Italian patriot (1805–1872) who dedicated his life, much of which was spent in exile, to uniting his country under a republic. ALS in Italian, signed “Jos. Mazzini,” four pages on two adjoining sheets, 4.5 x 7, no date. Letter to an unidentified gentleman. In part (translated): “You will find…ideas that could be useful for the Lecture on Italian Democracy in what I have already Written and published…’Italy…and the Pope,’ ‘Royalty and Republic in Italy’…future development of The Italian National Party…One error seems to be prevalent amongst many of your working men, concerning me and consequently the tendency of our own national party, which I think it would be useful and just to dispel. They have been led to believe by Writings of mine willfully misrepresented, that I am, that We are adverse to social reform, and that the only object is…political agitation. Such an allegation cannot succeed with intellectual men; nobody can believe…in the existence of their political agitations, except amongst men of bad faith and intrigues. We all know that no revolution can be peaceful, permanent or just without…reformation…of society…we were the first organized party who boldly declared this…rational social reform…I differ from French Socialism…I felt and feel perfectly convinced that the great social question which is not French, but European, and belonging to us all, has been deviated, darkened, disguised, and damaged by French socialism.” He goes on to contrast the petite bourgeoisie with the bourgeoisie travailleuse (the working middle class) and cites Louis Blanc, Proudhon, and others working “on this free progressive work of Humanity.” “My present object is that the Italian National Party should not be mistaken as a narrow, immoral bourgeois party.” In very good condition, with intersecting folds, scattered toning and soiling, mostly to first and last page, and red ink notations along top of last page. Handwritten letters from Mazzini are quite uncommon, even more so in letters rife with revolutionary content. Pre-certified PSA/DNA and RR Auction COA.
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