The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1913-04-22
INTERNAL STRIFE
BESETS PORTUGAL
Different Factions Rive the
Nation.
MANY ATROCITIES ENACTED

carbonarios Prey on RoyaIists-Pris-
oners Kept In Loathsome Cells.
Youths Sentenced Unjustly to Years
of Penal Servitude - Government
Powerless Against Its Enemies.
Not since the declaration of the re-
public have affairs in Portugal been
in such a desperate condition as they
are at present, politically, financially
and socially, says correspondent in
Lisbon. There is virtually no political
leader in power who has the future
good of the country at heart. All seem
bent on advancing their positions or
filling their pockets in the shortest
possible time, believing that the pres
ent state of affairs cannot continue and
that they must make hay while the
sun shines for them. These are the
general principles on which those in
power are united. They differ as to
the quickest and most effective way
of carrying these principles out.
The most dangerous thorn in the side
of the nation are the Carbonarios,
whose leader is Senior Luz Almeida,
a man who stops at nothing to show
his animosity against the royalist fam
lilies, although there is no danger to be
expected from them. 1t is to the influ-
ence of the Carbonarios that the pris-
oners taken at various times since the
revolution of two and a half years ago
are slowly brought to trial and are in
the meantime kept in filthy cells in the
criminal prisons.
Such was the case of daughter of
the Count of Cascaes, a member of the
ancient family of CANA, the tale of
whose sufferings has recently been
published in the European and Ameri-
can press. Her only crime was that
In distributing the funds and food she
received by popular subscription she
| ignored criminals and gave only to po-
! litical prisoners. This in the opinion
of the Carbonarios constituted ''man-
| Hesitation of political solidarity"
Government Helpless.
How helpless the government is be-
| fore the Carbonarios is shown by the
fate of the general amnesty bill intro
duced few weeks ago. which had to
| be withdrawn because the "agents
provocateurs'' of this party through
their press and even by public posters
declared with circumstantial evidence
that a royalist rebellion was at hand.
Some arrests were made, but the pris-
oners turned out to be some peasants
who had started an agitation to have
their churches kept open in defiance of
| the governments order. Senior Luz
Almeida openly acknowledged the ruse
to which his agents had resorted and
said that he intended it as a warning
prompted by "the wave of false gen,
erosity which had invaded the spirit of
sincere republicans"
A few months ago. when the antag,
Onism against the royalists seemed to
have died out, an attempt was made tC
hasten their trials, with the result
that the juries, through lack of evi
dence, began to acquit about three out
of five. Thereupon panic seized the
Carbonarios. They organized mobs al
Oporto and Lisbon, who attacked the
juries in the streets, the lawyers fol
the defense and the prisoners as they
left the court. Since then military tri
bunals have tried the cases, and there
have been very few acquittals indeed.
A Terrible Penalty.
There were five young royalists who
had been acquitted by a civil court re
arrested on charges identical to those
formerly brought against them. AL
were found guilty by a military tri
bunal and sentenced to six years con
iinement in the penitenciaria, or Grim
inal prison, to be followed by deporta
ton for ten years to a penal settle
ment in Africa. In other words, these
innocent youths were dressed in mo
nasdc garb, had their heads shaved
were placed in solitary cells and Oblig
| ed to wear thick hood over head and
face, with Sits for eyes and mouth.
This Carbonarios society, which since
the revolution has become a menacing
political party, but without any po
litical propaganda whatever, as the in
stigator and creator of the revolution
has had no excuse for existence since
the declaration Of the republic, but the
offices it naturally took under the pro
visional government its members have
been loath to surrender. 1t has there
fore felt the necessity to justify it's po
sition by organizing throughout the
country system OF spying and dis
quiet. Where there were no conspira
cicies. conspiracies were invented, the
possession of a title or wealth-espe
dally the latter-or the fact Of having
rendered service to the state or churcf
under the monarchy being sufficient
to cause arrest, followed by atrocities
only equaled by the reign of terror