INDEPENDENCE AND UNITY OF ITALY. LETTER TO A PUBLIC MEETING AT NEW YORK, THIS meeting was at the City Assembly Rooms, and was addressed by Rev. Joseph P. Thompson, Hon. Charles King, Rev. H. W. Bellows, Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, Hon. Joseph Hoxie, and Professor O. M. Mitchel. According to the New York Tribune, the letter of Mr. Sumner 66 was received with much enthusiasm." SENATE CHAMBER, February 16, 1860. (ENTLEMEN, -You do me no more than justice, G when you suppose that my sympathies are with Italy in her present noble struggle. If I do not attend the meeting at New York, according to the invitation with which I am honored, it is because other duties here keep me away. To the cause of Human Freedom everywhere I am bound by all ties, whether of feeling or principle. To Italy also venerable, yet ever young, with that fatal gift of beauty which from all time she has worn - I confess a sentiment of love and reverence; I am sorrowful in her sorrow, and happy in her happiness. Surely, by her past history, and all that she has done for human improvement, we are her debtors. Without Italian genius what now were modern civilization? There is no art, or science, or activity, or grace, in which she has not excelled or led the way. If I went into detail, I must mention not only sculpture, painting, engraving, and music, but also astronomy, navigation, bookkeeping, and jurisprudence; and I must present an array of great names, such as no other country can boast. And to all these I must add the practical discoveries of the mariner's compass, the barometer, the telescope applied to astronomy, and the pendulum as a measure of time. To the political skeptics and infidels who affect to doubt the capacity for freedom of this illustrious people I would say, that Italy, in modern times, was the earliest home of political science, and the earliest author of some of those political truths which have since passed into principles. Besides, divided into separate, sovereign States, with separate systems of legislation, her condition is coincident with our own, to the extent of possessing those local facilities for self-government which are our boast. And then there is the spirit of her sons, as shown in recent efforts, giving assurance of courage, and of that rarer wisdom which knows how to guide and temper courage, both of which shone so conspicuous in the Venetian Manin, worthy compeer of our own Washington. Allow me to add, that I confidently look to the day when we may welcome into the fellowship of nations a community new in external form, but old in constituent parts, separate in local governments, but bound in perfect union, with one national flag, one national coin, and one national principle, giving to all the strength of unity, E Pluribus Unum,- and constituting the United States of Italy. And may God speed this good time! Accept the assurance of the respect with which I have the honor to be, Gentlemen, Faithfully yours, CHARLES SUMNER. TWO LESSONS FROM THE LIFE OF WASHINGTON. LETTER TO THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT ASSOCIATION OF THE FIRST SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PHILADELPHIA, FEBRUARY 21, 1860. DE SENATE CHAMBER, February 21, 1860. EAR SIR,- It would be a pleasure to be with you at your celebration of the Birthday of Washington, according to the invitation with which you have honored me. But other duties will keep me away. It is always a delight to listen to the praise of Washington, particularly when his full life is set forth, and he is shown in his real character, ever wise, firm, and true, teaching two commanding lessons: first, by the achievements and trials of a seven years' war, that his fellow-countrymen should not be willing to be slaves; and, secondly, by the repeated declarations of his life, and especially by his great example in his last will and testament, that his fellow-countrymen should not be willing to be slave-masters. I do not know for which he is to be most honored. Accept my thanks for the personal kindness of your letter, and believe me, dear Sir, Faithfully yours, GEORGE F. GORDON, Esq. CHARLES SUMNER. MACAULAY ON SLAVERY. COMMUNICATION TO THE NEW YORK TRIBUNE, MARCH 3, 1860. THE same paper contained the article of Macaulay entitled "The West Indies," from the Edinburgh Review, January, 1825, Vol. XLI. pp. 464-488. The day after its appearance, the New York Herald, in a leader with the caption, "Macaulay, Sumner, and Stavery," sought to disparage the testimony, saying, among other things: : "What Mr. Sumner now introduces is a proof how badly off the party must be for weapons, when they rake them up from the dead magazines of another generation, and written by a youth a little over twenty years of age; or Mr. Sumner has not yet recovered his usual strength of mind, since the injury he received a few years ago at the Capitol. And what does his article amount to? That the British planters in the West Indies treated their slaves very badly, which may or may not be true. But from the abuse of the institution in one place he argues against the policy of its continued existence in any other part of the world. He might as well conclude, that, because many of the English are cruel to their horses, and that it was necessary to pass an Act of Parliament for their protection, therefore horses ought to be emancipated in the United States, and let loose through the country. An argument from the abuse to the disuse of anything is the poorest kind of logic." Such was the tone of discussion on the eve of the Presidential election destined to decide the fate of American Slavery. TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEW YORK TRIBUNE: IR,I ask attention to an eloquent and characteristic article on Slavery, by Macaulay, never yet printed in our country with his name. It is in an old number of the "Edinburgh Review," while Jeffrey was its editor, and in point of time preceded the famous article on Milton. It is, indeed, the earliest contribution |