Page 226 - General Giuseppe GARIBALDI - english version

224 GENERAL GIUSEPPE GARIBALDI

proclaimed the state of emergency, but the exceptional measures could do lit-
tle or nothing to the rebels who were plotting secretly or openly.
And while the sea of Garibaldi’s men crossed the peninsula, the
Neapolitan patriots and the exile, who had come back to the Kingdom
because of the new constitution, were preparing the insurrection against the
weak King. Committees of order and action had been established, and
against their activities, clearly illegal, the authority was not taking any action.
Even the Count of Cavour plotted in Naples through his emissaries, since
the great minister watched over Garibaldi from far away, so that Garibaldi
could reach undisturbed his goal, and at the same time tried to stir up a revolt
in the capital before the Dictator reached it, so to prevent the revolutionaries
boasting of having done everything without help. Marquis Villamarina and
Admiral Persano held the organisation in their hands, Baron Nisco secretly
introduced weapons of all sorts in the city and Nunziante, former Neapolitan
general, used his acquaintances and military contacts to spread the national
idea among the Bourbon officers and soldiers.
We have already mentioned the fierce protests that accompanied and fol-
lowed the start of the expedition of the Mille, but the wise politics of the
Count of Cavour, cautious and impatient, sometimes submissive and some-
times haughty, according to the moment either conciliatory or disdainful,
had little by little succeeded in modifying the international situation in his
favour, in placating the angers, dispelling the mistrusts and making it possi-
ble for the events to take their course with the States waiting neutrally for
their accomplishment.
However, in Europe the conviction had spread that Piedmont would
never consent to the freedom of the head of the Church being compromised
or the revolution spreading or giving way to a heedless rebellion. So when
Naples was about to be attacked and Francis II was in his greatest need of
help, all the Sovereigns that had apparently supported him not long before,
at least with their diplomatic notes, abandoned him to his fate one after the
other. Russia, Prussia and Austria still promised their support, but could not
bring themselves to implement radical provisions. The Pontiff was too afraid
for himself and his property to worry about other people and England
seemed to be against him.
No friends or loyal subjects could be found in the court – since men usu-
ally rush towards the winners and away from the losers - and the most influ-
ential people, by name or by intellect, had already moved to stand with the
enemy or were maintaining an absolute reserve.