18'-i6.] Revolution at Palermo, in the Year 1820. 11? 



strength or respectability to such forces, m the few days during whicli 

 I held the command. 



When I left Naples, the first movements towards a revolution had 

 taken place, and I found the public spirit in Sicily in a state of the 

 greatest fermentation. Universal discontent prevailed, arnd the lower 

 orders of the people, especially, were inflamed to a violent degree of 

 animosity against the Government : nor were there wanting in Sicily 

 disciples of the Carbonari. By these incendiaries much had been done 

 to rouse the populace to that pitch of fury which they soon reached 

 in Palermo. Great pains were taken by these demagogues to make the 

 people believe that I was to be the instrument of violent persecution 

 against them ; that I was the promoter of the conscription, and that I 

 was about to shoot and hang the Sicilians, as I was said to have done 

 in Apulia. Many of the military in Palermo deceived the people by 

 these representations, and it was with them that the project of revolt 

 originated. They prepared to co-operate with their fellow-sectaries in 

 the kingdom of Naples ; but they forgot the probability that the 67a- 

 lians would go beyond their views, by endeavouring to separate them- 

 selves entirely from the dominion of Naples. 



Every thing in Palermo, and throughout Sicily, wore the aspect of 

 approaching commotions — all eyes were turned towards Naples ; yet 

 from thence no official news arrived of the result of the insurrection of 

 Avellino, &c. until the despatches came in, announcing the change of 

 the Government, and the orders to promulgate in Sicily the King's 

 acceptance of a constitution for the kingdom of the Two Sicilies. These 

 important despatches arrived on the evening of the 14th of July. Pre- 

 vious to the arrival of the despatches, the public received information 

 through the channel of an English vessel (belonging to Mr. Fawkes), 

 that the government of Naples was treating with the rebels, and that 

 the constitution had been promised, with other details : no more, how- 

 ever, was known to the government in Sicily, than what it received by 

 this unofficial channel, until the morning of the 14th, when the viceroy 

 received a telegraphic despatch. The nature of this despatch made 

 me suspect that it came from the rebels, whom I knew to be in 

 possession of Salerno, and the communications through which the 

 telegraphic posts were established : we augured from it the pro- 

 bability that the rebels were surrounded with difficulties, and wanted 

 to create co-operation in Sicily, by misleading the authorities in Palermo ; 

 at all events, I agreed perfectly in opinion with the viceroy, that he 

 could not and ought not to act upon it. Shortly after the viceroy 

 shewed me another telegraphic despatch, quite contrary to '.he first. 



This despatch suppressing the former altogether, seemed to the vice- 

 roy and to myself a satisfactory proof that no advantages of importance 

 had been gained over the King's troops by the insm-rectionary risings 

 in the provinces of Salerno, &c. and in Principato ; in fact, the result 

 of our conference v/as, that there was a strong reason for hoping that 

 the Government had quite or nearly suppressed the insurrection. 



Here it may not be amiss to remark that, according to the instruc- 

 tions of the general commanding the troops in Sicily, no movement 

 whatever of the troops in large or small detachments, nor any other 

 military disposition, could be carried into execution without the appro- 

 bation of the viceroy, who was in fact the real commander-in-chief. 

 Hence arose a multitude of delays, counter-orders, and the long train 



