The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-09-06
Tn, Italians In This Country.

The Italians In ms SOuutTs'
Prof. MARcHIslo of Brooklyn. whose
indignant protest against the mai
treatment of Italians in this country
we print to-day in an another column
seems to us to 60 beyond the fact in ac-
cusing "a large part Of the American
press" of leading in this unreasonable
assault. So far as we have observed,
such hostile prejudice does not prevail
in our newspapers, though ignorance OF
the character Of the Italian race may De
exhibited by some OF them.
At this time, however, when the I'M
migration OF Italians is 40 great, there
has started up a feeling against the
italian INVASION which the tone OF
many letters received by us seems to in
dictate Ia more or less widespread. This,
also, proceeds from ignorance and from
q sort OF provincial prejudice against
foreigners not Of our speech, per Sc. but
the same feeling was exhibited in this
country at . very early period after our
independence, and it famed out in vio-
lent agitation at about the middle OF
the last century. when the vast immigra-
ton from Ireland which succeeded the
potato famine of ls4s provoked the
Know Nothing movement. The argyll
ments now used against the Italian in
vasion' are substantially the same as
were those then employed against the
Irish and Catholic invasion The &C
cusations now brought against the Ital-
ian immigrants, that they are 80 largely
illiterate, that they are poor, that they
come from low state OF civilization and
swell the ranks OF poverty and criminality
in this country, we're all applied to the
Irish Of those days.
The illiteracy Of immigrants may
easily be exaggerated as an evil brought
to us. In their children it is defect
speedily remedied by our system OF
public school instruction; and it may
be questionable II 1t is not advantage
Gus that this republican education be
unhampered or unperverted by foreign
prejudices grounded in an inheritance
of alien schooling. We have virgin soil
for cultivation.
Nor does our experience teach us to
fear tho poverty Of these new immi-
grants. From the period Of the potato
famine to tho close of the civil war the
emigration from Ireland to this country
was about 100000, almost wholly very
poor people; yet from them has come
one Of the most prosperous and we'll
instructed elements Of our population.
Nor have the predicted evils because of
the illiteracy OF 20 many Of these immi-
grants been exhibited.
Another accusation against the Ital-
ians IL that they are Of q race inferior
to the old-time immigrants from north
ern Europe. The Italian race inferior!
As Prof. MARcH1sIo says with proud
justification, 1t is the race Of the country
which flashed tho torch OF learning
through the darkness of the Middle Ages
and rescued Europe from the thraldom
Of ignorance. Italy was refulgent with
civilization when the so-called ANGLO
Sa1ons" were barbarians.
Up to 1880, the immigration Of Italians
was very small, and in the popular mind
tho race was typifled in the Italian organ
grinder. Political unrest in Italy had
also brought to us comparatively small
number Of exiles and refugees, men of
intelligence, education and refinement,
sometimes Of superior learning. For ex-
ample, here in Now York was the late
Prof. vINCENzo BoTTA, who came to
this country In 1858 and for many years
filed tho chair of Italian language and
literature In the University of the City
of New York, man OF learning and Of a
most engaging personality. But such
Italians were known only in small cir
Gle; for the run Of the people the organ
grinder represented the Italian race and
it's place in the scale of humanity The
vulgar associated the race Of the most
distinguished lineage in European his
tory with barrel organs and monkeys.
Starting with this prejudice, there grew
up contemptuous feeling toward Ital-
ians, which still continued when their
numbers here began to increase by an i'm
migration that aggregated from 1880 to
1900 about one million, and since has been
swelled by about half million more
They were accused OF a peculiar tendency
to crimes OF violence, though these have
been relatively few, and due, largely
to their resentment of rough-and-tumble
horse play az a personal indignty
Almost universally. they are a hard.
working and thrifty people, notable fol
their fidelity. No other race which hat
, been added to our population has pro-
crossed more rapidly. In twenty year,
they have established themselves as &
valuable element in our society, taking
on themselves tasks, formerly performed
, by Irishmen, which are necessary to oul
/ development.
The newcomers are practically forced
, to herd together in distinct quarters o
, the town because Of their unfamiliarity
: with our speech, but their children ar,
, thoroughly Americanized in the schools
I and in very many cases are indistnguish
able from the mass Of the people b,
I any race peculiarties. Naturally, II
the Italians get ahead, they are gainini
the respect even of those who have no