We last night received th...
The Times, 1824-05-19T00:00:00

WVe last night received the Lisbon Gazettes to the 3d inst., giving an account, though very imperfect aund unsatis- factory, of the extraordinary movement which took place in that capital on the 30th of April, and some documents in which Don MIGU EL, its author, pretends to explain his motives and justify his condluct. These documents, which relate to the proceedings anterior to his submission to the KING'S authority, which we stated yesterday, conlsist of a proclamation to the troops, a letter to the K oNG, and a proclamation to the Portuguese people. From the spirit wbhich breathes, andl the principles which are urged, in all of them, the intentions of this young knight-errant of lge,iti- macy and of the party who place him at their head, are manifest. The counter-revolution of last summer, though it overthrew all security for rational liberty, and banished the authors and partisans of Constitutional Government, was reckoned by the QuEEN'S friends incomplete while any moderation was manifested in the counciLs of the KrNG, or any check; was opposed to the dominion of the most un- boundedl fanaticism or arbitrary violence. Count PAL- MRL.LA, and the Royalist Mlinisters who were mainly in- strumental in bringing about the changes of last year, were, in the progress of the movement v'llich they had originated, considered themselves as revolutionists; andl, as a watch- word was wanted for tie troops and the rabble, were stig- matized as anarchists and freemasons. It should be re- collected that the monks and fanatics of Spain andl Por- tugal teach the people to attach an idea of indefinable lhorror and monstrous criminality to the latter class of per- sons, and thus render them like the giants and enclhanters of romance, fit objects for the enterprises of this infant Don Quixotte. The following is the account from the Lisbon Gazette:- 1' LisBOS, APRTL 30. " This morning, at the break of day, there was seen in the squale of the Roseio, a portion of the troops of the line in garrison in this city; and there were afterwards seen arriving all the other corps both of the line and militia. A report was at the samne time spread through the capital, that a conspiracy had been disciovered, directed against the life of our august m oNarch, and of his Royal Family. The cer. tainty that the illustrious Infant and Prince, Don Mliguel, had placed himself at the head of the troops as their commander-in-chief, and that he had,with his accustometl energy and activity, arrived in time to save such dear pledges together with his country, tranquillized the public mind; and wherever that tutelar angel of the Portuguese ap- peared, shouts resounded of " Vivas" to his Roval person, his august parents, and our holy religion. In a short time there was spread through the troops the proclamation which we publish below; while the same -most serene Prince gave the necessary orders that none should enter the Roval residence of Blempoera, whiere he stationed troops, com- mantled bv faithful officers, orderinz the arrest of many individuals who were considered as implicated in projects hostile to Royalty antd ito the nation. There he waited for the determination of his august father, to wlhom he addressed the letter which we transcribe be. low. Her AlaJestv (the Queen) immediately proceeded from the Palace of Queluz to Beazposta; and the whole of the Royal Familv being met, the Council of Sate being called, and all the Ministers of Foreign Powers, anmong the rest the Marquis of Gampo-Major (BeTesford) being present, our Lord the Kling appointed new .Ministers, with the exception of the Minis- ter of the Interior and Justice, in the room of the Mlinister of iMarine and WVar, Count tie Subserra, who wac arrested, and of the Mlinisters of the Treasuty and Foreign Affairs. At the same time a new Intendant of Police was nominated. Many indlivintials of the military class, some with titles, and a great rumber of others, were ordered into custodv. TAhe troops retired to their quarters at two o'clock in the afternooni. Public tranquillity was not in the least in- terrupted by this movement: on the contrary, the proceeding was highly applauded, as tendinz to consolidate the legitimate government of the most benignant and beloved of M\lonarchs. As we are not yet able to give a detailed account of these circumstances, we lay before our readlers the three following documents in explanation of the events :_ "PROCLAMATION TO THE TROOPS. Soldiers,-If the day of the 27th of MIay, 1823. broke upon us with a memorable lustre, the day of the 30th of April, 1824, will be no less memorable. Both of them will occupy a distin. guished place in the pages of Lusitanian history. In the former, I left the capital to overthrow a disorgenizing faction, preserving the throne of our exalted King, the Royal Farmily, and the whole na- tion, giving besides an example of virtuous attachment to the sa- cred religion we profess, the true support of royalty and justice in the present, I shall accomplish the triumph of the great work which was then begun, giving it a secure establishment, and exterminating at once the pestilential sect of Freemasons, which, in the silence of its treason, projected the destruction and total extinc- tion of the reigning House of Braganza. Soldiers ! it was for this reason I called you to arms, fully convinced of the firmness of yeur charactcr, of your loyalty, and of your decided love for the caus,p of the King. Soldiers, be worthy of me, and Don Mliguel, your Commander-in-Chief, will be worthy of you. Long live our lord the King! Long live the Roman Catholic religion! Long live her .Nltst Faithful Mlajesty! Longlive the Royal FamiJy s Long live the brave Portuguese army ! Long live the nation ! Die all infamous Freemasons. Palace of Betiposta, April 30, 1824." "LETTER OF THE INFANT TO HIS FATHIER. Sir, my King, august Father, and Lord,-Shuddering with hor- ror at the most perfidious treason, plotted by terrible masonic assod- ations,which, in conjunction with those of Spain, overthrew theRoval Houise of Braganza, reduchig to ashes the finest countrs'cfthe world, I have resolved (after hearing the sincere and faithful wishes of all good Portuguese) to call to arms the brave and immortal Portuguese [army, to secure by its means the triumph of the great work begun on the immortal 27th of M5ay, 1823, which, by an unexpected fata- lity, has not had an issue corresponding with public expectation. YIour Majesty, whose sublime virtues exceed the thoughts of mefi, consdtuting the best of Kings who have reigned on cartlh, cannot hut approve of mTly heroic resolution, as it has for its object to pre. serveyour Majesty from the fangs of the infamous persons who sur- round you, and who have conducted you to the brink of a precipice ; and by preserving your Maje-ty frorm so inmninent a danger, pre- j serve likewise the Royal Family and the nation. | T!.e preclamation wlhich I have the honour of transmitting to your Majesty will prevent any false charge which, either at the pre- sent moment or hereafter, the evil-disposed might endeavour to fix upon res; and I implore yout Majesty to east upon it your paternal eye, thst you may recognize the pure truths which it contains as the only means of doing justice to a son, wlho, to save his august father, his King and Lord, and to preserve uninjured4he primitive rights of Royalty, did not hesitate to expose his breast to the hazards offor. tune; but in the firm certainty that a Portuguese Prince, when he takes the field in so glorious an enterprise, must not sheath his sword tiU he brings to a conclusion a contest infirnitely injurious to those wvho like your DIajesty are born to reign, or before he rescues you from the chains which Freemasonry has prepared. MIlay it please your DIajesty to approve of my noble and royal proceeding, making it appear to the nation that you sanction it: deigning to grant me aTnple leave for preceeding with it: tnus semoving every obstacle to the great undertaking in which I am engaged. Anxious, and more than impatient, I wait, expecting the royal resolution of your alajesty, at the head of the army, surrounded with good Portuguese, true friends of your Majesty, who entertain equal hopes with myself, and confide in the sublime virtues of your Majesty, for the approval of my determination. Invoking your Majesty to remember that there is no time to lose, and that expedition was never more necessary. llay the omnipotent God prosper the life of your Mllajesty during a long course of years! (Signed) t.MIGUEL. Palace of Bemposta, April 30, 1824. "PROCLAMATION OF THE INFANT TO THE: PORTUGUESE. "Portuguese! _Forthe second timel appearbefore you,at the head of the galant Portuguese army, not to oppose theroyaland primitive rights of the throne, and of my august father, Don John VI. (far from me be such a thought); but to give that tone and energy to the great work begun on the memorable 27th of May, 1823, which fiUcd with admiration the whole of Europe, as you youarselves are witnesses that by fatal misfortune that importance has not been given to the public cause which the order of things required after destroying that infamous Colossus which was raised on the detested 24t) of August, 1820. Our exalted King and Lord Don John VI., surrounded with the factious, has not enjoyed free-will: on the contrary, he has beeni kept in perpetual oppression by thein,who, attending to their own in- terests, have forgotten those of the nation, and produced a violent re-action which might have ended in the destruction of the House of Braganza: they thus lorded it over the kingdom, converting them- selves into arbiters of the will of the Portuguese. This has ani- mated me with new force to destroy this most perfidious cabal, which has been supported by the authoAities employed to re. press it. Portvugtese, do justice to your lsfazit Don Miguel, thte Commander-in.Chief of thQ Portuguese army_recognizing his Lan- guage to be pure, and proceeding from virtuet You have sufficient proofs of ngy singlenessofniind, and the candbar of myroyal heart. The events which occurrcd at the re-establishment of the Throne arid the overthrow of the arbitrary Cortes, are irrefragable proofs of the good faith with which I address you and if my royal word is not a sufficient pledge to command your belief, I invoke the God of Alphonso; and before that God I swear, with all my royal heart, that my views ate not ambitious-that my royal desire is only to smooth the ronadof virtue; to save the RI'ng, the Royal Family, and the nation, and to support the holy religion of ouranceStors ! For such 'juBt ends, in spite of all fhe sacrifices that might be re. qttired, I engage to establish the necessary means, as those which have hitherto been adopted have not produced the desired effect. This is a truth which in a few words I can prove to you. Yon see around you the freedom which the Masonic clubs enjoy, where they treat of the destiny of the King, the Etoyl Fatnily, atd the nation, while no measures are taken to atrate the spreading fire. You see that the.lawvs, an object of the first necessity, ase not enacted as they oughet you see that the administration ofjustice, on which depends the public security, is in the last stage of decay you see that the criminal commission, established to punish the enemies of royalty, of the altar, and of the natlon, have left those enemies un. punished; you see that the finances are In the last state of ex- haustion, themonopoly of royal contracts being increased you see commerce in anguisn, agriculture neglected, by want of means in the overburdened and impoverished cultivator; you see arlts and manufactures without activity; and finally, the loss of the precious possession of Brazil, with the absolute abandonmnent of the means necessary for its restoration: not that the Portuguese vwho exist on the earth are not descendants of those heroes who gained the conquest; and it is only since parties have been increased, and a thousand misfortunes, that there comes to the light of day the perfidious plan of forced expedition in our masonic Clubs, not for the purpose of turning the inhabitants of that vast por. tion of the globe to their fornier obedience, but to consumnate the work of their complete separation; thsts&opening the door to a new re-action, which many be the croirning-stone of our misfortunes. And in the midst of this terrible fiituation, -Wbat remains for us, 0 Portuguese ? Either to perish in the glorious struggle in which we are engaged, or to cut up by the roots the evils which oppose us, destroying at once the infernal race of Free- masons, before they destroy us. Thus let it be Portuguese The road of honour is open before us: to follow it is vir- tue-to wander from it is to fall into Infamy. Your Infant Don Aliguel, followed by the immortal Portuguese army, will never sheath his sword till lie has placed you in security. Trust in me, who am convineed of your loyalty. Remain peaceful, permitting the constituted authorities to act, as the meansof the best and most efficacious security. Long live King John VI. ! Long live the Roman Catholic religion ! Long live herliost Faithfal Majesty ! Long live the gallant Portueguese army! Long live the nation ! Die the in. ifirmous Freemasons. (Signed) DON AMIGUEL. Palace of Bemposta, April30, 1824."