A COUNTRY WITH A HISTORY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 54, 22 February 1908, Page 3

A COUNTRY WITH A HISTORY.

IVKTCUAL A HUNDRED YEAKS AtlO. Portugal for Home time past lias been tin' cynosure of the world's eyes. I.ul bad as things are at present in tint country they were in sonic respects ew-n worse a hundred yours ago. As Ihe "Cliristchiirch Press pointed out in an interesting article on the .subject the other day. "the Itoyal family had th.-.i lied from their country, and sailed in the Heel for llrazil. .hui.it. the French marshal, liail on Febrnarv Ist, 1808, pulled down the Portuguese Hag :|i.l proclaimed the Emperor Napoleon. I These events letl (o the opening of one of the greatest chapters of our national history, the Peninsular War. The next live or siv years an- full of the centenaries of events which niake flritish blood riioh hot nntl fast. The, atmosphere of Portugal was pregnant with

great events a century ago. and tinvery fact that she has kept the centenary of her sorrows s„ strangely seenis to invite a brief review of the amazing events that ushered in I Kits. Spain had for live years been an ally of France, and her lloi-l had fought at Trafalgar. This, however, secured' for her no con-siik-ration. In ISUIi she had the niortiii--nion lo discover that Napoleon wis freely ollering Spanish islands, and pensions to Ik- pi'il by Spain, to secure peace with P.rit.tiii. The discovery caused the i--sue of a patriotic proclamation calling

upon 111- Italian to deicml its rights and liberties. The Pru.sian war was jus! breaking nul. and it did not" suit Napoleon to take much notice, lie. however, tlcinanilcil an explanation of lie iii-ocliinisiti.nl. Spam replied, immediatel.v afler the bailie of .leuii. Unit she li-ul inlicipatetl an invasion of the Moors from Africa!

.Napoleon pretended to be satisfied, nit forthwilli demanded that the flower -f the Spanish army should forthwith

mirch into (icrmany. Such was ticaccilalioit and timidity of the tinicth.it

lie demand was actually complied with, ■airly in 1807 the decisive battle of •'riedland pul an end to the war. Nilloleon and the Czar subsequently met m the celebrated raft at Tilsit lo make nMcc and to partition the world. The ontinental sjxstem of the total exclu-

sion of English trade from tlic Continent was to be enforced everywhere, liussia was to bring pressure to bear on Sweden, and Napoleon was to attend lo Portugal. Ife foresaw the necessity of taking strong measures in the Penin-

sola, but then liussia could lmvc n free hand in Turkey and Finland. It is true that Turkey, at the time, was another of Napoleon's allies, but what of that? He was making peace, arranging for the ruin of Falkland and acquiring the IVninsula for his family-—that is. for himself. He was no sooner back in Palis than an army began to gather at llayoiine. He sent peremptory orders to 'Portugal t" dose her ports againd tlie English, seize their ships, confiscate their goods, imprison their people, and declare war.

Portugal was the ancient ally of Vaigland, so that these orders were bitter and humiliating indeed. A powerful British Heel, under Lord St. Vincent, was at Lisbon. The Admiral wan there to act. and efforts were made to induce the unhappv little nation to throw itself into the arms of Britain. The liegent, however, begged the Admiral to depart, which he did. Meantime, Napoleon bad matured bis plans as regards Portugal. The King of Spain was to have the northern third anil occupy it with 10,000 Spanish troops, anil he, Napoleon, was to occupy the central part, including Lisbon. This wily scheme wi* intended to draw oil' troops from Spain, and to separale them with a French force between. If was also to give Spain the hope of acquiring provinces,

and to bribe the Prime .Minister with I lie hope of baring a principality of his own. A Russian lleet had meanwhile left the Dardanelles to assist in capturing tin- Portuguese lleet. When all was ready still more threatening and peremptory orders were sent to unhappy Portugal, mid -lunot was ordered to march with ".0.000 men with all speed to Lisbon. Sidney Smith, who had defended Acre, was in the Tagus, and urged resistance. Hut timid counsels prevailed. He. was ordered away, the ports were dosed to English trade, and war wa.s declared, with many private apologies to liritain. I!ut tlie liegenl refused (o confiscate F.nglish goods. .(limit, however, was approaching by forced marches. As he drew nearer, the Regent gave wav on the last point, and ordered tlpi coiifisealioi| 'of all English prnpbrly, Still the French came on, and the Court learned that an ominous line had appeared in the " Moniteur," at Paris: "The House oi Braganza has ceased to reign." (November' 13th, "1807.) The lleet was hastily got ready. The archives and llk- loyal treasures, plate and valuable effects, were hurried on board. Then came the mournful profession of carriages bearing the several niemliers of the royal family, all weeping, and surrounded by a iveeping multitude. The royal family had resolved lo seek freedom in Brazil. Thev put to sea with eight sail of the line,"three frigates, Ike sloops, and twenty merchantmen, and in Brazil a branch of the family continued to reign until the Kmperor Dom l'edro 11. was deposed and expelled in 181)0. •lunot arrived just in time to fire a gun from the fortress, which he had seized, at the last ship as she got under way. He arrived with only 1000 men, but reinforcement* came every day, and on February Ist, 1808, lie "felt strong enough to hoist the French flag and proclaim himself (ioyernor of the whole of Portugal in the name, of the Emperor Napoleon. A hundred years liad passed almost to a day when a band of assassins sought to give effect to the decree, "The House of Braganza lias ceased to reign."