The Sun.
London, England, 1862-03-29 00:00:00

.NEACTIONARY RIOTS IN NAPLES,

In the 117 azione of Florence we find the following
detailed ac cr,unt of the serious reactionary riots of
which Na ples was the scene on the 15th instant.
These rio is appear to have begun at the instigation
of the r &jests, and have led to a sharp collision
betweert the lower classes of the Neapolitans and
the st,radents of the university. They are thus
dem Abed

"• Very serious events disturbed the city of Naples
o n the day of Saturday, the 15th March, on which
day it appears the Reactionaries intended, by a pre-
meditated conspiracy, to renew scenes of a painful
nature and of wicked memory. Fortunately, thanks
to the energy of the National Guards, of the autho-
rities, and of the deserving portions of the citizens,
everything has ended with little damage; and in
other cities of the provinces, such as Salerno, Mad-
daloni, Cannosa, and in several others, where like-
The clerical party had been actively engaged in
attempting to create disorders, it would appear that
the firm and decisive attitude of the National Guards
and of the Liberal party had terrified the conspira-
ters, and. prevented every species of outbreak. In
Naples itself, early in the morning of that day,
there, were circulated, in the quarters of the Ques-
tura, of the law courts, and in others, placards,
iit which it was chiefly said that France had now
openly avowed her intention of protecting the Pope
king, and the cti'arch, and that the Bourbons would
speedily be restored. Foreign newspapers were
circulated, containing correspondence from Naples,
in which, an early day was fixed for great events.
The 14,ay thus fixed was the 15th, as results from
the facts. As San Severino, a church close to the
Tmiversity, the great blow was planned which
3bonld lead to a riot. The notorious Monsignore
Musto, who is there preaching the Lent sermons,
would seem to have avoided any great responsibility
because he pretended to be unwell, and appointed
as his substitute a fiery priest known by the desig-
nation of Nepote della Marnmana Nephew of the
Midwife, his real name being Cocozza. There was
a regular congregation, 'consisting of several hun-
dreds of bigoted old women, of a few priests headed
by the curate of the parish, of some of the common
people, and of not a few Cammoriste, sold to the
reaction', because these creatures sell themselves to
-whoever will buy them, and serve all parties.
Cocozza chose for the subject of his sermon heresy.
It would be a long story to repeat all the violent
words which he uttered, and which may easily be
imagined. His chief conclusion was, of course, in
behalf of the temporal power of the Pope. He
taxed with atheism the professors and students of
-the university, alleging that they wished to intro-
duce Protestantism to the boys' school; he therefore
urged on all faithful Catholics the duty of not send-
ing their sons to the public schools. He finished
'Ais diatribe with virulent abuse of the Liberals. By
chance, there were in the church several students,
who, on hearing this furious priest, were moved,
partly by anger, partly by contempt, and gave ut-
terance to words of indignation. This was precisely
the moment looked for ; these young men were
pointed out as the enemies of religion, and at once
surrounded. They endeavoured to get away,having
discovered the ambush, and being few and disarmed.
On leaving the church they took to their heels, and
sought shelter in the university. Hither they were
pursued by the armed Cammoriste, hounded on and
directed by some priests, so that one of the students,
thus overtaken, was
_wounded by the blow of a
stiletto.

" Then followed a time of extreme confusion.
Many of the lecture-rooms were full of students,
then attending the lectures in the different stories
of the vast building of the university. The alarm
was given, and, at first, no one knew what the
matter really was. The greater number believed
that there was a fight amongst the students them-
selves ; some thought that a college mutiny had
broken out; in short, the wildest ideas were cur-
rent. But, when the students who were in the
lecture-rooms on the ground-floor found themselves
thus suddenly attacked by the mob, they at once
armed themselves, for want of better weapons,
with broken chairs, with bricks torn up from the
floor, and with workmen's tools. Thus a fight
began. Luckily there arrived a picket of seven
National Guards, who fired in the air, and stopped
the advance of the common people and of the low
women who were invading the university. Next
there arrived the carabineers and the patrols of
the eighth and ninth battalions of the National
Guard. Thus several of the Cammoriste were ar-
rested, others were kept in check by being shut up
in the alleys, and at the same time the students
were reduced to calmness; for by this time, find-
ing what was the cause of the contest, and seeing
that several young students were wounded, they
had become excited, and wished to attack the mob.
The National Guards remained firm at their post,
and prevented a greater outbreak. Then there
arrived the guards of public safety, and Paneraji,
with a company of the 3d battalion of the National
Guards, and thanks to the opportune counsels
given, and to other arrests of the worst Cammoriste
and the most fanatical amongst the mob, as well as
to the hindering of the students to go out alone, or
a few at a time, the fight was ended. By this time
it was about four p.m. At that hour several of the
students went to the Pelegrini Hospital to visit one
eof four amongst their comrades more seriously
wounded than the others. On their return, and as
they were passing by the Pig,na Secea-square, close
to the hospital, a certain Garofano, a shoemaker,
and a notorious Cammorista, ventured to deride
them, to insult them, and to threaten them, even
with firearms. The students attacked his shop, and
a fight took place between them and the workmen
of Garofano, who took up their master's defence.
The fight ended by four other students being
wounded, one with a shot from a revolver in the
arm, another by a sabre cut on the hand, and two
by blows on the head. Garofano himself was
wounded, and several of his workmen. The people,
the National Guards, and the carabineers ran to the
spot. The wounded students were carried to the
Pellegrini, the workmen to the San Francesco
Hospital ; none of the wounds, however, are serious.
Whilst this disturbance was spreading alarm in
the Toledo, another hubbub occurred in the distant
quarter of the market. It was caused by a sudden
explosion of gunpowder, though no one can tell
precisely how. The National Guards of that quar-
ter, by their energetic conduct, appeased every-
thing, and prevented the designs of the evil-dis-
posed. Contemporaneously, at Foria, tumultuous
scenes took place, and the usual scampering in all
directions. And it was curious to see the old women
clustering in groups, crying out against the 'sciant-
merle,' or gentlefolks,' accusing them of seeking
to destroy religion, and recounting the facts which
had occurred in the morning in the most exagge-
rated way, going so fer as to pretend that the stu-
dents had fired upon the priest who was preaching
OnCled's holy word, and had killed him! And they
sent forth other cries against the Government, as
they weril
taught by the priests. Later, towards
evening,
a oho p at the Ponte di Tappia, near the
Toledo, a
musket shot was fired, and another bomb
Came to er,
exploded about
w" the work of this day. This bomb
eight o'clock on the Piazzo del Cas-
tello, near to the Rotel
de Malta, and did no further
harm than to knock 0.4 z
the hotel. But nom er the box of the porter of
grattetendia!ely on the explosion cer-
tain ill-looking va
US made their appearance
with banners to make a delxiontitration
; but orders
bad been given, and these fellows were at once
arrested by the National Guards on am
"The chronicle of the 15th is therefore
is ee,t gloomy
one, and the only consolation h
s shown
the the National Gee n
the excellent bearing
--rue and
of the Liberals, and measured the strength of
e
the Reactionaries. At ti same time, a certain de-
gree arisen because these
ofdieecastent has naturally
events had not been foreseen and prevented,thengte
Occurrence
hints of their probable
certain
had been Riven. The students, too ore enraged,
because the prefect, La Marmora, did not wish to
receive a deputation of the young men who wished
to narrate the facts and to ask for justice, and who
sent to say by an aid-de-camp that he did not re,
•
ceive students. At the extraordinary meeting of
the Univ'e-rsity Association s hich was held, and
'which derived its importance from the events which
had occurred, strong words were nsed, by no means
likely to calm down the passions of enthusiastic

youths. Nicotera, who appeared at the meeting,
and who was received with applause, and voted
unanimously into the chair, proposed, in order to
prevent a repetition of such scenes, that they should
demand satisfaction from the Ministry at Turin,
and, meanwhile he exhorted these 1 oung men to
form themselves as soon as possible into legions, and
to combine the University Association with that of
United Italy. Mazzini opposed this fusion. It is
easy to guess what would arise from such fraterni-
sation. Other speakers spoke afterwards, and com-
miseration was excited for the wounded. If the
Government does not look into the matter, there
will be further troubles. At present the priest Co-
cozza, and several of his accomplices, taken in the
act, have been arrested. Do you know what will
happen to them P They will remain a couple of
months in prison, but when brought before the
criminal court, our judges, who frankly declare that
they are not yet certain whether the Bourbons may
not return, will acquit them, because these judges
do net wish to commit themselves, and seek to pre-
serve the favour of the ex-Royal family, and thus
these vagabonds will again present themselves to
their party as if wearing the martyr's crown, em-
boldened to commit new outrages. Never were
conspiracies carried on so openly, before the very
eyes of the agents of Government, and still remain
unpunished. It is now generally known that a few
days ago the police permitted to be sent off a num-
ber of cases containing the Peter's pence, namely,
silver forks and spoons, neckla2es, earrings, and
other articles, extorted by the priests from poor
bigoted women ; that the reactionary correspon-
dence with Civita Vecchia is at its height; that
the steamers of the Messageries are openly
employed for this cause, and to convince one-
self of this, one only requires to pretend being a
Bourbonite to go on board the vessel to speak on
the subject, and there to receive information and
encouragement. To go on in this way is impos-
sible. Here legality is mistaken for weakness.
Unless the Government puts forth more energy one
cannot tell how it may end, There will be no posi-
tive calamity, because the relative strength of par-
ties is now known, and the great majority of the
people are all for Italy. But it is impossible to
continue in this state of perpetual agitation, and of
scandalous impunity enjoyed by the priests and by
evil-disposed persons, who keep preaching that the
Liberals are Atheists and Protestants, who insult
them, who hound on against them the most disgust-
ing mob in the whole world, who openly conspire,
and who send and receive letters and money to
carry on their wicked ends, Nor can there be long
continued the strange spectacle of judges who are
unwilling to punish men guilty of every species of
crime, whether this unwillingness springs from fear
or from whatever other cause."