Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-12-30
PORTUGAL.

1t IS significant that In Portugal the
parade in honor of the coronation Of the
new King, which was ordered for yester-
day, had to be abandoned because of the
dissatisfaction existing among the troops
with the monarchy. 1t is not probable
that the Portuguese have true conception
of free government. Indeed, we are of
those who believe that if they should now
cast off the monarchical yoke it would not
be many weeks before the revolution would
be overthrow and the monarchy restored.
The present disquiet is not indicative nee
essarily of ability to maintain republic.
There is nothing in the character or his
tory OF the Portuguese people to indicate
that they are as yet capable of self-gov-
eminent; on the contrary, they give evil
dence of lack of that ability and spirit out
of which republics are built. But there
is leaven of disquiet, of unrest among
the people, that indicates an aspiration in
a right direction, and if there should now
develop courageous revolt against the
monarchical system, and it should meet
with disaster, the next effort would be a
stronger one and more easily made, and in
time the Portuguese might arrive at such
plane of republican knowledge and per-
sistence that government by the people
would be possible.
The lower class in Portugal are ignorant
and unambitious; the aristocracy greatly
dominate the middle and educated classes,
while the agriculturists are deplorably
ignorant and apparently little interested
in the government under which they live
the result of ages of system that has
made them dependents, though their state
was somewhat bettered by the freeing of
the lands from the complete control of the
nobility and the clergy. There was time
when the Portuguese were the most en-
lightened and enterprising people in Eu-
rope, but it cannot be said of them at this
day.
True, they arose in 1S20-1 and adopted
a liberal constitution, securing freedom of
person and property, the liberty of the
press, the abolition of privileges and recog-
milton of the eligibility of any Portuguese
to Office in the nation, and under which
constitution John VI. consented to rule.
But since that date the Portuguese have
not manifested any strong disposition to gov
ern themselves, though their liberties were
considerably encouraged under Pedro v,
who had high regard for free institu-
tons, since which time there has not been
much progress in republican directions,
nor agitation indicating deep purpose on
the part of the people to change their
form of government. The recent example
of Brazil has had, however, great inAu
ence in Portugal among the educated
classes, who, if freed from the domination Of
the clergy, could successfully inaugurate a
revolution. We are surprised, therefore
that in the army the spirit of republicans
ism should be now so manifest, and while
it is significant as an indication of the
growth of the democratic spirit in the Old
World, we do not understand how anyone
can look for the overthrow of church and
monarchy in Portugal in this century, for
If the power of the one is broken so must
be the domination of the other, since the
church is the right arm of the Portuguese
monarchy.
THE total revenues of the Southern
States for school purposes are to-day S13,-
Csc, 299. In 1850 they were but Sc, 49,.
746. We submit that this increase in a
decade is remarkable and does infinite
credit to our brethren of the South
While the increase of school children has
been bat So per cent, the augmented pro-
vision for their education is increased by
126 per cent. Does the South under such
conditions really need Federal aid for its
schools2