Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-03
BETTER. SITUATION In PORTUGAL

There the sailors who discovered the
virgin image established a brotherhood
under the name of Necessidades because
they prayed to the virgin when in danger.
Jean v. having promised by a vow made
to the Virgin of Necessidades that If she
cured him of mortal malady from which
he suffered he would build a beautiful
church. kept dis vow and added the beau
tiful palace. which is still the residence
of the reigning royal family. The gar
dens and the waters that play therein are
incompa rable. great number of works
of art of great value abound in the Pal
ace Of Necessdades and the archives are
of exceptional value. This palace has also
a Sale du Jeu de Paume and it is there
since 1870 where assemble the extrabr-
binary sessions of the cortes.''
King Manuel III. 1t is said, is very intel
ligent. He was not brought up with the
idea that he would accede
Young TO the throne, and his in
struction therefore was
given more general and
liberal range. He has artistic tastes like
his father and his ideas are very indie
pendent. The parliament and people
place great hopes upon him. and this fact
alone encourages the belief that Portugal
henceforth is bound upon voyage of
peace anu prosperity
Queen Amelie. who always lived re-
moved from politics. has manifested
through all these distressing events ad-
mirable courage. energy and clear vision.
She is loyal and has all the qualities OF
| an "honest man."
N. Galtier. the special correspondent of
lie Temps to whom We indebted for
Information as to Portuguese politics
prior to the assassination of King Car
los. has again taken up the subject in
the light of subsequent events. He says
| that it is necessary that a distinction
should be drawn between the plot exc
cuted February 1. in which there were
only a few engaged. and the general con-
spiracy of anti-monarchists which pre-
| ceded vast political conspiracy well
conceived, but which failed by reason OF
certain circumstances.
The reader may find it interesting to
glance at the outlines of this conspiracy
which will enable him thus to understand
the difficulties of government in Portugal.
| From the end Of November. when 1t
was apparent that King Carlos would sus-
tain Frances policy, when the elections
would be deferred and the legal means
of disposing of the dictatorship were rem
dered impossible. linen of action of the
advanced parties decided that the only
hope was in revolution.
A revolutionary committee was organ
lied, and IT was decided to attack the
| royal palace and take it by assault. The
Mig dHu TOY al IdHllly were 10 De taken
prisoners. but were not to be injured.
The police posts were to be attacked and
likewise the barracks of the municipal
guard.
~
The manifestation was fixed for JAN
uary %. An incident occurred which
placed the police on the
Frustrated track of the conspirators
l.
Conspiracy. souza Antonio '' Lose d.
Almeida and Franco Borges were arrest
ed. This time NJ. Franco was given the
thread of the complot.
Since the eth Of January King Carlos
and the royal family were at villacosa.
The attack was changed to the 18th.
On that day the police arrested Alphonso
Costa. Discount Ribeira Bravo and Egas
Moniz. There was struggle. shots were
fired. there were several wounded and
200 prisoners were taken to the arsenal
Joao Franco triumphed and proved him.
self match, so far. for the conspirators.
but he commenced to understand the dam
ger of the situation At a meeting of the
cabinet one of the ministers said:
1T is question of life and death for
us. 1t is necessary to kill them. if we
do not wish to be killed ourselves"
On the 31st Of January NJ. Franco sent
to the king at Villacosa. He was asked
to sign a new decree by which the gov
eminent withdrew from the action of the
courts certain accused, of whose cases
the minister would dispose himself.
He would have the right to have them
sent across the border. to the colonies,
or to confine them in a fortress The
accused were officials and would lose
their places and privileges which their
diplomas or titles conferred. Parliamen-
tarv immunity SlnnrQSSpd CQrlnc
signed the decree. When the minister of
justice returned to Lisbon 1T was deemed
necessary to escort his carriage from the
train by a squadron of cavalry
The grand plot was disorganized but
the government journals provoked popu-
lar evaporation to a high state of ex-
citement. They said: Whatever gov
eminent may follow, this government will
II 1t let's loose upon Portuguese society
the disorderly elements which have been
seized and rendered impotent to act"
This declaration meant deportation to
Timor in the Malaysia. "Since the king
returns tomorrow said
Death the suspected. why should
n....s we waltz" There was per-
haps a secret meeting the
night of the 31st of January in which the
COnSp1ratOrS condemned the KING anu
probably NJ Franco to death.
The bloody tragedy of the 1st Of Febru-
airy is too we'll known to require recital.
There are, nevertheless. certain points OF
the plot which have only recently tran
spired. Buica. well known expert shot
and one other were charged with the
shooting; the others were to facilitate
their escape. But the non-combatants
lost their heads. and. drawing their weap-
ons. joined i'm the firing. 1t was Costa
who first approached the royal equipage
and killed the king. 1t was the crown
prince who in the brief moment he was
given to live. killed the kings assassin.
There remains one other detail con-
nected with this horrible tragedy. The
pawnshops of Lisbon only recently were
discovered to be filled with the revolvers
which had been distributed to the miser-
able wretches who had been employed to
aid i'm the bloody work decreed by the
, revolutionary committee. 1t appears that
a butchery on a more extensive scale was
contemplated by the committee. which
doubtless proposed the extirpation not
only of the unfortunate king and crown
prince. but the entire royal family, and
also Franco and his colleagues. The
moral of the pawnshop incident is plain.