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274 . THE LEADER. [No. 417, March 20, 18...
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OESINI AND HIS CHILDREN. A letter from O...
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STATE OF TRADE. Dullness continues to be...
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Execution Of Orsini And Pieriu. Two Of T...
tempted n . joke about the figure he must cut . At this moment he turned his head and perceived Orsini ; he saluted him gaily , and asked how he was getting on . He was interrupted by Orsini , who was undergoing the same operation with the same sang froid as if he were under the hands of a valet dressing for & party , with the -words , ' Be calm , be calm , my friend . ' Pierri ' s tongue lan on , however . The assistant proceeded to strip him of his shoes , for , in pursuance of the sentence , they were to proceed to the scaffold barefooted . The man appeared to hesitate , but Pierri encouraged him to proceed , and assisted him as much as he could , still talking . The operation being o-ver , and the toilette complete , he turned towards the turnkey , and asked to be Allowed to embrace him . This request was complied with . The moment of moving now came , and the Abbe * Hugon fried out , 1 Courage ! ' ' Oh ! I am not afraid—I am not afraid , ' he said ; ' we are going to Calvary ; and in a sort of feverish excitement he repeated to himself , ' Calvary , Calvary ! ' "
According to the accounts in the French papers , Pierri exhibited throughout a feverish , spasmodic demeanour which , taking the form of courage , in fact indicated considerable apprehension . On being roused from sleep he asked , with an air of forced assurance , for some breakfast , and a cup of coffee with some rum . These were supplied him , and he afterwards asked , with great importunity , and even anger , for more rum , or at least for some wine . This was refused . Orsini also took a glass of rum , and drank to the health and happiness of the governor . Pierri kept perpetually talking and gesticulating wildly . " Well , old fellow ! " he said to Orsini , " this is the day ; but I shall sing my patriotic song . " When his stockings were taken off , he said , with a smile , " Fortunately I washed my feet yesterday ; " , on the black veil being thrown over his bead , he observed , " They are dressing me up like an old coquette . " The Times correspondent continues : —
" Orsini was , on the other hand , as calm and tranquil as his fellow-convict was excited . He spoke little ; but , when the governor of the prison and some of the officers approached him , he bade them , in a low tone of voice , farewell . The turnkey of his cell announced to him , in a tone of regret , that his last moment was come . Orsini thanked him for his sympathy . His hair was also cut away from his neck , but he underwent the operation -without flinching . At the moment when the hood was put upon his head , his face , which up to that moment was calm and impassible , became flushed for a moment , and his eye lighted up .
" The prison clock struck seven ; before the last sound died away , the door leading to the scaffold opened as of itself . The Abbe Hugon entreated Pierri to profit by the few moments still left , to collect his thoughts and assume a calmer attitude . He promised to be calm , but said he should chant a patriotic hymn ; and it is said that he actually began to sing the well-known ' Mourir pour la Patrie . ' JLeaning on the Abbe * Hugon , he mounted fifteen steps of the scaffold , still repeating the verses of the song . " Orsini was supported by the chaplain of the
Conciergerie , and his calmness never abandoned him for a moment . When he appeared on the platform , it could be seen , from the movement of his body and of his head , though covered with the veil , that lie was looking out for the crowd , and probably intended addressing them . But they were too far off . The grefficr then directed the usher to read the sentence of the Court condemning the prisoners to the death of parricides . The usher , who was an old man , over sixty , was evidently much moved at having to perform this duty , and he trembled as much from emotion as from cold as he read the document , which no one listened to .
" After this formality was terminated , Orsini and Pierri embraced -their spiritual attendants , and pressed their lips on the crucifix offered to them . They then gave themselves up to the headsman . Pierri was attached to the plank in an instant . He was executed first . { The moment his veil was raised , and before his head was laid on the block , it is affirmed that he cried * Vive rItalic I Vive la Hdpublique f [ Aa the knife waa descending , Oraini , according to the account in the Daily Xfewa , was suddenly laid hold of by two assistants , and , from motives of humanity , turned round , so that he might not see the death of his friend . It is said that Pierri continued singing to the last , and that his voice -only died away under the knife . ]
" Orsini was then taken in hand . His veil was -raised , and > his countenance still betrayed no emotion . Before he was fastened to tho plank , he turned dn the direction of the distant crowd , and , it is said , cried ? Vivo la France P It was but five minutes paBt J ! gyjgn Jffhft " . _ ffiB ..., | c > confl head fill into the basket . A ^ Bold shudder ran ' ambng' those wHiobo at'tWtioTT W 8 iixed upon what was passing on the scaffold , and for an instant there-was deep silence . It passed off , however , very soon . The cold was bitter , and tho snow began to 'fall ; and In a few hours the place was deserted . " The numbor of deaths from the attempt for which these-wretched men suffered now amounts , I am assured , ~* o fourteen . "
he recoiled from their teueh . But they reassured him , saying , " Don't be afraid ; we are not going to injure you—far from it . We bring you good news ; you are to have a commutation of punishment , and we are goingto takeoflf your strait-waistcoat . " All the convicts had been made to wear this garment , out of a fear that they might otherwise make some attempt on their own lives or on those of the gaolers . Radio was overjoyed at the intelligence , and hummed an air as he was relieved of his encumbrance . The writer froni whom we have already quoted states further : —
" Pierri is said to have written a great deal in the interval which elapsed between his condemnation and his death . What these incoherent writings were about I cannot say . Orsini is said to have written a respectful letter to the Procureur-Gene ' , acknowledging the equitable and honourable conduct of the Court that tried him , and of the jury that found him guilty , as well as the perfect liberty accorded to tis coimsel . We are told that he said he should regret the quashing of the judgment of the Assize Court by the Court of Cassation , as in that case he would have to be tried again , and he was certain the result would be the same . If he had entered an appeal , it was with a view to have a few daye more at his disposal to settle his affairs , rather than from a
hope of escaping . He wrote to his family two or three days after his condemnation , and while the appeal was still pending ; but he wrote with the conviction of a man whose account with this -world was closed . He asked that his remains should be interred in a decent coffin , and the prayer is said to be complied -with . He left a will ; but in it there is nothing of a political character . " The Emperor is stated to have desired to pardon Orsini and Pierri , and to have mooted the question more than once in the Council ; but the Ministers would not agree to the proposition , and he yielded . We do not , however , place much faith in this story , or in that which asserts that Orsini petitioned the Emperor for mercy a day or two before the execution .
De Rudio has been reprieved . Tho turnkeys waked him early In the morning , to inform him of the foot . < H « eat up , staring at them wildly ; and , Imagining they had come to summon him to death ,
274 . The Leader. [No. 417, March 20, 18...
274 . THE LEADER . [ No . 417 , March 20 , 1858 .
Oesini And His Children. A Letter From O...
OESINI AND HIS CHILDREN . A letter from Orsini to his two daughters , Ernestina and Ida , written on September 28 th , 1854 , previous to his starting on the expedition which led to his imprisonment in the citadel of Mantua , has been published . It is beautifully conceived and most touchingly expressed , and shows how fine a nature his was , despite the horrible crime into which he was goaded by tyranny and by the despair which had taken possession of his heart . Men the most
opposed to Orsini have acknowledged the tender feeling which , lives in every line , and have pitied the misery of ft man who seemed to have been designed to adorn and ennoble society . It is not too much to expect that this epistle will go far towards softening down those bloody stains which his own act has thrown on Orsirji ' s character . How sad that the world ' s tyrants should have the power , not merely of imprisoning and slaying , but of converting an originally fine human being into a reckless assassin ! Orsini commences by saying : —
" My dear daughters , —These few lines , together with two little hearts , which contain two locks of my hair , will be consigned to you vben I am alive no longer ; you will also receive a portrait greatly resembling me , and I have left the necessary instructions with my brother Leonidas , so that you may have if , and keep it in memory of your poor father . " I left you in your tender age ; you were very little , and the last time that ever I saw you was in the prison at Nice . I was driven from Piedmont because I had conspired against the foreigners who occupied my country . Tho vicissitudes of Italy do not permit me to watch over your education myself , and I have not had the sweet pleasure to caress you in your most beautiful period of youth . . . .
•? Before concluding I must give you some advice , which you will retain , my dear children , as a paternal memorial , and which may be a valuable guide to you throughout your lives ; at lenst , I hope and wish ao . First , believe in God ! I have a firm conviction of His existence . Second , possess unalterable principles of honour ! Marie ! I do not moan malleable and material principles ; no , but those which are universally recognized an bucIi iy all people and nations , which do not alter with the changes of time , of country , of governments ; I mean thoao principles which are eternal truths , absolute , immutable , not depending on anyone ' s caprice . Pay attention to this . Everybody consldora himself
honourable ; but tltio is not always seen in his acts , but in 5 Te ¥ d ^ fTt 'W ^ cunning words to injure othors . This is what the grouter part of men do , who regard tho principles of honour as a piece of india-rubber . When tho true principles of honour have taken root in you , oh I havo oxplninod , and that they aro considered by you as tho bn « in of public and private morality , you must necessarily bd lovers of your country , hoiioefc , uffectionatn towards your parents , pure in your youth , pure nnd faithful towards your husbands to whom you may bo mnrriod ; in / lno , loving towards your children , and adorned with tho finest qualities which can be dcnlrod in women destined by God nnd
nature to ^ embellish the life of man and to render his existence less miserable . " After exhorting his daughters to cultivate their minds , and not be dazzled by the external appearance of things , Orsini continues : — " If you marry , be careful how you moke your selection ; let him be honest , honourable , a lover of his country ; let his heart be large , and let him be capable of true friendship , and be careful to return it on your part with conduct equally noble and an affection equally pure . Be faithful to the husband whom you select for your life-companion ; let the very thought of infidelity strike you with horror ; destroy yourselves rather than
fall into that fault . . An error like that nothing can ever remedy ; the pardon which might be conceded does not remedy the evil ; in you remains an eternal stain , in the husband an eternal rancour—an eternal remembrance of your guilt , of your dishonesty . Remember that such an action on the wife ' s part poisons tlie husband ' s existence , if he has a heart or a feeling of honour ; that it extinguishes domestic peace for ever ; that it destroys domestic trauquillity ; that it causes the love and sweetness which should exist between husband and wife to cease , cools and abates the love of the parent for his child ; that , iu fact , it casts dishonour upon , the husband , upon you , upon all the family
" May you have a serene and a long life ! Take a thousand and a thousand kisses from your father , who carries -with him the pain of not being able to see and embrace you , impeded by the infamy of men . Keceive the paternal benediction of your Felice Orsini . " Farewell , farewell , farewell from my heart' . "
State Of Trade. Dullness Continues To Be...
STATE OF TRADE . Dullness continues to be the rule in the great seats of trade and commerce . At Birmingham , indeed , business , during the week ending last Saturday , was even worse than it has been for a long time past . Almost every department of trade shares in the depression , and the unemployed operatives have been reduced to great distress .. They have held several open air meetings , at which they have behaved , for the most part , with great moderation . At the close of one of these meetings , however , a cry was raised , " Go to the bakers' shops !" and a large crowd moved down some of the streets . The shopkeepers were a good deal alarmed ; but the men who attempted the disturbance did not belong to the respectoff
able working orders , and the affair passed without any mischief . The operatives have had . interviews with the Mayor and magistrates , as a consequence of which , workhouse relief has been increased , and subscriptions have been opened . A little more is being done in the hosiery trades of Nottingham and Leicester , and there are slight sj'mptoms of improvement in the demand for iron at Wolverhampton ; but the prevailing condition is that of languor . For rails , however , the inquiries arc extensive , Russia alone being in the market lor 150 , 001 ) tons . The carpet trade of Kidderminster is in a more satisfactory state than it has been in for a long time past ; but in the other manufacturing towns there is m > material change to notice .
Within the lust few weeks , three failures have occurred in the corn trade at Watcrford . These have caused considerable commotion and great commercial depression . Tho liabilities are said to be very large , and to have fallen on the traders of the city . " The general state of trade and commerce in South , Australia , " says tho Mining Journal , " is reported sound , the financial position most satisfactory , and public credit never on a firmer basis . As evidence of this , one of tho Adelaide banks had offered the Government two per cent , premium on 15 , 000 / . worth of bonds for transmission to England , which the Government had declined . Tho staple exports of tho colony for 1857 were grently in excess of any previous yoar . The agricultural , ininoral , aud pastoral products wore most abundant . " Knil
Tho dividend declared at tho recent meeting of the - way Passengers' Assurance Company was at tho rate of four per cent , per annum , and tho report and accounts were unanimously adopted . It was stated officially that the days of grace are especially recognized on the policies . The income for the year has been l ( i , 98 U , against 12 , 000 / . iu 1866 , or an increase at tuo rate of fortyono per cent . A new undertaking , of somo interest to the largo class of persons who require hotel accommodation at reasonable terms , has been announced in tho City columns oi tho Times , where we read : — " Tho prospectus baa been issued of an International Hotel Company , to be ercotett on a site in the Strand and Wellington-street , part oi which is at present ocoupied by tho Lyceum The »« o . Tho project is introduced under respectublo auspices . ftn < all persona having at any time occasion to week now nccommodution ^ in-JLioudon—must-wish Jta « - & UCV £ ! ig . i u ^ Sh- ^
although tho results of tho experiment of tho Ureas Western Hotel ut l ' nddingtou might well oncourntfo « similar enterprise in tho most central part of Hio inot . * polls , thoro Una hitherto seemed little disposition on tn « part of the public thus to Invest their capituJ . 1 »« " ' proposed to bo rnlaed la 180 , 000 / . in oharea of 20 / . ou ° « . nnd 160 , 000 / . on mortgage , making ft total of 1 ) U 0 ' " , i " Tho ground floor is to bo appropriated for ehon * . wi »»» tho hotel will contain two hundrod and thirty w « "J ' ™ k rooms , exclusive of private Bittlng-roomfl and suU 08 apartments . "
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), March 20, 1858, page 10, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_20031858/page/10/
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