Letter from William Henry Seward to Frances Miller Seward, November 1, 1859

  • Posted on: 20 December 2021
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Letter from William Henry Seward to Frances Miller Seward, November 1, 1859
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transcriber

Transcriber:spp:amr

student editor

Transcriber:spp:cnk

Distributor:Seward Family Digital Archive

Institution:University of Rochester

Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections

Date:1859-11-01

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Letter from William Henry Seward to Frances Miller Seward, November 1, 1859

action: sent

sender: William Seward
Birth: 1801-05-16  Death: 1872-10-10

location: Turin, Italy

receiver: Frances Seward
Birth: 1805-09-24  Death: 1865-06-21

location: Auburn, NY

transcription: amr 

revision: zz 2021-02-25

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Editorial Note

William Henry Seward’s series of travel letters in 1859 are organized and listed by the date of each entry.
Turin November 1, 1859 Tuesday
I left Milan yesterday morning, and arrived
at this place the Capital of Sardinia last in the
evening. The country is a plain highly cultivated
lying at the foot of the Alps and distant from
them only twenty miles. They are now covered
with snow, and reflect variety of shades
in the light of the sun, which favored me with
his smiles during the journey. Nothing could be
more beautiful. I will not stop to tell you of
Novara and other towns through which I
was whirled by steamer without an opportunity
of studying them. I stopped in the flower now histori-
cal field of Magenta, the field of the first
battle in the recent war. It smiles now in
the sunshine as calm as beautiful as
if no conflict had ever taken place. But there was
here as at Solferino unmistakable mementos of
the dreadful battle. Tumuli, a row of tumu-
li, oblong in form, each twenty feet long by
ten feet wide lined the way of the telegraph
Rail Road. The grass to They are raised a
foot or two above the earth, on each was a
the grass does not yet fully cover them.
On each is a rude cross, and when I asked
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their meaning I was answered Two thousand of
the dead of the field of Magenta are buried
here. At Solferino, at the gate of the cemetery
is a box with an inscription on it which announces
that alms are received in it for masses for those
souls of the men buried within the grave yard.
The Church has not made any such promise yet
at Magenta. I entered Turin under the
influence of new thoughts and new feelings un-
known before in Italy. Mount Cenis, and his
brother were on my right, covered with snow, seeing
in the course of the way I caught distant views of
Mount Blanc and his icy crest, the Po a
rapid mountain torrent, now nearly dry
crossed my way, Turin long ensconced ^concealed^ in
hills a valley which the mountains seemed
to surround. All day long I saw only signs
of activity, life, art, cultivation, taste, no
poverty, no begging. A country that is free
already and self governing and capable of
being so. The Italian question which had been
a puzzle to me ever since I first entered
Rome, cleared has cl resolved itself
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properly in my mind. This is North Italy. It has
a healthy vigorous, active, energetic population. It
deserves to be free and is so, and what with its
naval forces and its bravery it will remain so.
But Rome & Naples, South Italy, its population
are poorer ^more^ indolent, less vigorous, less energetic.
It sighs for freedom but is not prepared for it. Strong
Despotism and Superstition have enervated it.
How strange that even here as in the United States
Slavery & freedom are questions of climate!
Turin a city of 150,000 people is
a beautiful one, neat clean, orderly and
respectable. It is to day the Feast of all
Saints, a holiday. The stores and offices
are shut, and the Churches full to overflow
ing. But I will defer further account of
Turin until I see more.