The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-03-22
AMNESTY TO BRING :,
PEACE TO PORTUGAL Il
Political Prisoners. in Jail for
Many Months, Recover 80
Their Liberty.
NO FEAR OF ROYALISTS
- 81
Foes Of Republic Abandon Hope
Of Ovcrtl,rowing the. 10
Government.
NO FEAR OF ROYALISTS
Special corr,spoad,nce 10 Tur s,x.

LISBON. March i3.--The generous action
OF the Portuguese Government In granting
general amnesty lays a solemn obi
CATION on the critics Of the republic
to forget the past;
Those prisoners who were arrested arbl-
trariiy and sentenced innocent still, no
doubt, have very real grievance against
the republic, a grievance shared by hun
dreds OF persons arrested on an accu-
sation OF conspiracy and then released
without trial compensation or apology.
But II must be remembered that not all
were innocent. and the action Of the
republic In releasing all without exception
and banishlng a few Is certainly a gener-
GUS one. All the more so in view Of tho
provocation received In the shape of many
home truths and some exaggerations dur
Ing the campaign waged In favor of an
amnesty for the last twelve months.
Dom Joao dAlmelda and the Condo dc
Mangualde. for instance. admit that the
republic would have been justified in
putting them to death. The former has
been imprisoned for eighteen months. the
latter Tor only few weeks. Since tho
amnesty Is made general 1t would be unfair
TO dwell ON those facts In the past which
would have prevented any but general
amnesty from being accepted by public
opinion.
1t would too be Il great mistake to
deducc the character OF the bill. which
became law at n joint sitting OF the two
houses OF Parliament this week. from
the somewhat groudging terms In which It
Is drawn up. IL would have been simpler
and quicker to adopt Senior Machado
Santos's bill already before Parliament
instead Of wasting ten days in roundabout
mannuvres But IL ,he Democrats have
chosen once NOR, to show their pcttiness,
and u the untr.cd prisoners are to be
tried aft their release. this docs not
affect The main result OF tho measure
WHICH il that not u single political pris-
oncr viii remain IN prison.
III "a Re Tried Later.
Indeed. the clause which DEGREES the
subsequent trial of these prisoners In
rather foolish than unjust. To the pris-
oners accused Of the time honored charge
OF conspiracy the trials viii, only be
slight Inconvenience, and even n they
are found guilty they cannot he i'm
prsoned To the republic 1t may we'll
be source of fresh discredit. cmpha-
sizing. as these trials will. the inQuity
OF having kept these hundreds they num-
Der some six hundred of persons so many
months IN prison
The amnesty. however. should now
herald IA period Of less pettiness aud sus-
picion. Public opinion ABROAD certainly
, does not favor Royalist conspiracles, and
from to-day II will condemn them with
especial severity. Further, the Royalists
themselves are beginning to realize that
their wisest course Is to let the republic
entirely alone. They regard IL
clique as.d on tho indifference OF the
country. a lodge IN garden OF cucumbers,
and as such Il may be left To work out its
salvation. But II the amnesty Is followed
by spirit OF liberation in matters polti-
cal and religious the republic will win
.s,r ,f,,t. lot al, a
portusal I, will then be vain for the
Royalists TO pipe. since the Portuguese
people vii refuse to dance to their piping.
The next two years will probably show
whether or not the republic can survive
the dearth OF statesmen and the stress Of
party factions 80 clearly shown during tho
recent crisis Probably the best solution
would bc n broad minded and tolerant re-
public In which all Portuguese could unite
20 build M portugarS prosperity. For
this the amnesty has laid the first stone
But cNcessi"" anti-clcrIcalism and the
Carbonaria mus. disappear before a policy
OF attraction can b" inaugurated and n
period OF peace entered upon which will
enable the republic to attack tn" problems
OF finance with some hope of success.
SIN Suspicious Of England.
The suspicion = still rifc in Portugal
that the outcry in ENGLAND against the
10 hostility toward Portugal and to tao
desire 20 50, Portugal on fir. ovcr this
question. 50 that England IN tho mean
while might quietly hcip herself and Ger
many to the Portuguese colonies The
true facts of the case can OF course De
stated in two words.
Although the republic Ina, been ..cJz-
nlzed 10y Great u .tatI, Tie Ca41uraria
has not. and IL was against trr proceed
!ngS OF the ca'H1uarlos and the Govern
incit which supported and cucourag cd
them hat public opinion In En-land pro-
tested
The authors Of the.e PROCEEDINGS we're
not considered In ENGLAND 10 be in any
way representative Of Portugal More
, over, the scant liberty given To- the press
FOR some time under ne rrpuhll' made II
almost imperative for foreign opinion 20
com. 10 the help ~ the thgottled opinion
IN |ortuGal Now Ia" Portuguese Hcpub-
htanS whn advocate moderation have
made themselves heard 10 soHlo purpose,
and II only remains I,y foreigners 20 wish
them all success I'm ,h.r diaicul' task OF
permanently checking TIA" extremists
The amnesty +, p"uut that tive republic
considers ltSe!f ablr 20 'Nis. without In.
prosecutions ~ secret suclcti,, aud with
'ui Insulting and iuur,-o".NE IL upu1-
nents for their oonlons. ana It mus,
Therefore he aocepied as a >J.u ot conf.
dcnce and strength