The Statesman.
London, England, 1820-11-27 00:00:00

NAPLES AND AUSTRIA.

OFFICIAL PAPER.
" The literrtary of State, Minister of Foreign Affairs
of the King of the two Sieilies, to his Highness Prince
Metternich, Minister of State and of Foreign Affairs
to the Emperor of Anstria.

" NAPLIP, OCT. I.—llis Majesty the King of the
Two Sicil:es, after having renewed in the face of the
national parliament his solemn oath to observe the new
compact which has united in one the interests of his
august dynasty and of his people, deems it his first
and most important duty to adopt the proper measurer
which may contribute to consolidate his work, and to
groan: it from the attacks which false political com-
binations or ill-founded prejudices might excite
against it.

" On this account his Majesty has ordered the un-
sl.rsigned Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to
snake without delay to Isis Royal Highness Prince
Aletternich, Minister of State, of Conferences, and
4.f Foreign Affairs, to the Emperor of Austria, King
of Hungary and Bohemia, the following cosunsussi-
c4tiota

`• From the moment that the King determined
to second the nnanitnons wishes of the peopi^, in
adopting for his trate the Constitution of Spain, one
of his first cares was to make known to the Cabinet
of Vienna—the only Cabinet with which he had en-
gagetnents—the circumstAnce which had given occa-
sion to this event ; and to a/mitre it, at the same
time, that it could introduce any change in the eels•
tions of amity and good understanding which hap-
pily snhsiste I betweea the two coons.

. _
•• Prince Cariati was intrusted with this honour-
able mission ; hut all his efforts to execute it were
unsuccessful, the Austrian ministry hare declined,
under different pretexts, all explanation on the affairs
of Naples. A fatal prejudice had taken possession of
its conncils, and it declared against our political re-
form before even it could form a just opinion of it.
and almost on the first rumour of it which reached
tVienisse' •• —•
" -lesions to enlighten the Imperial Court of Vi-
enna on the true state of our affairs, the King hasten-
ed to write himself to his Majesty the Emperor, his
august nephew and son-in-law. Duke Nicholas of
Serra Capriole was commissioned to present the
royal letter to his Imperial Majesty, and to annennee
to the Austrian Ministry the destination of the Duke
of Gallo to the embassy at Vienna, in the room of
Prince Ruff°, who, by an inexcnsahle disobedience to
the orders of his government, had forfeited the eon-,
&knee of his Sovereign and of the nation. Unhap-
pily the mission of the Duke of Serra Capriole had no
better success than that of Prince Cariati. He dill
not obtain permission to see his Imperial Majesty ; he
was told that the Emperor did not think himself
!mond to reply to the King's letter. which he hall re-
ceived, on the supposition that its contents were of a
stature purely confidential. Orders were at the stove,
time despatched by the Austrian Ministry to the fron-
tiers of the empire, commanding the Duke of Gallo to
discontinue his journey to Vienna.
"'Phis Ambassador, who was provided with a ere-
denial letter from the King, and with other confi-
dential letters of his Majesty to the Emperor, was in
fact obliged to stop at Klag►enfartlr ; and having ad-
dressed remonstrances to the Austrian Ilinistrf
azainst a treatment as unhanilsomeas it was irregular,
Prince hfettertrich answered him by a note, slated the
211 of September last, that in consequence of a revo-
lution which saps the foundations of the social edifice,
and threatens at once the safety of thrones, of ac-
knowledged institutions, and the tranquillity of na-
tions, his Imperial Majesty would be acting in contra-
diction of the principles which he had invariably
made the rule of his conslnet if he accepted tie' mis-
sion with which the Dnke of Gallo was entrusted.

" We must confess that, the more we reflect on these
phrises, the less ran we comprehend their meanirl,•,
especially when we weigh attentively and candidly the
events that have taken place in Naples. Because the
King, free in his palace, in the midst of his council,
composed of his ancient Ministers, formed the resolm
tion of satisfying the unanimous wish of his people,
by granting them a system more adapted to their ne-
cessities, more canformahle to the knowledge of the
age, and whit-4 he would have granted them earlier,
hail not their desires been concealed from him, the
Cabinet of Vienna imagines that the social edifice is
sapped to its foundation! When the legitimacy of
the rights of the reigning family hiss been loud-
ly proclaimed, guaranteed, and confirmed by the
gener►l wish of the nation—when this nation has
shown, from the first moment of its political change,
the most profound veneration and the most absolute
de•otio"«to the King and Royal Family, it is pretended
that the security of thrones is tnenaceil! When it is
universally known that we have carried, even to sem-
ptalosity, the respect for the rights, indepen fence, and
institutions of other nations, haying refotNed to inter-
meddle in •try manner whatever with the affairs of '
Benevento and Ponte Corr°, though those States are
hemmed in (riselarrs) by the kingdom, and the inhahit
ants addressed to the King the most nrrvot e,'9uests to
b.. re-united to the monarchy of the Two Sitilies --and
when, in literally esernting a hnrilensome stipula•ion
whirls extraordinary circumstances had imposed upon
We we pay with grorett exactness, to Prluce keno-

harnois, the five millions of francs which the Govern-
ment hail engaged to supply t•► him—it is maintainv.i
that acknowledged institutions and the repose of
nations ar.• endangered !
" Fortnnately the facts just stated ■re too notorious
to be doubted, and the Cabinet of Vienna har not even
for a long time been able to dissemble their acknow-
ledgement. Therefore, in the confidential explanation•
which his Highness Prince Metternich has had with
the Prince de Cimitile, he attacked us with oche. arms.
According to the opinion of his Highness, the Cads,-
nusi were the sole instigators of the events that have
happened at Naples ; they forced the King's inclina-
tion and the majority of the nation, excited the army
to rebellion, and proclaimed a defective constitution
which offers no guarantee of stability.
" Such are, in short, the new grievances which the
Austrian minister urges to the Prince de Citnitile.
against our political reform. Let ua examine them
with calmness, and without bitterness.
44 Whenever a sect or any faction obtains any eon-
cession by force, it is in the nature of things that
sooner or later an opposition is formed and augment-
ed, and at times acquires even the ascendancy of the
triumphant party. In our country, on the contrary,
far from perceiving the smallest trace of dissention,
nothing is seen but a perfect union of sentiment, prin-
ciples, and desires. I?nbo►unded devotion to the King,
and his august dynasty—inviolable attachment to the
constitutional system—a resolution to defend it to tile
last extremity—such is the profession of faith of
the inhabitants of the Two Sicilies. We do not ex-
pect th•r inhabitants of Palermo, whose difference of
opinion arises from other points of a less general in-
terest ; will. the exception of what has taken place in
that quarter, no violence nor the slightest re-action
has disturbed the tranquillity of the kingdom. Tilt•
orders of Government are respected ; justice is imp.►r-
tially administered ; the taxes are paid ; the discipline
of the army is maintained ; individual lib •rtv, that of
opinions, is full and entire ; and if an exaggerated
zeal for the public good at first caused a few aberra-
tions, they won disappeared at the firm and paternal
voice of lioverntuent. The elections for deputies to
Parliament, that infallible thermometer of public
opinion, would alone suffice to prove that the nation
is animated with one single sentiment—that of its own
welfare. Men tildinguislied for their virtues, services
and talents, have been chosen, from one end of the king-
dom to the other, to represent the nation. No tlisparify
of opinion was displayed in these selections. 'file
best citizens obtained the preference. Is there sill
wanting an incontestable argument that it was not a
sett gligit operated our politicalref9rst? Those w!u►
were the foremost to cry out for a new rysten►=.chow;
in short, whom report had proclaimed as the promo-
ters of our political change—were not elected. Can it
be believed that if a sect had bruhlit about thi•
change, as it is insinuated, that sect would not have
insisted that its chiefs should figure among the repre-
seutativen of the nation ? A still strong,T argument
against th opinion endeavoured to be iacnicated ooh
Europe, that the Government is here at the mercy of a
faction, we will bring forward from the great example
of moderation and long amity which we have given to
civilized nations, by permitting the Austrian Legation
and Consulship to exercise fseely their functions in
this country, whilst at the same time onr Ambassador
was obliged to stop at Klegenfurth, and our Consul
was dismissed from Milan with at the slightest cere-
mony, and on the interf.•renre of the police. Had the
Government been less strung in itself—had it been
ruled by a faction whose passions are alwas iuspeta-
ens—would it hare been able to restrain the effects of
the national pride, justly irritated at such a treatment ?
" As to the defe. is imputed by the Auistritte. Mins-
ter to the Spanish Constitution, we will in the ;Ls;
place observe, that no foreign power has the right to
call either good ur bail that system which an inde-
pendent Sovereign has thonght proper to adopt for hie
own states. lint if one wishes to judge of the sta-
bility of governments by the institutions which direct
them, it is certainly no longer a problem in this age
whether this stability can be more easily obtained by
an arbitrary or constitutional system. The Charter
of Spain may have its defects undoubtedly, bat its
principles bear the stamp of reason and of all the vir-
tues. The nation, moreover, has too great an interest
to perfect its institutions, nut to apply Its attentioo
to the modifications which it may suppose conveuient
to adapt to its wants the new system by which i: is
governed, inasmuch as the act of the King's-1 ro-
do:nation left to the national parliament the right of
proposing any such modifications. The Cabinet of
Vienna may rest then fore securcon this point; for we
have it greatly at heart to give to our system all the
stability susceptible in the undertakings of men, con-
vinced that the first merit of a constitutional govern-
ment is that of fortifying the state against the COUI-
- occasioned through despotism or licentiom -
nem ; and the wisdom of men cononeudable fur their
qualities, whom the nation has chosen as their repre-
sentatives, seconded, nioreover, by the rectitude and
paternal sentiments of the King, is a sore guarantee
of the fulfilment of what n•e have here advanced.

Flaring plainly demonstrated how perfectly nu-
roundel and n.ijust are the wrongs imputed to us, we
will enter into the discussion of the last argument
which the Austrian Ministry might oppose, although
until now it bus not been brought Content.
"There exists in the treaty signed at Vienna on
the June, I b1:1, between the Courts •tf the Two
Sicilies an.l Austria, a s.•par.rte article in these :-rn►s.
'• The engagements toteml upon in this treaty by
their 3lajesties, to sec tt re the internal pease of Italy,
imposing on them an obligation to preserve their stat.•
aml respertive suhjrct■ froui fresh re-actioss and fratu
the danger of imprudent inmovations, whicb aright be
the forerunners of them, it is an lerstuod by the high
contra: tine Powers, that his Majesty the Wave( the
fuo Skilivs, in re-establishing tne tiorcranicnt of