GENERAL HISTORY. 



[87 



remaining exception to that prin- 

 ciple of return to the ancient order 

 of things which governs the politi- 

 cal movements of the time. Closely 

 bordered on one side by a perpe- 

 tual competitor for his dominions 

 in the King of the Two Sicilies, 

 and on the other by the head of 

 the Catholic religion, from whom 

 he withholds part of the patri- 

 mony of the church, and both of 

 whom have powerful supporters, 

 he is obliged to exercise constant 

 vigilance against the attempts of 

 force or policy. In this situation, 

 his sole reliance must be on the 

 attachment of his subjects ; and he 

 appears not to have been inatten- 

 tive to the means ©f acquiring this 

 advantage afforded him by tlie no- 

 torious defects of the former Nea- 

 politan government. The Coun- 

 cil of State and the Court of Cas- 

 sation having waited on him upon 

 the 8th of May, he made an ad- 

 dress to the former, in which he 

 said, *' The independence of our 

 country is ensured : I propose to 

 ensure its prosperity also, by a 

 constitution, which shall be at the 

 same time a safeguard to the 

 throne, and to the subject. The 

 bases of it shall be fixed agreeably 

 to the opinions of the most en- 

 lightened statesmen of the king- 

 dom." He repeated the same 

 sentiments to the Court of Cas- 

 sation; adding, doubtless to in- 

 spire confidence, " There are no 

 sacrifices, no efforts, which 1 have 

 not made to ensure the independ- 

 ence of the Neapolitans ; it is 

 henceforth guaranteed by the 

 peace of Europe, and by my rela- 

 tions with the sovereigns with 

 whom I am in alliance." At the 

 •ame time there was published at 

 Ancona an Order of the Day 



constituting, for the present, the 

 banks of the Metauro the sepa- 

 ration of the countries occupied by 

 the Neapolitan army, from the do- 

 minions of the Pope. 



In August it was announced 

 from Rome, that the Neapolitans 

 still keep possession of the mar- 

 quisate of Ancona, Macerata, and 

 Feirara ; and that the benefits of 

 the revolution in the affairs of 

 Europe are not felt there, the 

 priests being imprisoned, respecta- 

 ble persons ill treated, and their 

 property confiscated. Joachim, 

 indeed, was not one of the sove- 

 reigns from whom a restoration of 

 the church to its former splendor 

 was to be expected. In order 

 probably to free himself from ob- 

 jects of suspicion, the king issued a 

 decree relative to strangers, in 

 consequence of which more than 

 a thousand foreigners in employ- 

 ment quitted the country, and 

 500 petitions for naturalization 

 were presented to the government, 

 which was directed to examine 

 them with the most scrupulous 

 attention. The Neapolitans are 

 said to have been much gratified 

 with this measure. Some parti- 

 sans of the old government were 

 arrested, who were, doubtless, the 

 persons alluded to in the article 

 from Rome. The official journal 

 of Naples at this time mentioned 

 the arrival of a prince Moliterno 

 at Rome, who, not being able to 

 obtain a passport for Naples, had 

 established himself at that capital, 

 in order to foment intrigues in the 

 Neapolitan kingdom. For this 

 purpose he had associated to him- 

 self a few restless spirits, whom 

 he had made the agents of a con- 

 spiracy directed against the Marche 

 of Anacona and the Abruzzos. 



