New-York tribune., 1909-02-07
fOKEIGN INTERVENTION MIGHT SAVE PORTUGAL

most ardent patriotism, Loyalty supported by
Dom Carlos, Franco made use of the eighteen
months during which his virtual dictatorship
| lasted TO reform abuses on every side AMI 10
stop and punish corruption
Politicians. officials and court dgntaries whc
had fattened en- graft We're shorn OF the most re
munerative sources Of their income Quite as
unscrupuous the Haytians, with whom they
have much in common, and reduced to das-
peration, they determined to put an end to this
era Of ref5rm 10y means of the assassination Il
the King and the murder Of his Prime Minister
Franco. contrary to the expectations Of the
Conspil ators, G.G not drive bacz from the 'au2-
ing .tage 10 The palace Wit his sovereign on
the fateful Saturday a gear aso and thus es-
capped the fate in store for him. and the Crown
Prince was Killed by the ragicides in his stead.
Had not the two queens-that is to say. the
mother and the widow % D"rn Caros-been al
most bereft Of their senses by grief and by the
shock Of the tTagedE the- would have realized
that the best way of hono~ing the memory OF
the slain monarch was ~ carrying his work
OF reform. tuning {. sdvantagc the horror in
spired by tbe outrage. and especially by tho
manner in which il was put into execution. But
they lost their heads and instead Of strengthen
ing the hans Of Premier Franco assaied him
with reproaches. denounced him responsible
for the conditions which had caused the murder
OF the King. and actually called down the blood
Of the latter his head Their attitude was
voiced by their encourage, and, it goes without
SAYING 10y the members of the Liberal and Con
servative parties. who saw in his fall an end OF
the wave OF reform and return to the satur-
MALTA Of corruption. In fact he literally
driven into exile.
Admiral Ferreira Do Amaral thereupon came
forward declaring that he no politician, but
a sailor and that the youth ana ineXperience
Of the eighteen-year-oId King and the sorrow of
the two queens appealed to his sentiments of
chivalry. He undertook TO form a ministry and
TO assume charge of affairs. He had a reputa-
tion for honesty but likewise for vanity and for
gullibility The Conservative and Liberal ma
chimes could not have wished for anything bet
ter and al once indorsed him. He quickly be
came the tool Of the very people against whom
King Carlos had been waging such bitter war
fare and actually was induced to include in his
Cabinet men who had been the objects OF the
particular adherence Of the murdered sovereign,
l,v reason Of their dishonesty, and who are
known at any rate to have been privy TO the
conspiracy against his life. If they did not actu-
ally instigate it, They are still in Office and ii is
owing TO this that the real authors Of the assas-
sjnatiou OF the late Dom Carlos and Of the
Crown Prince remain to this day unpublished
and that no attempt has ever been made to
bring the murdereTs TO justice.
In fact the only one WHO seems to nave been
punished In connection with the affair has been
lieutenant Francesca Ffguera, orderly officer
Of the late King. who, owing TO his action In
cutting down with his sword one Of the assasslns
Of his royal master. using his revolver and sabre
to good effect and being wounded himself IN the
right leg bv the bullet Of one Of the murdeiers,
has been virtually exed ~ Macao, in China
In anv other country Figuiera would nave been
lauded and rewarded for his bravery But IN
stead Of this it was actually proposed to place
H., ~, trial for shedding the blood Of the regi-
CIdee and so intense was the popular animosity
AGAINST him that the widowed Queen ana her
son were not permitted to retain him IN their
service. but were forced 10 submit to his balash~