New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-08-05

Sebastian had resolved TO march straight upon feA'
the Moorish capital seventy miles from the sea- Ino
Moors aid not want at that time, though uioS
were always ready to fight, and they gave the ini'p
ated king many opportunities to forego his mad pur-
nose Bnt he was not 10 be reasoned with, and went
on 10 his DOOM His forces, after toiling palniuis
tue the desert belt under the pitless glare OF an
African sun without water and almost without loOu'
tonnd in their front Moorish army more than dohpe
their own Numbers. Sebastian took up an untehaoic
position and the battle ensued. The portuguese
we're outaanked and literally cut to pieces, and Dom
Sebastian fell the field with the flower OF his noD
itv and with him fell Portuguese independence. Inc
Kingdom fell like ripe pear into the hand Of SPAIN
There was no longer any public spirit in Portugal
Eui x-otion the Holy Office and the fatal battle OF
AIcacer Qulbr had done their work, and the deinois
lied people offered resistance TO the spanish SoAo
Then followed what has been called 1.-The sixty fers
Can,vitvo During that space Of time the Portuguese
admitted to the rule Of the Spaniard though u DC
came more hateful TO them every year. for Their ne"
masters wore proud and insoent, and made the IRON
enter into their souls Gradually resentment gre"
into conspiracy among the Portuguese nobility anu
the crafty Richelieu. then ruling France, fos'eiou
movement which promised to convert Portugal mo
thorn in the side of Spain. In 1o4o the lnsurie's
broke ont All the Spanish authorities in the country
were killed or made prisoner. Revolt became INV
luton with the success Of the enterprise. The HUE
pendence Of Portugal was restored, and thanks 10 an
English alliance all attempts the part OF SPAN 10
re-estabIsh her authority over the revolted country
proved Ineffective.
Brazil followed suit as the news reacheu
her. The English alliance, sgnazed by the marriage
between Charles the Second and Catherine OF Bra
canza and more particularly, by the mission OF scno'
berg to reorganlze the Portuguese army, provided
means of defence which settle the question Vi
national independence. Tim came the discovery VI
gold and diamonds in Brazil and new era OK peace
and prosperity The annals Of Portugal III inc e'bF
tenth century distinguished by the ministry Oh 'o
Marquis Of Pombal, one Of the tTanscendeht minister
Of history Fortunately he was steadily supported
by his master King Joseph and when the iaVer oieu
he was at once disgraced by the enemies he mad maze
In his courtrvs interest. The French RevOluuon
brought fresh disaster to Portugal but the events Oh
the Pennsuar War are too recent TO need recapouIa
ton. Once more England was appealed TO- ana II"
sponded with Wellington. For the hrst ume uIch
Napoleons marshals met their match lie deleaten
them one after another and drove them out OF por-
tugaI Forced to retreat behind the lines OF Torres
Vedras, he remained securely there until his enemy
could no longer remain in his 'front.' then Issuing esh
and strong he pursued the retiring French across the
country Mr. stephens has here paid a deserVcu
tribute to the bravery and efficiency Of the forueuese
forces which were organized and disciplined oy bees
ford They contributed in important ways 10 tno
general result, and they consutu'eu 'Ai ''
strength I'm the allied armies.
since the Peninsular War Portugal has had nuctu
ating existence Commerce and Industry have TO some
extent revived, but the unftness Of the native lor
parliamentary government has been shown In ti'e
frequency and violence Of political crises Inc sep
aratnn OF Brazil from the mOtherc0untry ala not re-
ueve the strain for either, and even qllte recent
events in both indicate that their future Is sun IN
certain. But It is to the past Of Portugal that most
interest attaches. We must think of her as a nauoh
which al one time stood almost exactly where England
stood In the seventeenth century which then possessed
more than England's advantages; which rose 10 an
almost dizzy height OF power and glory and riches
snd which fell from that height with suddenness
and fnality scarcely paraleled in history We are
indeed not clear that the lessons Mr.. stephens draws
from this experience are precisely the true ones but
there can be question that the subject IS fu OF sug
qestion and instruction, that the author has done
userul thing in putting the strange and checkered
national story within the reach Of all Engahpeakng
readers.