British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli
"It is useless to deny because it is impossible to conceal,that a great part of Europe-the whole of Italy and France and a great portion {of then fragmented Germany}, to say nothing of other countries-is covered with a network of these secret societies...and what are their objects? They do not attempt to conceal them.They do not want constitutional government...they want to change the tenure of land, to drive out the present owners of the soil and put an end to ecclesiastical establishments (churches)"