328 
‘malyersation of the :inister-of-war 
(himself an Austrian), accompanied 
the rest: so that every thing was 
altered, weakened, and disorganized in 
the war department. Yet even these 
causes did not prove sufficiently strong 
to excite the army to arevolution; who, 
as it happens, would not have engaged 
in the enterprise had they not been 
disposed to it by leaders of interest and 
authority. Now the officers who led 
the revolution had no personal grounds 
of discontent. Continued as they were 
inthe highest military commissions, and 
rather carcssed than neglected by the 
new government, their only grievances 
were of a public nature. Several 
among them had even attempted to 
force a free constitation upon King 
Murat about the end of his reign, and 
only by the Iukewarmness of some 
privy to the plot had failed of success. 
But now, more than ever, they were 
reminded of patriotism by the gene- 
ral example of Kurope. The news of 
the Spanish revolution warned them 
how a mutinous disposition of a stand- 
ing army may be turned by patriotic 
chiefs to the advantage of liberty. 
This news was more than sufficient to 
inflame with emulation the minds of 
General Pepe, as well as of Colonels 
Pisa and Deconcilj. Pisa was then 
with his regiment of horse in garrison 
at Foggia, General Pepe, who resided 
at Avellino, the head-quarters of his 
military division, communicated to him 
his design, and found fa him a zealous 
supporter. According to the first plan, 
the movement ought to have begun at 
Avellino on the 29th of June, when 
different regiments of cavalry were to 
be “led by their officers from different 
places to the head-quarters of the 
general.” But that irresolution so 
natural to mankind, whenever fortune 
ani life are to be hazarded, prevented 
a colonel, upon whose gallantry much 
reliance was placed, from marching his 
regiment to Avellino when he was 
called upon. So that the enterprize 
Failed for the moment. Gencral Pepe 
hen theught he could~ not longer 
delay complying with the orders of the 
government, which had repeatedly 
called himto Naples. Indeed, hadhe 
still declined, he ought to, have openly 
Gisobeyed, and declared himself; 
which he thought he could not yet do, 
after ihe first attempt had failed, with- 
out rashly hurrying on the revolution, 
and perhaps destroying before-hand its 
success, Accordingly he went to the 
The Neapolitan Patriots. 
(Nov. 1, 
capital. But all these cautions were 
defeated by a young  Jieutenant, 
Morelli ;* who, on the night of the first 
of July, 1820, unexpectedly departed 
from his quarters at Nola with only a 
hundred and twenty horse of the 
Bourbon regiment, and marched to 
Avellino. At the first intelligence of 
his march, the town of Foggia was 
raised by Pisa, and that of Aveilino by 
Deconcilj. ‘On the 3d of Jaly, Pisa, 
supporting with a part of his regiment, 
and some militia, the patriotic pa’ ty in 
Foggia, caused a provisional junta of 
government to be chosen by the prin- 
cipal citizens, and the constitetion of 
the Cortes to be proclaimed as the fun- 
damental law of the state. This first 
constifutional shout was afterwards 
echoed throughout the kingdom. But 
the military governor of the province, 
who never had expressedly consented 
to the revolution, perceiving that till 
* This high-mmded noble young man 
is now no more! 
that revolution which gave freedom to his 
country put for too short a period! Few 
public characters were ever more attached 
to their country or more disinterested than 
Morelli was, He began the revolution as 
a sous-licutenant with only eighteen ducats 
a-month of pay (a little less than’ three 
pounds); he gallantly served in Sicily 
against the revolted Palermitans asa sous- 
lieutenant; and, when Naples was snb- 
dued, far more by fraud than open force, 
he was still asous-licutenant. Being little 
aware of tle necessary fury of a restored 
tyranny, and trusting in the uprightness of 
his actions, as well as in the solemn sanc- 
tion given by the king to the productofthe 
revolution during seven months together, 
he thought it unnecessary to fly from his 
country, Yet, after near twenty months 
of imprisonment, he was most shamefully 
put to death on the 11th of September 
last, with his young friend Silvati, another 
lientenant who accompanied Lim to Monte- 
forte. To twenty-eight ctlicr persons, 
who, like them, had attempted to free 
their country from despotism, the punish- 
ment of death bas been commuted into that 
of hard labour for thirty years; thirteen 
others have been sentenced to twenty-five 
years’ imprisonment. Could we believe, 
were the fact not too certain, that these 
uvhappy victims were {be same men who 
had established in their country a. free 
constitution, which was twice solemaly 
sworn to by the king, and existed fer no 
less than nine months? The Neapolitans, 
however, have endured to see Morelli 
die on the scafiold! Eternal shame for 
them! Let the generous friends of hberty 
shed a tear for his unmerited fate, 
* then 
He dared alone to begin | 
a 
