The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-08-27

nall, foiIed bv one of the Carones Robert Jones,
a native of England, who had long resided at Ma
ples was sent by Murat 90 meet bentlnck at Ponza.
He proposed that his master should occupy the
lvhote III the peninsula as enemy OF Bonaparte,
ON condition that he should be recognised king
of Italy by the allied sovereigns and that he should
receive pecuniary assistance from England. The
British agent at once agreed, and stipulated IN
addition that 25 900 English soldiers should occupy
italy under the orders of Murat. The latter, how
ever had reflected much In the mean time and was
in state of an xous doubt and hesitation with re-
gard TO his own conduct; at one time he considered
himself to be traitor and feared the vengeance of
his offended brother in and at another, the dla
dem of Italy made him forget every thing but his
future glory. He had received also letters OF kind
and affectionate interest from Napoleon, who knew
nothing of the plot, az well from Marshal Ney
and the minister Fouche; they complained of his
protracted absence from the army, and wrote that
his beloved cavalry was impatient for his appear
ance ON the Elbe; and Fouche minated that
peace would probably soon be concluded at Dres-
den, and that, If Murat were not present. his inter
ests might be excluded
His queen, having at length perceived the state of
anxiety and irresolution in which he was plunged,
used every endeavor to discover It's cause, and she
finally succeeded in inducing him TO confide il TO
her. Caroline that there was not a moment to
be lost; she was deeply attached TO her brother Ma
poleon, and she gifted with more lively sense
Of honor and duty than her husband. She deter
mined to save him from the shame and disgrace OF
betraying his benefactor. She said nothing, how
ever, on the merits of the scheme for she knew that
Joachim's obstinate and irritable temper would be-
come violent by contradiction; but she strongly
urg q him to repair to the French camp on the Elbe
with all possible speed in order to look after his in
terest there while she, as regent IN his absence,
would take the necessary steps on the return of
Jones from Ponza. The king consented, and left
Naples on the next day. The ratification of the
treaty by England was brought in due time to Lord
William Bentinck, but he had already learnt the
departure of Murat, and he broke off all commun-
cation in consequence. The beau sabrer gathered
new laurels in Germany, but they did not bind his
| crown firmly on his brows. The scheme of
the Carbonari failed; Murat lost his throne, and the
servitude of Italy again sealed.
In Germany, under the title of the Tugend Bund,
or Bond Of Virtue, the sect of the Carbonari was
equally renegade to its former doctrnes and, be-
ing protected by the Kingof Prussia, it undermined
there, as in Italy, the popular throne of Napoleon
in the name of popular liberty. When that throne
fell, their apostacy was repaid all over Europe, by
exile, by dungeons, and by the scaffold. This dis
astrous experience opened their eyes to the willy
policy of sovereigns, which often brought
into play when they felt that they struggling
for their existence SUCH and not only furnished
lesson for the future but it inspired also inn
placable desire for revenge. Their secret meet
ings became more active than ever, their ardent
aspirations were again true TO the cause OF the peo
pie and of liberty, and they soon became sufficient
ly formidable 10 alarm both the papal and the inn
perial faction. Rome and Cesar forgetting their
ancient Guelphic and Ghibelline rivalship in the
common danger, formed an alliance against the
Carbonari. The altar accommodated, while the
throne decmaed them; but the popular hydra still
lived to strike terror into the breasts of kings The
numbers of these fanatical conspirators rapid
y increasing and one of the principal conditions
enforced was, that every Carbonaro should have at
all times in his possession musket and bayonet,
with twenty rounds of ball cartridge they attained
degree of physical az well as moral strength which
was by no means nconsiderabe. On one occasion in
the year 1921, at general review of the Carbonari
then al Paris when they all received orders pass
| through the Palais Royal, wearing peculiar hat
band in order that they might be recognised by
their chiefs, less than 10000 of them
counted.
Some of the expressions used by the Carbonari
originated in their first condition for the political
potters OF the time disguised themselves makers
and sellers of charcoal and from this circumstance
the sect derived its They held their meet
ings in the woods, under the pretext of uniting pc
riodicaly for the purpose Of selling their produce
| and the conventices of the Carbonari were thus
| called sales They addressed each other by the
title of good cousins, and they extended this ap
peliation to the Almighty and to Saviour
who, they impiously asserted were also Carbonari
In their protested theories there were strange
contradictions TO their practice. For instance, they
advocated equality and liberty the only true
bases of good government, and yet their society
was constituted on principles of the most absolute
supremacy of the few the many; discipline
| among them WAS so rigorous, that its breach was
punished by the knife of the assassin and the NOM
| ination Of their despotic oligarchy the more
| anomalous, inasmuch it elected by small
| minority of their number.
| The Carbonar recognised each other by IA pecu-
| liar mode Of pressing the hand; by the fashion of
their hat bands by ribbon tied in the button hole,
of the three colors OF the Ausonian repubc-green,
red and yellow; or by blood red neckcloth. This
latter distinctive mark only worn, however by
those who dared to defy the police by all, any
| particular time, when some of their brethren had
been executed; and it represented not only sign
| Of mourning for the victims, but also pledge of
| vengeance for their blood
| Tl, OF ~ " 81
| AZ regards secresy, caution, and mystery. The
high sale was hidden, and unknown to all It's mem
bers not excepting the Carbonari of the minor
sales IL elected the sectares who composed IT, and
| appointed the central sales, with which il in
| constant communication. No letters writings
| of any kind were permitted, and agents were sent
from one sale to another, bearing verbal messages
or orders. The funds were disposed of, required,
under system of perfect control by the censors.
| Fines were inflicted and punishments were award
ed the high sale being even invested with the
power Of passing sentence of death. Such execu-
tons put in force by means of assassination,
and the victims generally traitors 10 the cause
or the secresy of the society Besides the central
sales, there were particular sales which received
novices when first initiated and transact ted business
Of minor importance.
The ceremonies observed by the sect at their con-
yenticles had been handed down from the most
mote antiquity, and possessed peculiar character
like those of the Freemasons, which inspired de-
| gree of awe and reverence borrowed from the
lcmnity Of religious rites They gave to their
place Of meeting, which generally a vault or
cavern, the form Of truncated triangle; and II
was Illuminated by three mystical torches, repre-
scntng the SUM- the moon, and star The inner
angle was called the Orient, and the seat of the
Venerable was placed there. This functionary
was the president of the assembly; and at Rome,
where they had their head quarters, he bore the adj
dional titles Of Grand Master, Grand Elect Of the
Order. The entrance was the Occident, and it was
defended during the sittngs by two Of the superior
officers, armed with golden sabres shaped like
flames Of fire, in imitation of the angels at the gate
Of Eden. On the right and on the left Of the Ven
cradle two divisions bearing the names Of the
Meridian and the septentron, and the initiated
took their places in either according TO their rank
They sat in two lines, and the upper end Of each
stood an armed officer entrusted with the preserva
ton of good order; these styled the first and
cond scouts At one extremity Of the meridian, and
near the throne stood the rostrum or pulpit which
was adorned with richly embroidered hsngings. The
seats were all furnished with ample red cloth COW
ers bespangled with flames Of gold, and the walls
we're hung with light blue tapestry and symbocsl
paintings. The adopts were invested with the
robes Of the order, which consisted Of blue tunic
and long black toga, with broad belt round the
waist, in which axe and dagger were placed;
and they wore sandals and red turbans like those
~. l.s.