The Sun.
London, England, 1865-02-27 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE IVEERLY REGISTER.

Sir,—You inserted in your last number a letter from Mr.
Saraiva, containing some severe animadversions on the
Duke of Saldanha, the present Ambassador from the Court
of Portugal to that of Rome, who is blamed for having
taken an active part fh the restoration of constitutional
monarchy in his own country under its legitimate Queen
Donna Maria, when the throne of that kingdom had been
usurped by Don Miguel, whose despotic sway, and the
cruelties he practised to all opposed to him, created such
general dissatisfaction throughout Europe as to cause a
universal feeling amongst all friends of civil and religious
liberty and of constitutional freedom for his overthrow.

If a participation in this feeling, added to his gallant
services during the Peninsular war under the Duke of
Wellington, as stated in that letter, were the principal
causes of his elevation, as stated in that letter, one would
imagine that such facts would tend more to his credit than
otherwise, and that his present position at the Court of
Rome would raise him still higher in the eyes of your
readers. Having myself served in the Portuguese army
with the Duke of Saldanha during that war, and having
been selected by the Portuguese Regency in this country
to organise and command an expedition to Portugal with
the rank of Marechal de Campo, to aid in the overthrow of
Don Miguel and the restoration of the Queen, as Mr.
Saraiva well knows, he being then one of the partisans
and active agents in this country of the usurper, and having
favoured me with various marks of his hostility, for having
lent my humble assistance to the good cause, for which I
incurred the displeasure of the Duke of Wellington and
Lord Beresford, who advocated despotic rule in Portugal,
while the Liberal Government here gave all the aid in
their power to the advocates of legitimacy, civil and reli-
gious liberty, and constitutional freedom, I feel myself in
some degree called upon to defend the Duke of Saldanha
from animadversions that cannot under these circumstances
be considered as uninfluenced by personal feelings.
As Mr. Saraiva is so ready to bring charges against
others he may perhaps be equally ready to favour your
readers with a defence of Don Miguel against a variety of
crimes and misdemeanours with which he was charged,
commencing with the first step he took during the life-time
of his father King John, to pave his way to the absolute
power he then contemplated, and to which the Marquis de
Louie (the father of the present Prime Minister in Portu-
gal) was opposed, he being then the confidential adviser of
his Majesty and a constant resident with him in his palace
at Lisbon, where Don Miguel also resided. To get rid of
this confidential friend and adviser was considered an im-
portant point, and the most effectual step was taken for this
purpose, by the assassination of the marquis during the
night time, his body having been thrown out of one of the
windows, was found next morning in a court-yard of the
palace. Don Miguel was not accused of having committed
this crime, as it required an able-bodied man to murder
another, and then throw his body out of a window, such as
an active partiZirali-eiatignel who parsed that night
with him at the palace, to whom this was generally attri-
buted in Lisbon at the time. If there is anything incorrect
in this statement of the case Mr. Saraiva will no doubt
favour us with his views on the subject, and whether it is
not true that Don Miguel, on subsequently assuming the
reins of Government, did not without judge or jury incar-
cerate in the dark dungeons of Fort St. Julian and other
prisons, all the noblemen and others of note who were
opposed to his system of Government, where they re-
mained, suffering the greatest privations for several years,
until the reins of Government were wrested from his hands
and the constitution restored by universal acclamation,
when it was found that the greater part of the unfortunate
prisoners at Fort St. Julian had perished under the cruel
treatment of its Governor Telles Jordas, who was torn to
pieces by the inhabitants of Lisbon and thrown into the
Tagus (a retribution so far for the murder of the Marquis
of Loule and the more prolonged sufferings of those who
Perished in that prison). Amongst other frivolous charges
brought forward by Mr. Saraiva is that of a Mr. Smith, the
brother-in-law of the Duke of Saldanha, having purchased
some national property when offered by public sale ; but as
such charges do not require refutation, I have only to re-
quest that as you have given publicity to them you will
give equal publicity to this reply.—From your obedient
servant, Jows SCOTT Larry,.
Feb. 22, 1865.