MAZZINI, mid-se'rh% GIUSEPPE ( 1SOR-72 ) . An Italian patriot prominently connected with the struggle for Italian unity and the repub lican movement throughout Europe. He was born in Genoa, June 28. 1808, studied at the University of Genoa, and practiced law in his native city. In 1827 his first essay in litera ture. "Dell' patrio di Dante," appeared in the Liberal journal II Rubalpino: and he sub sequently cont ributed and political papers to the .1 tologia of Florence and the Indieutore Genovese. In the pages of the latter originally appeared the essay subse quently republished under the title of Scritti (run Ito linen circnte. In 1830 „Itazzini joined the Carbone ri (q.v.) and at once became an active and influential member. He was soon arrested, detained for six months in the fortress of Savona, and finally liberated on condition of his departure from Italy. After short resi dences in several he made his home in Marseilles. and thence addressed to Charles Al bert of Sardinia the famous letter which caused him to be condemned to perpetual banishment. Ilaving convinced that the Carbonari was not efficient for the work of Italian regenera tion. iklazzini now undertook the organization of a new liberal league. Young Italy (1831). This organization sought to secure the over throw of all existing Italian governments and the union of the peninsula under a republican government. In addition to its paramount aim, the general principles of this association enforced the obligation to labor for a common moral regiateration and the establishment of political equality over the world. Liberty, equality, and humanity were the watchwords of the body; education and insurrection the great agencies of its operations; assassination was erased from its statutes. and the symbolic dagger of the Carbonari was replaced by the more humane emblems of a book and the cypress. The white, red. and green tricolor flag of the society became that of the new Italian nation. Mazzini was the animating spirit of this league. which was the parent of similar associations adapted to the individual requirement of the various European nationalities. In 1834 Mazzini planned an armed invasion of Savoy from Switzerland, and on Feb. rnary 1st an attack was made on some custom house officials at the frontier of Savoy; but the undertaking failed utterly. In 1837 Mazzini quitted Switzerland for England, and took up his residence in London. There he maintained in cessant activity in literary propaganda, and was in touch with political agitators of his own coun try, Poland, and other countries. He wrote much for various periodicals, on literary subjects, com munism, education, music, etc. After the Febru ary Revolution of 1848 Mazzini went to Milan, where he was a resolute opponent of the proposed annexation of the smaller Italian States to Sar dinia. Ile retired to Switzerland on the capitu lation of Milan to the Austrians,only to reappear in Florence on the rising in Tuscany. He became a member of the Provisional Government, and when, almost simultaneously, Rome was pro claimed a republic, he was sent there as a Deputy, and was elected triumvir. On the tak
ing of Rome by the French troops under Oudinot, he went to Switzerland and thence returned to London. He bitterly attacked the course of France in public letters to De Tocqueville and others. At his instigation, as president of the Italian National Committee, risings in Milan (1853) and in Genoa ( 1S57) were attempted. In 1859, while lending the whole weight of his in fluence to the revolutionary movements going on in Italy, he combated the threatened French in tervention. He assisted in organizing Garibaldi's expeditions of 1860, 1862, and 1867. Though re peatedly elected by Messina to the Italian Parlia ment, Mazzini refused to take his seat under a monarehical government. In 1866 the Italian Government abrogated the sentence of death un der which ltazzini had been living for many years, but he refused to accept a "pardon for having loved Italy beyond all earthly things." In 1S68 he fell into a dangerous illness, from the effects of which his health never recovered, though his zeal remained as ardent as ever. After an ineffective scheme for a republican ris ing in Sicily in 1870, Mazzini ventured to enter Italy. and was arrested at Gaeta, where he re mained a prisoner till Rome was occupied by the Italian army. On his death, at Pisa, March 10, 1872, the Italian Government accorded him a public funeral. Of the value of Mazzini's services to the cause of Italian independence there are widely differing opinions. Republican ism was a cardinal principle with lihn, to which he adhered with inflexible tenacity, never being willing to yield Ids personal conviction to the actual necessities of Italy as did Mardi]. Gari baldi. and Crispi. Hence he antagonized the Sar dinian monarchy, and obstructed the work of l'avour. His impassioned writings often led less noble spirits into deeds that he would not at all approve. Mazzini possessed in the highest degree that personal fascination by which friends are converted into ardent partisans. In his pri vate life he was a model of purity and frugal simplicity, as in his public career he was con spicuous for disinterestedness and self-abnega tion.
A comprehensive edition of Mazzini's works. in eighteen volumes, Serif ti edite eel incditc, appeared in Milan, 1861-91. Editions of his letters were published at Milan in 1875. at Rome in 18S5, and at Turin in 1888. Consult: Nardi. Giuseppe Mazzini, in rita, gli seritti e he sue dot t rint ( 1872) ; Count Schack...I/oz.:ha and die Huh' nischc Einheit (Stuttgart, 1891) ; des conspirations (Paris, 1870); Mazzini nella sua -rita c net suo apostolato (Milan, 1891) ; Bouiller, Gn roi ct un conspiratear-1 ietor Emanuel et .11az zini (Paris. 1885) ; Satli. 11 pensiero politico c sueiale de Uinstppe Jlazzini (Rome, 1587) : E. A. V. (31ine. Ashurst-Venturi), Memoir of Joseph Jlazzini, with two essays (London, 1577) ; Linton, Recollections of Mazzini and Ills friends (London, 1892). See CAVOUR ; iARI BALDI : ITALY.