Mackey – Encyclopedia Of Freemasonry Vol. 1

1 70 SECRET SOCIETIESthe peninsula, the new emperor shall be elected from amongthe reigning families of Naples, Piedmont, or England . Illyriashall form a kingdom of itself, and be given to the King ofNaples as an indemnity for Sicily. This project in some respectswidely differs from the one preceding it, and there isgreat doubt whether it ever emanated from the Carbonari .557 . Carbonarism and Alurat .-The excessive number ofthe affiliated soon disquieted rulers, and especially Murat,King of Naples, whose fears were increased by a letter fromDandolo, Councillor of State, saying : " Sire, Carbonarism isspreading in Italy ; free your kingdom from it, if possible,because the sect is opposed to thrones ." Maghella, a nativeof Genoa, who became Minister of Police under Murat, advisedthat king, on the other band, to declare openly againstNapoleon, and to proclaim the independence of Italy, and forthat purpose to favour the Carbonari ; but Murat was tooirresolute to follow the course thus pointed out, and declaredagainst the Carbonari . The measures taken by him, however,only increased the activity of the sect and the hopesof the banished Bourbons, who in the neighbouring Sicilywatched every turn of affairs that might promise theirrestoration . Murat proscribed the sect, which induced it toseek the assistance of England, as we have already seen .It also grew into favour with the Bourbons and Lord WilliamBentinck. The emissaries sent to Palermo, to come to termswith the exiled royal family, returned to Naples with a planfully arranged, the results of which were soon seen in Calabriaand the Abruzzi . The promise of a constitution wasthe lure with which England-whose chief object, however,was the overthrow of Napoleon-attracted the sectaries ; theBourbons, constrained by England, promised the Neapolitansa liberal constitution on their being restored to the throne .The Prince of Moliterno suggested to England that the onlymeans of defeating France was to favour Italian unity ; andthe idea was soon widely promulgated and advocated throughoutthe country. Murat sent General Manhes against theCarbonari, with orders to exterminate them . Many of theleaders were captured and executed, but the sect, nevertheless,succeeded in effecting a partial and temporary revolutionin favour of the Bourbons ; which, however, was soon quelledby the energetic measures of Queen Caroline Murat, whowas regent during her husband's then absence . About thistime, also, dissensions arose among the members of the sect ;its leaders, seeing the difficulty of directing the movementsof so great a confederacy, conceived the plan of arreform,