New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-08-15

Nncn the principal newspapers O! n nOna-chl-
cal country begin to hold up the sovereign to
public obloquy as manifest coward" as
"ridculous and useless dude" and as IAN incap-
able fool and loudly demand that he should
take his departure and make way for the estab-
lshment Of Republic "the only form &c gov
eminent consistent with human dignity. com
nonsense and modern progress" then revolu-
tion may be regarded imminent and the over
throw Of the throne is at hand. This is the state
OF affairs in Portugal which is of such extreme
gravity that King Humbert has considered 1t
necessary hurredly to dispatch two Italian iron
clads to Lisbon for the purpose of affcrding ref
uge and means of escape to his favorite sister
the Dowager Queen Pia, we'll as to his nephew
and niece, the reigning King and Queen. when
the crown is finally torn from their feeble grasp
and they driven into that path of exile which
has been trodden by the feet Of so many royal
personagos during this nineteenth century.
For the last few years the disturbances in Cuba
have had the effect of concentrating the atten-
ton Of the American people to such an extent
upon Spain that little or no note has been taken
Of the march of events in the neighboring king
dom of Portugal. and while much has been heard
Of the likelihood of republics being proclaimed
at Madrid at Christana at Athens and at Brus-
sells. few seem to be aware that the knel of the
Braganza dynasty is being tolled at Lisbon
Few will regret King Carlos. either at hone
abroad. For in the eyes OF the Lcgitimiss
and Of the old fashioned courts of Europe. which
regard the law of heredity and primoseniture
as the chief principle and foundation Of the mon
archical system, he is nothing more than
usuTper. the rightful sovereign being Duke
Miguel of Braganza, who stands in precisely the
same position toward the throne of Portugal as
Don Carlos occupies toward that Of Spain. For
in the same way that the crown of the latter
ought by right to have gone at the death Of King
Ferdinand to his brother. Don Carlos the senior,
instead of to His Majesty's daughter Isabella.
so too should the crown of Portugal have passed.
on the abdcation of King Pedro ~ to his
brother Dom Miguel, instead Of to his daughter.
who became Queen under the name Of Maria
della Gloria.
Don Carlos in Spain and Dom Miguel in Por-
tugal both resisted to the utmost this usurpation
Of the rights which they individually possessed
under the laws of Legitimacy. and found their
principal adherents among those whose political
creed was one OF clericalism and reaction, the |
two countries being involved in civil war at the
same time, and from causes Of an almost identi- !
cal nature. In each case the struggle resulted in
the defeat of the LcGitimists and in the victory |
Of the young Queens, Don Carlos as well as Dom |
Miguel being oXiled from the peninsula and COM !
PEELED TO seek refuge in Austria where in course /
Of time they both died. Miguel bequeathlng his |
rights to the Portuguese throne to his son, the |
present Duke Of Braganza. an officer Of the Aus /
TRAN cavalry, while the claims If Don Carlos are
now vested in the person Of his grandson, who /
bears the same himself. and who is /
ported 10 be on the OF making another effort /
to secure possession OF the crown Of his grand |
uncle King Ferdinand.
If this bit Of ancient history is recalled here, it .
Is with the object OF demonstrating how little .
support King Carlos of Portugal can expect from
those who in other monarchical countries consti-
tute the principal bulWarl. Of the throne, namely,
the clergy and the aristocrGcy, both Of which, OF
course look to the Duke Of Brayanza whose
success would they convinced result in
restoration of old-time power prorogativcs and
10 the Church and 10 the nobility. which
WAS deprived Of all Of it's hereditary privileges
under the reign Of the late King
NO HOPE FROM THE MIDDLE CLASSES
Equally hopeless are the prospects of assist
ance from the middle and lower classes. All the
nolitical life and vGor Of Portugal, the nte-
cence. the enlightenment. the industry and the
Of the nation are centred in the prn-
rinal cities and towns, the rural districts being
IF small account, politically speaking. For, ow-
ing TO the fact that the railroads. few in number
have bccn built for the benefit Of the urban popu-
alton and without any reference to The require
nents and development of agriculture the peas
antry have remained unaffected by modern
steopcd on the contrary. in the
,rass ignorance Of three centuries ago and utter
v Indifferent to everything exc pt to the bchcsts
# their priests and the exactons Of the tax col
INN, ,tTr al n NJ no -if4i1