Star.
London, England, 1830-03-02 00:00:00

THE AMNESTY IN. PORTUGAL.

- .
From the Fiyaro.
Well, loyal Portuguese, who have fled from the scaffolds prepared
by the Usurper, hear you how, in Europe, statesmen comprehend,
at once, the cause of humanity, of which they are always speaking,
arid that of legitimacy, which they never cease to invoke! Away'
disperse yourselves still more. Reach, with all possible expedition,
the Continent of America! Every where they are debating the
question of admitting your persecutor into the family of Kings.
To-morrow, perhaps, he will be saluted on our hemisphere with the
titles of brother and cousin. The blood with which he is reddened
will dye foe him the royal purple. For, his victims and your pangs,
his horror of liberty and thirst of crime are his titles.! You, whom
he has mods Mama**, =ld not Jive Amon hie friends.
And for this solemn act, for this recognition which he solicits, deb
not believe that any thing is stipulated with him in favour of the li.
betties of your fellow-patriots. No ! such guarantees are too li.
beret : such necessities do not enter into the minds of European Ca-
binets. Gott preserve them from that evil thought !
Tyranny is a principle upon the banks of the Tagus : arbitrary
away is the fundamental constitution of the Portuguese nation. It
will undergo no change. He is only requested to furnish a pre.
tepee without guarantee or duration ; a motive of pure convenience,
a transient hypocrisy, an amnesty in fine, and mulling more.
Portuguese . history is fruitful in amnesties with exceptions ;
in amnesties full of sentences of death on those who are not pre-
sumed stupid enough to foolishly return to the hands of the execu-
tioner. History records a thousand perfidious proclamations, dic-
tated
with apparent kindness, to entice simple people, who have not
sense to be afraid, and who, having realized their fortunes, would
not surrender them a prize to the despoiling genius of tyrants, as
long as they remained at a respectful distance ! The clemency
there mixes itself dexterously with rigour, to obtain the semblance
of probability. The exception is a trick to gain weft for the rule.
It is a trap laid for stupidity. It is an ambush prepared for good
faith. There is an anecdote of the reign of terror which you may
translate into Portuguese. Where the executioners, impatient at the
slowness of the axe which struck off only so many heads an hour,
thought fit to avail themselves of grape shot; after the first dis.
charge, it was observed that several, of the unfortunate creatures
were only wounded, and still breathed. A voice cried out, "those
who will rise shall receive pardon." The love of lift re-animated
the dying: they raised themselves, and the firing with grape shot
was renewed !

Think you, then, that tine convenient benignity, a condition put
upon the royal greetings of which his policy has need in his la.
bows to increase his treasure and power to solicit money from
the bankers of London and Vienna, can for ever bridle his known
nature ? • What is this but one instance of hypocrisy more for the
model of treachery ? What is this but a promise in air for the per-
jury-made king ?
However, let us admit that he would not strike off more heads ;
let us suppose that he should be tired of murders, worn out with
crimea, that he should leave you your lives, the light of day, and
your property, untouched. In return, think of the thousand and,
one tortures that await you, of the multitude of persecutions of
which authority is lavish, when It affects the fear of having occasion
to inflict punishment. One time it is a spy, who glides into your
house, who provokes yew spleen, or interprets your sighs; who
makes himself your friend to s late upon your pangs, or sells
you his protection at the of selling you when you :hall be no
longer able to buy him. Another time it is an Insolent Monk, who
points you out from his pulpit, who overwhelms you with invectives
in theism:sof Heaven, who renders the sacred place okra horrible
than a prison, or who insinuates himself into the confidence of your
daughters to alienate them from you, and that they may replace him
in your dwelling when he shall be no longer there. Ow day they
would send you far, very far, from your homes, for it is necessary
to sweep over a distance of ten leagues all suspected persons who
might be found in the way of the Monarch, at the risk of
making the country a daert. Another day they would
quarter in your' houses soldiers, whom you must main-
tain, for reports of insurrection circulate in the country. Do
not murmer, do not allow yourselves to utter a complaint; the land
of proscription places you out of the law. Yon would be wrong
to think yourselves stronger than your judges. There is no reason
that you should ever
-have a right to indulge In lamentation—the
slightest word of an enemy can compromise you : you are consi-
dered in a flagrant disposition for revolt. You must be discon-
tented, for every things done to make you so; though it comes
into the country it is you that first caused the disturbance. The
populace amuse themselves with insulting you : in their frolics they
break your windows, and persecute you with offensive songs. In
their fears they are ever on the point of burning your houses and
awning you to death. You have no protection to expect. The
force is on the watch against you and not for you : and in fine,
you must have a spirit as pliant and resolute as that of Epietetus to
endure so many wrongs, to swallow these thousands of' outrages
without being tempted a thousand times a day to open your body
with the poniard, or the four veins, or to fly towards the frontier,
striking down the armed cut-throats who make a hell of your
country. Portuguese ! listen to one of the advocates for therms.
ninon of Dow Mrouter. : Lord Armament himself has said in
open Parliament, speaking of the crowned monster, whom he wishes
to salute with the title of king. " I know be is heartless, that be
has violated his oaths ; he is said to be cruel—and I believe it—for
cruelty is the daughter of cowardice." Behold the monarch—model
of the Apostolic faction ! Behold his letters of royalty !