Mackey – Encyclopedia Of Freemasonry Vol. 1

THE UNION OF SAFETY 215society still more aristocratic, that of the" Russian Knights,"which aimed at obtaining for the Russian people a constitutionalcharter, and counteracting the secret societies ofPoland, whose object was to restore Poland to its ancientstate, that is to say, absolutism on the part of the nobles,and abject slavery on the part of the people . The two societieseventually coalesced into one, tinder the denominationof the " Union for the Public Weal " ; but, divided in itscounsels, it was . dissolved in 1821, and a new society formedunder the title of the " Union of the Boyards ." The programmeof this union at first was to reduce the imperialpower to a level with that of the President of the UnitedStates, and to form the empire into a federation of provinces .But gradually their views became more advanced ; a republicwas proposed, and the emperor, Alexander I ., was to be putto death . The more moderate and respectable memberswithdrew from the society, and after a short time it wasdissolved, and its papers and documents carefully burnt .The revolutions of Spain, Naples, and Upper Italy ledPestel, a man who had been a member of all the formersecret societies, to form a new one, with the view of turningRussia into a, republic ; the death of Alexander again formedpart of the scheme. But circumstances were not favourableto the conspirators, and the project fell to the ground .Another society, called the North, sprang into existence, ofwhich Pestel again was the leading spirit . In 1824, the" Union of the Boyards " heard of the existence of the PolishPatriotic Society . It was determined to invite their cooperation. The terms were speedily arranged . The Boyardsbound themselves to acknowledge the independence ofPoland ; and the Poles promised to entertain or amuse theArchduke Constantine at Warsaw whilst the !revolution wasbeing accomplished in Russia . Both countries were to adoptthe republican form of government . This latter condition,however, made by the Poles, displeased the Boyards, who,themselves lusting after power, did not see in a republic theopportunity of obtaining it . The Boyards therefore unitedthemselves with another society, that of the " United Slavonians,"founded in 1823 by a lieutenant of artillery, namedBorissoff, small in numbers, but daring . As the name implied,it proposed a Slavonian confederation under the names ofRussia, Poland, Hungary, Bohemia, Moravia, Dalmatia, andTransylvania. The insurrection was on the point of breakingout ; but the Emperor Alexander had already (in'June 1823),by the revelations of Sherwood, an Englishman in Russian