The Washington herald., 1911-01-08

Of which we have been the victims in
the name Of liberty.
The Charges and Their Answers.
It will naturally be asked. what were
our crimes?
In the first place, it is passing strange
that to this moment not a single offense
has been alleged against us. The law of
October assigns none, but appeals ITO
the ancient obsolete legislation of Pom
bal Q75S) and Agular QS34; 1t revokes
Hintse Ribeiro's decree. and promulgates
antiauated vexations by which to VIC
On the other hand. public opinion-so
called-mfsled by the wild declamations
Of an irreconcilable press. never sue
ceeded In formulating against us more
than the vague charges devised by Jaco-
bin novelists. In spite Of all researches
in the columns of anti-Jesuit journalism,
or among the legends which circulate
patriots. ! can find no accusation that
does not fall under one OF these six
heads:
i. Armanents and subterrapean gal
2. Wealth and fraudulent acquisition of
inheritances.
8. Inveigling youths to become Jesuits.
T. Secret associations.
5. Political AMI anti-republican activity.
6. Reactionary influence.
In this dark hour. when with sad hearts
We are all compelled to quit our beloved
Portugal, I owe to my country cate
gorical reply to these accusations Of our
prosecutors.
1-Armaments and Subteffanean
Galleries.
The answer is simple. We had no ar
maments whatever. nor in any OF our
houses were there subterranean passages
by which to escape or communicate with
others.
And yet, had it been otherwise. had We
possessed such covered ways-what then?
Had We not A right in view of what had
occurred? Our conduct. though less
frank and open. would have been at least
more businesslike, as was said few
weeks ago in the Spanish parliament by
the Premier Canalejas. in regard of de-
fensive works said to exist in some re
ligious houses. How. then. what hap
pened at CanpoIide. where the mob
broke in. flooding corridors and private
rooms, bursting open everything. throw
ing about books and papers. ana threat.
ening to shoot the unfortunate inmates?
Does not all this show that it would
have been highly advantageous to have
had some means Of hindering the sack OF
the college until the public force could
come to the rescue?
In reality. however. there was nothing
Of the sort. In the whole building OF
Campolide were only a couple of guns
for purposes If sport. when our profes-
went d hoiiudS ~ u
country house 1t Val de Royal More,
over. these guns were not employed
when the assault took place
What then. of the shots fired from our
residence at Quelhas? These shots were
the occasion for bitter Calunnies against
us in an official note which has as yet
not been contradicted by the provisional
government.
The general himself commanding at
Lisbon, who was appointed by the re-
public acknowledged to the representa-
tive of the Paris Illustration that, as
was clearly proved. none OF us mao any
hand in anything SO done. Who 1T was
that fired the shots. some being dressed in
costumes found in our rooms, can easily
he understood. especially when we know
what occurred at Campolide. where one
of these psuedo Jesuits who fell to the
shot of one of his comrades was found
under his cassock to be wearing his mill
tary uniform. betraying his true char
acter.
1t is certain. moreover. that two days
prior to the assault on the Quelhas resi-
dence. all the fathers there had been
arrested and imprisoned. As to the secret
underground passages and con1munica-
tionS by which these mythical Jesuit
rifiemen made their escape. no one ever
saw them to this moment. Moreover,
the general in command has likewise de-
clared that there are no such subterra-
mean works excepting narrow sewers.
So much for Quelhas. As to Campo
lide. ] may add that beneath the sur
among them a fine cistern constructed
by one Of my predecessors as director
of the college But although these chan,
neIs had been inspected and their rea!
character understood. the anticlerical
press did not hesitate to produce sketch
OF one Of them and to style it entrance
to subterranean.
confess that / had never thought l
should one day be called upon to defend
myself against the charge of such ar
senals and ambushes. Such Arabia n
Nights tales. so frequent in the Jacobin
press. had often amused my brothers
and myself. and when about a twelve
month since terrible stories about an
arsenal at Campolide were being circu-
recently been a minister of the Crown.
warned me that we should at last be
Obliged to provide against an assault
answered plainly that We would rather
have our lives taken than take those OF
others.
The belief in Jesuit wealth was so
deeply rooted in Portugal as to be enter
tanned not only by our enemies but even
by our best friends.
Surprising this belief to he wellEround-
ed, why should it make us criminals? 1t
would be a strang, measure to expel a
man from his country merely because he
possessed 4 large sum OF money. But
our reputed wealth was purely fabulous.
without any foundation in fact. Would
that the Society had actually in Portu-
gal abundant material resources. We
should have no lack Of good works on
which to eXpenj them for the good of
our country. But We had no such re-
sources. Frequently after my appoint
ment Superior. L bad hard struggle
against grievOus difficulties to find means
of supporting my subjects. So many are
the misconceptions regarding Jesuit prop
erty that with Il view of dispeiling them
| I long projected a course of lectures on
the subject. 1 was. however. prevented
from doing as j wished by the incognito
| in which I was placed by Hintse Ribeiro S
decree.t God knows what mortifica-
ton it was to me to have to assume a
disguise imposed by law. but wholly re-
pugnant to my own straightforwardneSs
and natural ideas concerning truth, as
! well as to the heartfelt love and admira-
tion which l entertained for the Society
of Jesus.
This matter will require but a few
words.
If the government of the society is
strictly monarchical, its administration
is on the contrary extremely decentral-
icad Each hp,lSe iS Sena admin.