Evening star., 1901-11-22
BIRTHPLACE OF ANARCHY
ITALY THE BoME OF BLOODY RE-
vOLUTIONIsTs AND AsAssrNs.
Society of "InternationaIists" Founds
ed i'm the sunny Peninsula
Twenty-Five Years Ago.
Salvatore oortcsi In the Independent.


such sincere sorrow as by Italy. who only
thirteen months before had lost her be-
loved king In a similar manner.
Italy is the land most productive of an
archists. The peninsula has had during the
last twenty-five years the unenviable dis.
tinction of providing most Of the instru-
ments for so-called political crimes. Up
to the last quarter of a century anarchy
did not exist in 1taiy-there was merely q
strong and well-organized body OF desperate
and bloody revolutionists known the
'internationalists" founded and led by the
Russian Bakounine. From the remnants Of
the disbanded intenationalists rose the
anarchists. at first composed principally OF
men who from a series OF circumstances,
which we will examine later were ferocious
against all organized society, which they
believed to be the cause of all their misfor-
tunes. There is always a considerable num-
Der OF this class in every nation. and they
always attract to themselves those youths
who are naturally carried of their feet by
what promises to be a life OF adventure and
risk These throw themselves into the
arms of the extremist party. without even
asking or understanding its theories, or
without any notion of its ultimate object.
What they want is to be with the most ad-
vanced of the advanced. always hoping that
the time will come in which they will at
last be able to satisfy their thirst for the
destruction of the existing state OF things.
Before the unity OF Italy they were con-
spirators belonging to the most audacious
secret societies. and when the whole coun-
try accepted the Savoy monarchy they be-
came republicans. as a republic represented
in their eyes the most advanced expression
of revolution. Later they turned interna-
tionalists, and now they have become an
archists, though ready to Join tomorrow
any other party which Will furnish more
violent creed.
The Assassin Passanante.
1t has never been possible TO ascertain
vhnth poaS urnsNs srga 80.
murder King Humbert a few months after
HIS ascension to the throne, belonged to the
internationalists, but 1t may be considered
sure that the international propaganda in
iuenced his criminal purpose. During the
demonstrations of rejoicing over the escape
of the king, who was only slightly wound
ed, the internationalists provoked disor-
ders. and at Florence threw bombs amid
the crowd. killing and wounding several
people To have an Idea OF the progress
that this dangerous association made IL VIII
be enough TO remember that Signor Zan-
ardelli now premier. then minister OF home
affairs, declared in the chamber that there
were 237 internationalist clubs a statement
which created such an impression that the
ca binet was overthrown.
The serious work of Italian anarchy
began with the murder of President Sadi
Carnot by Sante Caserio in 1894 The sue
cess of this first operation evidently en-
couraged other anarchists. for their crimes
followed each other closely. Lega fired at
Crispi, Acciarito tried to stab King Hum
bert Angfolillo shot dead the Spanish pre-
mier, Canovas del Castillo, Luchent assassi-
mated the Empress Of Austria and Bresci
killed King Humbert- A most remarkable
feature of this long and atrocious list is
that not one of the murderers committed
their crimes before having been and lived
abroad, where the germs Of what is called
'indiyidualistic" anarchy are fmbfbed. This
might. perhaps. be sufficient to prove that
the Italians, impulsive by nature. and SAN
culinary by heredity when left to them
selves, are not capable Of cold-blooded
crimes. which must be instigated by abler
companions" abroad. The consequence IS.
at any rate, that Italy. Notwithstanding
the kind-heartedness and gentleness of her
inhabitants to whom any premeditated vio-
lence is repugnant, furnishes the arms
which execute the criminal plans conceived
by others. The apparent contradiction be-
tween the gentIeness of the Italian people
and the bigh rate OF bloody crimes in the
peninsula is explained by the fact that
human IIfe is held much more cheaply there
than in other civilized countries. To ItaI-
ians of a certain class 1t is not a heinous
crime to commit murder for righteous re-
venge, or for the liberation of the oppress.
ed. or OF any other cause which appears no
BILE and generous.
Murders, most OF which In the minds Of
those who commit them have this charac-
ter, are perpetrated to the amazing num-
Der OF 1000 year, an average OF over ten
day. This rate is four times as great as
1t is in Prussia, five times as great as in
France and Switzerland, and sixteen times
as great as In England-and this, without
taking into consideration the wounded,
which average from $1,000 to 10000 or
more year, as there is among a largo
part of the people the rooted custom Of
concealing from the law injuries received,
and the name OF the offender, in order that
they may take private revenge There was
a time in which Italian and dagger were
synonymous terms, and even today the
knife is the inseparable companion Of the
lowest classes Murder with this weapon
had lately SO increased that a league
against the carrying Of the knife has been
started though up to the present time
with no practicable result.
Another reason which makes the Italian
recruit of anarchy is his hereditary lean-
Ing toward secret societies, OF which there
are still two shameful but so far trradica-
BILE examples. the Camorra In southern Ita-
ly and the Malta In Sicily. When to such
elements are added the exciting influence
OF the writings of Reclus, Krapotkin, Step
MAX, Proudhon, Jules Guesde Jean Grave,
Emma Goldman, etc, 1t is like dropping oil
on the fire.
Camorra and Mana-
or course. these are the doctrines of the
individualist' anarchists, whose program
Is entirely centered in action-that is, vio-
lence-with which they want to frighten and
terrorize the ruling classes so as to obliee
them to cede from fear what they never
Will from love. All absorbed in the desire
OF upsetting the existing order Of things
they practically renounce all forms of well
nothing of party organization, of newspa-
pers, of meetings, of strikes, etc They
limit themselves to the intermittent pub
hcation of some journals. the titles OF
which-Cycione, Poignard, Dynamite. The
Bomb-are enough to characterize the meth
DDS of their promoters. This is the school
OF Henry, Ravachol and Valiant which has
In Italy its greatest champion in Pint
PM was the fellow who. in 1885, to insure
the success of a socialist candidate at the
poils, voted twice. but was discovered and
condemned to three months Imprisonment.
which he avoided by going to France
There, having read some of the works of
the literary forces OF the movement, he
became revolutionist. anarchist, thief,
brigand, and, In fact, the head of band
Of criminals who ravaeed the environs OF
Paris. He defended himself by saying, II
do not steal; 1 return to the poor what
the rich bourgeois have taken from them'
Finally he was arrested, given a life sem
tence and deported to Cayenne whence he
has several times attempted to escape.
The only well-known Italian anarchist
leader Is Enrico Malatesta- After escaping
from prison IN the most hazardous way
and after having visited the peninsula sey.
eral times without being taken by the po-