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    300 The 1\eaderand'Saturday'Analyst. [Ma...

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    PANIC-MONGERS. riTHH Now Reform Bill has...

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    Naples.. While The Proator Part Of Tho I...

    occasionally shaken by earthquakes of more or less extent and destructive force , gives the only example of activity and vigour— - always excepting the eruptions of Etna , and Vesuvius—ever manifested in this land of natural beauty and human atrocity . Domestic records and public journals , private correspondence and authorized announcements , are alike barren of novelty and importance as a rule , where Naples is concerned . No little surprise , therefore , was . excited by the telegraphic announcement that a novelty had occurred in the stationary States of his Majesty Francis II ., in . the shape of a ministerial crisis . With absolute Governments , this is a phenomenon of rare occurrence . It was little to be expected in Naples , "where the defunct king held it as a maxim , that public servants

    should never be changed , and fortified his argument with an Italian proverb , more expressive than elegant , respecting fat and lean swine . Being compelled , by insuperable necessity , to part from some of his ministers , twelve years aep , he would never till up their ranks , but contented himself by employing simple clerks in . their places , whom he named directors , and whom he promised , in case they died in office , not to send to the grave without the name of minister aud title of nobility . Such was the case with Peccheneda , who , when at the point of death , was made minister and marquis . On ascending the throne , the great aim of Feancis II . seemed to be to fallow in the footsteps of his honoured predecessor j but very early in his reign he made a reservation so far as the

    dismissal of ministers was concerned , and the strange sight was beheld of repeated changes in the Neapolitan ministry , in the course of a few months . To the TRQiA-MrRENA ministry succeeded the Teota-SiG > OBr , and to that the :. unique and famous ministry of Filaxgieki . Here was , at length , the right man in the right place . Now the FiLAXGiERi ministry is dissolved in its turn . During the whole of . last aivtuimi , General Fit-akgie . bi ' s state of health caused great disquietude to his friends ; it fluctuated according to certain atmospheric changes which had a political effect upon his constitution , so that sometimes he was minister , and sometimes he

    was not . But at length , the note of the 9 th oi September , the clauses of the Treaty of Zurich , and the circular letters of Count Waxe-svsSj ; , persuaded hjm that he might usefully serve both his Tpyal master and the cause of order and Italian Legitimacy , and he suddenly became a healthy minister and an effective president . The epoch fixed for the Congress drew near . France , England , and even Austria herself , counselled the young monarch who rules over nearly ten ' millions of Italians to display some small amount of judgment and common sense . But Fbaxcis II . and his ministry ' remained deaf alike to the wise and disinterested advice of England or the selfish and insincere counsel of Austria . Then came the

    Parisian pamphlet , the restorations declared impossible , the e vanishment of Congress . The Neapolitan prince , blinded by fear and hatred , persists in following out the path in which he set but on coming to the . throne . This wily minister , afraid for himself and his riuhes , again becomes the invalid , and refuses to follow his obstinate master to ruin . Such is the history and . signification of the present Neapolitan ministerial change . Though FliiA ^ GiEiti ahd PfiTKULiiA may be sufficiently dishonest to be the pliant instruments of despotism in time of security , they are acute enough to understand the times in which , they live j and if their deadened consciences , and their avarice and contempt for their country , had not dimmed their intelligence , they would cerbeen resolved to

    tainly either have resigned office lougago , or have conduct the Government according to more civilized rules , and in a less retrograde and perilous manlier . But so long as the question was restricted to the domestic affairs of the kingdom , danger was future and uncertain , and pecuniary gain mid honour certain with obedience ; while disgrace was sure , to follow the slightest contradiction offered to the king , who 'approves of no plans of government but those ' adopted by his' father , and abhors innovation . Between uncertain danger and certain advantage , Fii . anoiejbi Was not disposed to hesitate ; and he pursued his course , incurious and unmindful of the praise which might accompany the one , or the infamy attached to the other . Thus it is that he has remained in

    office , and supported the king ' s policy , until just now . He only offered his resignation when lie had reason to dread danger from without , in consequence of the proposed expedition t , o the Koinagnu . Tijhia clanger passed over , ciud he gladly remained ; for awhile in power , aud the enjoyment of the profits oonnectod with it . The Congress finally appeared about to dissipate all the clouds in the horizon , when the question of tho temporal power of the Pope rendered its meeting * uncertain , threatened n serious difference between Napoleon and tho Roman Court , and awoke the religious ardour of tho King of Naples , who declared himself tho champion of tho rights of the Holy See , and protested at Paris in tho same terms as Austria and Bomo . Of course , it now suited Filangieri

    to play Uiq . invalid again . Naples was involved in a question with Franco . To complicate matters still further , tho priests and frinrs throughout the kingdom began to spenk and act against tho Em * peror of the Frbnoh . Tiiis could not fail to excite coniplnints on tho par ); of Fra » Qe , if suffered to continue ; i \ nd tjie disapprobation of the king , and r » ge and jealousy of the clerical faction , wore certain to be inourrqd if it were interfered with . About the same time , it was declared that the King : of Naplos hud conoluded a treaty with the Pope , by which lie undertook to despatch a con- ' aiderablp numbor of troops into the Pontifical Stoles , to replace the French fcoldjers , who were about to quit Bomo at the request of the Pontifical Court itself—a rumour wnigh was strengthened by the decision taken by tho Sacred College , to request the Emperor to recalhifl soldiers . Jf the report was true , the measure . must , have been taken with the consent of the Court of Naples , from wniph

    power alone Rome could look for help under existing circumstances . Filangieei -utterly disapproved of this course , and , believing his own safety threatened , professed to see _ the public tranquillity endangered , and consequently gave in his resignation , or caused his dismissal to be given by the king . The indefinite postponement of the Congress caused deep regret among- the Neapolitans . They had calculated much upon the attention which would be drawn to their condition during its deliberations . A second memorandum has appeared in the Perseveranza , drawn ¦ ¦ li p with great ability , and professing to be an address of the Neapolitans to the members of the Congress . The abnormal condition of the country is lucidly explained in this appeal , and the re > establish » ient of the Constitutional Statute of 1848 is declared to be the sole remedy for existing

    ills . Who does not know the miserable condition of the kingdom of the Two Sicilies ? Who is ignorant of the edicts of banishment and imprisonment , for slight offence , or no offencei . at all ?—of the abuses of every kind of which the Neapolitan Government has been guilty during the past ten j-ears ? The distinctive character of Neap * olitan tyranny consists in the constant and systematic violation of existing laws , the corruption of every noble principle , the moral perversion of everything most sacred and worthy of respect . Naples possesses a code of laws not inferior to that of the most civilized nations . It has provincial , district , and communal councils , a general consulta , numerous benevolent institutions , laws which guarantee individual liberty , domestic privacy , and the security of property . But of what effect are these laws ? and how are the . judicial and

    administrative affairs of the kingdom conducted in reality ? A perusal of the memorandum to which we have referred , will show that the only institution existing in full force and vigour at Naples is the police ; and this power openly declares that it owns no law * and bows to no authority but its own arbitrary will . * "The police is the only thing which shows life in the kingdom . It rules over all , governs all , presides over everything . From the throne to the confessional , from the humblest soldier to the loftiest ranks of the militai-y and administrative / -hierarchy , it scrutinises and . examines every person and thing * , involves la its web every object that has life and . breath , and power to suffer , in the unhappy States of Fka ^ cis II . Hence arises perpetual contradiction between the spirit and letter of the law ^ md its administration , between public

    and acknowledged legal decrees and the secret instructions given to the police functionaries ; hence the substitution of . arbitrary individual \ vill for the regular action of the laws ; hence *' the annihilation of all personal security , and of every civil privilege and enjoyment . . ¦ . No doubt the promulgation and loyal execution , of the Statute of 18-18 , would bury many evils , and heal many wounds . JBut even ' if the Sovereign professed himself willing to accede to the wishes of his subjects in this respect , who could trust to Bourbox honesty and good faith after the innumerable signal instances of perfidy and contempt for truth and justice manifested by the race ? We cannot close our eyes to facts , and believe that the Neapolitan Government can ' , bj its own fiat , cancel the past , create a new order of things , and transform Naples suddenly from a Gehenna of . suffering to a

    paradise of peace— -renew , in shorty the miracles of the guidon agenovus nascitur orclo . No ; the abyss which separates the prince from tho people is too wide to be so easily traversed . Francis II . wilfully threw away the opportunity afforded him of bridging s over the gulf at the death of his father . It h our firm belief that an avenging Nemesis will pui \ = ue him n-ml . lji .-j hpuse until their sins have been amply ntoneel for by suffering . True , > ve have now for a long while been accustomed to hear , and repeat thiit the present state of things in Naples ciuuiot lust . The how and tho when it will ' finish is u question that must bo left to time to decide . With the secrets of Providence we liavo no wish to interfere ; but it . is our settled conviction that tho destinies of Italy cannot long bo arrested at the Tronto , and that , sooner or later , they will overwhelm tho serried files of the Bourdon poli . ee . Then , and then only , tho kingdom will be saved .

    300 The 1\Eaderand'saturday'analyst. [Ma...

    300 The 1 \ eaderand ' Saturday ' Analyst . [ March 31 , I 860 .

    Panic-Mongers. Rithh Now Reform Bill Has...

    PANIC-MONGERS . riTHH Now Reform Bill has thrown the elderly gentlemen of X England , in and out of the J-Iouse , into a Danip , Wo all know that a very small thing- will alarm an old maid ' s tea party , or ft boarding-school soirJe—for such panics a mouse , a wasp , or a blackbeetle are warranted as at any time sufficient ; but wo really thought something more was required to disturb tho cerebral and gastrio nerves of an assembly of foxhunters , speculators , public diners , officers , " and tall men of their hands /' Considering the 13111 is generally considered very small for its ago , it has indeed been a terrible bugbear to our sons of AuaU from tho provinces , half of whom , thrusting 1 their fists into . their eyes , scream

    for terror at the' sight of the speotro Reform , while tho other half , witlii" singular inconsistency and want of unity of opinion , make ugly fnces at jit , and pout and declare the Bill is so small and . puny that they will ' not stand godfather to it on . any account ; . Wo really thought that the days when quiet country gentlemen could be persuaded that every attempt at Reform , must necessarily bo followed by the burning and Backing of county mansions , and tho printing of bloody thumbs on the white satin chairs of the nristocraoy , hud gone by , Jt waa all very well for tho middle-ago jmonka to brand Jack Oapjg and Wat T / xxeb as monsters , hatelul to God oiid wan— -devils incarnate , who had no other objeot than to slay or roj ) , and whose grievances were mere excuses for cruelty ana carnage .

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), March 31, 1860, page 8, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_31031860/page/8/