A LETTER BY KING CARLOS

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 152, 21 March 1908, Page 10

A LETTER BY KING CARLOS

THE POLITICAL FIGHT.

"I SHOULD LIKE TO GET AWAY." Perhaps tlio most interesting contribution to tho Press in'connection \yitli tho assassination of tiio King of Portugal at Lisbon comes from tlio" pen of tlio murdered King himself, and is published bj; the "Figaro," in tho shape of a letter 'written in last December to a great lady iii Paris. ( This letter shows that King Carlos ivas watching ■keenly the struggle that was going on, hut also that ho regarded his opponents with too small respect and held somewhat optimistic opinions as to the actual and future success of Senhor Franco's policy. As an historical document the lotter merits full quotation. It is as follows:— ~ .

"My very , dear friend, —How An I thank you for your exquisite lotter? Jlut, frankly, when I wrote to you I was not 'fishing, for compliments,' but was simply unbosoming myself a little to somebody who, I knew, would bo able to understand me. The first stage has been got over— with much difficulty and so many, strange happenings that I cannot even tell them over here, not oven to you. Like men who saiv. themselves lost my adversaries have resorted, to any and every weapon; oven" tlio most infamous ones—everything came alike to tlioiii. They did not take into consideration the ill they wero doing to the country if they believed . they could hurt me or my Government. You cannot believe,. dear friend, what' extraordinary patience, what fortitude was needed, to resist these daily pinpricks, and how painfu| Borno of them were.- But, as I havo said already, we. have won tlio first game in the rubber. But how much remains to bo done..

A COOD TRUMP CARD. j :■ "Happily, our extraordinary (thero issno other word) .victories-in-Africa came oppor-' tunejy to :■ arouse public .spirit. Tho effect' was enormous, and, luckily,vin the right direction. And we havo a good trump card besides in our hands, and that js the phenomenal foolishness of our opponents; which results practically in being- ablo to turn, almost all their blows against themselves with tho exerciso a , little dexterity... . liut what .a .labour—of every day and every minute. Great as is my confidence in nly Government, I cannot avoid watching! everything and keep-' , jng my. eyo on' the smallest details, for, in battles,there is no such thing as,a small de : ' tailand we are 'still 'in tho field. i A ;, pacific; campaign 'up 'to now—' and I": behove with' 'a little resolution,'and. skill it may remain so t-o.tho'end. : But -in tlio long u'uii it- is and, .really; I feel tired, morally and almost physically. I hopo .'npw for a .-lull which'-, will enable mo. at. the beginning of next month to spend;a,fortnight in the country, but, unfortunately for. mo, it-will still only bo a comparative ircst, -for', tlio post and telegraph exist, there. , ; "How I should like to get away and tako, at least two > mopths > rest in I 4 'rancc. Instead of tjiat I shall have to travel, and ■ what-a voyage—an infinitely political voyage of the first- .importance for my aim's. In May I shall, go fqr two months to i '"y Brazilian'relations sayto this?). ;\\o have to remember that even torday we havo still sonio , tiro millions ',of - I prtugiiese subjects over there,'.and-tliey are / genera I Jy. . the ~ most, intelligent arid wealthy amongst thoir 'neighbours iinrl the .majority, .after, a good deal of .work: on my . part, aro alreadj' very well. intentipned. i But I am letting my pen go on and boring, you with my prose.'; My sport hass/been very: poor up to .the'present, but in a.'fojv days I lexpect. to:haveisome big .'.ganio ,shooting near the Spanish -frontier, -woipdcdck'jhavo'only just bbgun arriving, and 1 have killed only iprty : spvcn up ' J O .- "owji Wjion shall I: see you again, dear ..friend? ;I ; long .to do • have' so much-to talk over.. , But !) always 'thinkwoll of your faithful and, true friend wlio kisses your liaijd. '■ .{ jj . ■>. ' (Signed) "CARLOS."