THE BARLETTA MASSACRE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume I, Issue 131, 6 August 1866, Page 3

THE BARLETTA MASSACRE.

A correspondent of the Debats Avrites as folloAvs : — I have spoken of the troubles at Barletta, and the organisation in Naples of a Catholic Conservative Association for the defence of religion and j usiice. The connection between these two facts is noAv discovered. A vast conspiracy Avas to have. broken out in Naples on St. Joseph's day, whicii is the anniversary of Garibaldi and Mazzini. The clerical party, avlio expected that a great demonstration Avould be made on that day by the Radicals, desired to make use of it for their own purposes; "but the expected demonstration not having taken place, the execution of the conspiracy was postponed to the 31st March, Holy Saturday, as it apjiears from the papers Avhich have fallen into the hands of the authorities. Two priests Avere the most active agents in the plot. Several arrests Avere made. Five of the prisoners obtained permission to go to Rome. Why they Avere not kept in Naples to be tried with the others nobody can tell. One of them was condemned to forced labor in 1563 for a political offence, but Avas subsequently pardoned. The clericals have been greatly annoyed because, for the first time, carriages Avere allowed to circulate this year on the days of the Holy Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. This Avas an old Spanish custom under the two last Bourbon kings. The trains on the Caserta Railway, which belong to the Government, Avere not allowed to run on those days. The Dirrito reports that the people of Pisa ordered a medal to be struck in commemoration of the massacre at - Barletta. One side contains the name of the victims, the other an inscription to the following effect : — "To the victims of religious fanaticism, fomented and led by Roman Catholic apostolic priests, Avho, on the 19th March, 1866, covered Avith infamy the innocent people of Barletta, and brought mourning and miserj*- upon Avhole families, and the popular j Comitia of Pisa, in a meeting held on the Ist April, j in the same year, have decreed this medal to be j struck as a perpetual memorial of the deed.'-' A copy j of the medal Avould be sent to the families of the J slain. At the same meeting it Avas resolved to re- j quest Garibaldi and Mazzini to inaugurate a collection in their behalf. I