point of the bayonet Whoever loves
honor and fatherland. follow me-. And
men did follow him cheerrully, and with
out fear. to battle and to death.
mot without grave faults. guilty at
times Of rashness, and deceived by
designing men. he kept his honor
as patriot without q stain
through all the temptations of his
time. He won fame and fortune for
others, he asked nothing for himself-but
that Italy might be free. He won crowns
for other men, satisfied himself with the
right to live an honest life In a land res
cued from the tyranny or a false church
and the despotism OF cruel kings.
"Garibaldi was called by his enemies q
rebel, an atheist and a biasphemer. Rebel
he certainly was against a power that
had reduced Spain to a guitar. Ireland to
exile and Italy to a hand organ He was
an atheist In the presence OF church
which denies to man the right to think.
He blasphemed against elaborate rights
designed to impoverish the people: but
he said. 1T is I'm vain that my enemies try
TO make me out an atheist. l believe in
God. l am of the religion of Christ. not
of the religion OF the popes. l am Chris
tian. l am OF that religion which has
broken the bonds of slavery and has pro-
claimed the freedom OF man.
'Giordano Bruno was burned at the
stake February Q, 1900 by an Infallible
church In absolute control of thought
and life in Italy. This was power con-
demning truth. This was tyranny destroy
ing freedom. On the ninth day of June.
1859. $1,000 free Italians dedicated to the
memory OF Bruno a splendid monument.
This was liberty paying tribute to the
courage that dies for man. In all the
generations between the Italy of 1900 and
the Italy OF today there has appeared no
greater defender OF human rights, no
truer lover Of human liberty than Gu
seppe GaribaIdL"