José Maria de Alpoim
Encyclopedia
José Maria de Alpoim Cerqueira Borges Cabral (Santa Cristina, Mesão Frio
, 2 June 1858 - Lisbon
, 12 December 1916) was a politician, member of the Progressive Party of Portugal
, and later the Republican Party of Portugal
, who held various roles during the last years of the constitutional monarchy in Portugal. He was a deputy in the Cortes, Councel and Peer of the Realm, as well as holding positions in the Ministry of Justice, as well as roles in the First Portuguese Republic
, son of Francisco Borges Cerqueira de Alpoim Cabral (educated in Law) from a Royal House and Master of the Casa da Rede, and his wife, Amância Dulce Samora de Quevedo e Alpoim.
In 1878, at the age of 20, he graduated from the Faculty of Law at the University of Coimbra, taking on positions in the administration of the local government of Mesão Frio
and Lamego
: he was the youngest administrator in the municipality, at the time.
(Portuguese: Partido Progressista) since 1879, he was the protégée of Mariano Cirilo de Carvalho, he worked closely with José Luciano de Castro and regularly debated Francisco António da Veiga Beirão within the party on its direction. He was one of the more controversial members of the Partido Progressista, along side Moreira de Almeida, António Centeno, Queirós Ribeiro and Francisco Correia Herédia (the Viscount of Ribeira Brava).
Deputy, counsel and peer-of-the-realm, he was Ministro dos Negócios Eclesiásticos (English: Minister of Ecclesiastical Affairs) and Ministro da Justiça (English: Minister of Justice) in two governments led by José Luciano de Castro (from August 18, 1898 to June 26, 1900 and later October 20, 1904 to May 11, 1905). During his second term at the Ministry of Justice, he developed a notable reformist program that included revisions to the Bankruptcy Code, policies on judicial assistance and reforms to medical-legal services. As a legislative deputy, he openly attacked measures that the Minister of Finance, Manuel Afonso de Espregueira, had developed for resolving the dispute that developed on the tobacco monopoly. This conflict was to be the catalyst for him immediately leaving the government. His departure from the government was one of the reasons for the disintegration of the Partido Progressista; accompanied by other important and/or prestigious figures he formed a new faction, called the Dissidência Progressista (English: Progressive Dissidency), with principles that were soon closely allied to the republican cause.
; in comparison to most republicans, who attacked King Carlos I
as a symbol of the political institution, José Maria de Alpoim, above all, despised profoundly the personage of King Carlos as well as the institution:
Later, Miguel Sanches de Baêna, in Raul Brandão
's Memórias, referred to Alpoim's:
Rocha Martins, in D. Carlos, mentioned a story about Alpoim, who upon entering the typography offices at the newspaper O Dia, where he was director, made his way to the typographer Teixeira Severino and asked him: "Do you think that D. Carlos show be killed?" He then recounted how Alpoim had begun to whistle.
During an interview in the Parisian daily Le Temps (in November 1907) he indicated his confidence in the Prime Minister
João Franco
; he eulogized his intelligence and unique character even at a time when the Prime Minister had created enemies in the monarchist movement by establishing an administrative dictatorship. The republicans new how to seize on the Alpoim's passions, his desire for power and of those who gravitated in Alpoim's circle; by May 1907 José Maria de Alpoim had become an enemy of the monarchist movement, was ready to install a republic and had convinced even his monarchist friend the Viscount of Ribeira Brava to join him in the plot. Accompanied by Francisco Correia Herédia (the Viscount of Ribeira Brava), he held meetings with Afonso Costa
, then leader of the Partido Republicano
(English: Republican Party). By June, he had met with João Chagas
and, later, at his home he hosted a small group of disenchanted politicians and dissidents that included Rui Ramos, the republicans Afonso Costa
and Alexandre Braga, a couple of military officers, the monarchist Viscount of Ribeira Brava and medic Egas Moniz (who would eventually win the Nobel Prize), as well as a few Regenerator politicians.
Later, Raul Brandão
, affirmed that José de Alpoim had provided the bombs, arms and money to republican conspirators (something that Alpoim would later admit publicly). João Chagas
, who would become Prime Minister during the First Republic, noted:
During the attempted coup d'etat
on January 28, 1908 (where King Carlos I of Portugal
was assassinated
), he took refuge at the home of the Regenerator politician António Teixeira de Sousa
, before escaping into exile in Salamanca
.
In addition to his fluent oratory and spontaneity, he was a brilliant journalist for his time (his O Primeiro de Janeiro is notable); he was one of the founders of the Correio Português, he directed O Dia and collaborated on the Correio da Noite, Novidades, O Repórter and other newspapers.
At a time when he was becoming a vocal critic of the participation of Portugal in World War I
, he died in Lisbon on December 15, 1916. The public garden in Mesão Frio
, along an avenue that bears his name (Avenida Conselheiro José Maria Alpoim) and in front of the municipal grounds, a bust
of José Maria de Alpoim was erected in 1923.
Mesão Frio
Mesão Frio is a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 26.7 km² and a total population of 4,652 inhabitants, composed of seven parishes in the district of Vila Real.-History:...
, 2 June 1858 - Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, 12 December 1916) was a politician, member of the Progressive Party of Portugal
Progressive Party (Portugal)
The Progressive Party , along with the their opponent the Partido Regenerador, was a political party in Portugal during the constitutional monarchy at the end of the 19th century.-Ideology:...
, and later the Republican Party of Portugal
Portuguese Republican Party
The Portuguese Republican Party was a Portuguese political party formed during the late years of monarchy that proposed and conducted the substitution of the Constitutional Monarchy by the Portuguese First Republic....
, who held various roles during the last years of the constitutional monarchy in Portugal. He was a deputy in the Cortes, Councel and Peer of the Realm, as well as holding positions in the Ministry of Justice, as well as roles in the First Portuguese Republic
Biography
José Maria Alpoim was born in the Solar da Rede, Santa Cristina, Mesão FrioMesão Frio
Mesão Frio is a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 26.7 km² and a total population of 4,652 inhabitants, composed of seven parishes in the district of Vila Real.-History:...
, son of Francisco Borges Cerqueira de Alpoim Cabral (educated in Law) from a Royal House and Master of the Casa da Rede, and his wife, Amância Dulce Samora de Quevedo e Alpoim.
In 1878, at the age of 20, he graduated from the Faculty of Law at the University of Coimbra, taking on positions in the administration of the local government of Mesão Frio
Mesão Frio
Mesão Frio is a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 26.7 km² and a total population of 4,652 inhabitants, composed of seven parishes in the district of Vila Real.-History:...
and Lamego
Lamego
Lamego is a municipality in northern Portugal, with a population of 27,054 inhabitants Lamego is a municipality in northern Portugal, with a population of 27,054 inhabitants Lamego is a municipality in northern Portugal, with a population of 27,054 inhabitants (the catchment of the city of...
: he was the youngest administrator in the municipality, at the time.
Party politics
Member of the Progressive PartyProgressive Party (Portugal)
The Progressive Party , along with the their opponent the Partido Regenerador, was a political party in Portugal during the constitutional monarchy at the end of the 19th century.-Ideology:...
(Portuguese: Partido Progressista) since 1879, he was the protégée of Mariano Cirilo de Carvalho, he worked closely with José Luciano de Castro and regularly debated Francisco António da Veiga Beirão within the party on its direction. He was one of the more controversial members of the Partido Progressista, along side Moreira de Almeida, António Centeno, Queirós Ribeiro and Francisco Correia Herédia (the Viscount of Ribeira Brava).
Deputy, counsel and peer-of-the-realm, he was Ministro dos Negócios Eclesiásticos (English: Minister of Ecclesiastical Affairs) and Ministro da Justiça (English: Minister of Justice) in two governments led by José Luciano de Castro (from August 18, 1898 to June 26, 1900 and later October 20, 1904 to May 11, 1905). During his second term at the Ministry of Justice, he developed a notable reformist program that included revisions to the Bankruptcy Code, policies on judicial assistance and reforms to medical-legal services. As a legislative deputy, he openly attacked measures that the Minister of Finance, Manuel Afonso de Espregueira, had developed for resolving the dispute that developed on the tobacco monopoly. This conflict was to be the catalyst for him immediately leaving the government. His departure from the government was one of the reasons for the disintegration of the Partido Progressista; accompanied by other important and/or prestigious figures he formed a new faction, called the Dissidência Progressista (English: Progressive Dissidency), with principles that were soon closely allied to the republican cause.
Pseudo-monarchist
As leader of a small political party, Alpoim soon realized that the only way to take power, and/or change the system, came from taking it by force. Alpoim was monarchist with poor conviction, and observed attentively the activities of the republicans in the press, commissions and made it clear his political alignments. This opinion developed over time, from his early engagement in the Progressive Party, and later as leader of the Dissidency, where he realized that rotational system of government could not resolve the problems in the society. Many of his critiques and disenchantments came from his opinions of the monarchy, and in particular King Carlos I of PortugalCarlos I of Portugal
-Assassination:On 1 February 1908 the royal family returned from the palace of Vila Viçosa to Lisbon. They travelled by train to Barreiro and, from there, they took a steamer to cross the Tagus River and disembarked at Cais do Sodré in central Lisbon. On their way to the royal palace, the open...
; in comparison to most republicans, who attacked King Carlos I
Carlos I of Portugal
-Assassination:On 1 February 1908 the royal family returned from the palace of Vila Viçosa to Lisbon. They travelled by train to Barreiro and, from there, they took a steamer to cross the Tagus River and disembarked at Cais do Sodré in central Lisbon. On their way to the royal palace, the open...
as a symbol of the political institution, José Maria de Alpoim, above all, despised profoundly the personage of King Carlos as well as the institution:
- "What I wouldn't give for a revolution!...To put the King in his place...I have nothing to lose, my sons are taken care of, what I have would allow me to live in RéguaPeso da RéguaPeso da Régua , commonly known as Régua, is a municipality in northern Portugal, in the district of Vila Real. With a total area of , extended over 12 parishes, its population included 17,987 inhabitants .-History:Peso da Régua was inhabited by Roman and barbarian invasions during the early part of...
as a nobleman...What is needed is that the King should fear...Now with the English alliance it is worse. Even the other day José Luciano said 'The Republicans could come here in group, those from here and those from Spain, they would not do anything.' It is the alliance that, if any movement should exist, will disembark troops and defend the King."
Later, Miguel Sanches de Baêna, in Raul Brandão
Raul Brandão
Raul Germano Brandão was a Portuguese writer, journalist and military officer, notable for the realism of his literary descriptions and by the lyricism of his speech. Brandão was born in Foz do Douro, a parish of Porto, where he spent the majority of his youth...
's Memórias, referred to Alpoim's:
- "...furor against the monarchist institutions and against the King did not appear to have limits."
Rocha Martins, in D. Carlos, mentioned a story about Alpoim, who upon entering the typography offices at the newspaper O Dia, where he was director, made his way to the typographer Teixeira Severino and asked him: "Do you think that D. Carlos show be killed?" He then recounted how Alpoim had begun to whistle.
During an interview in the Parisian daily Le Temps (in November 1907) he indicated his confidence in the Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
João Franco
João Franco
João Franco Ferreira Pinto Castelo-Branco, GCTE was a Portuguese politician, Minister, 43rd Minister for Treasury Affairs and 73rd Prime Minister in the last years of the Portuguese monarchy...
; he eulogized his intelligence and unique character even at a time when the Prime Minister had created enemies in the monarchist movement by establishing an administrative dictatorship. The republicans new how to seize on the Alpoim's passions, his desire for power and of those who gravitated in Alpoim's circle; by May 1907 José Maria de Alpoim had become an enemy of the monarchist movement, was ready to install a republic and had convinced even his monarchist friend the Viscount of Ribeira Brava to join him in the plot. Accompanied by Francisco Correia Herédia (the Viscount of Ribeira Brava), he held meetings with Afonso Costa
Afonso Costa
Afonso Augusto da Costa, GCTE, GCL was a Portuguese lawyer, professor, and republican politician.-Political career:Costa was the leader of the Portuguese Republican Party, and he was one of the major figures of the Portuguese First Republic. He was a republican deputy in the Chamber of Deputies...
, then leader of the Partido Republicano
Portuguese Republican Party
The Portuguese Republican Party was a Portuguese political party formed during the late years of monarchy that proposed and conducted the substitution of the Constitutional Monarchy by the Portuguese First Republic....
(English: Republican Party). By June, he had met with João Chagas
João Chagas
João Pinheiro Chagas was a Portuguese journalist and politician. He was born in Brazil, from Portuguese parents who soon moved back to Portugal. He was an editor at the newspapers "O Primeiro de Janeiro", "Correio do Norte", "O Tempo" and "O Dia"...
and, later, at his home he hosted a small group of disenchanted politicians and dissidents that included Rui Ramos, the republicans Afonso Costa
Afonso Costa
Afonso Augusto da Costa, GCTE, GCL was a Portuguese lawyer, professor, and republican politician.-Political career:Costa was the leader of the Portuguese Republican Party, and he was one of the major figures of the Portuguese First Republic. He was a republican deputy in the Chamber of Deputies...
and Alexandre Braga, a couple of military officers, the monarchist Viscount of Ribeira Brava and medic Egas Moniz (who would eventually win the Nobel Prize), as well as a few Regenerator politicians.
Later, Raul Brandão
Raul Brandão
Raul Germano Brandão was a Portuguese writer, journalist and military officer, notable for the realism of his literary descriptions and by the lyricism of his speech. Brandão was born in Foz do Douro, a parish of Porto, where he spent the majority of his youth...
, affirmed that José de Alpoim had provided the bombs, arms and money to republican conspirators (something that Alpoim would later admit publicly). João Chagas
João Chagas
João Pinheiro Chagas was a Portuguese journalist and politician. He was born in Brazil, from Portuguese parents who soon moved back to Portugal. He was an editor at the newspapers "O Primeiro de Janeiro", "Correio do Norte", "O Tempo" and "O Dia"...
, who would become Prime Minister during the First Republic, noted:
- "Alpoim was who provided the arms for the revolution....we had men, they gave us arms and a good many contos de réisPortuguese realThe real was the unit of currency of Portugal from around 1430 until 1911. It replaced the dinheiro at the rate of 1 real = 840 dinheiros and was itself replaced by the escudo at a rate of 1 escudo = 1000 réis...
."
During the attempted coup d'etat
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
on January 28, 1908 (where King Carlos I of Portugal
Carlos I of Portugal
-Assassination:On 1 February 1908 the royal family returned from the palace of Vila Viçosa to Lisbon. They travelled by train to Barreiro and, from there, they took a steamer to cross the Tagus River and disembarked at Cais do Sodré in central Lisbon. On their way to the royal palace, the open...
was assassinated
Lisbon Regicide
The Lisbon Regicide was the name given for the assassinations of King Carlos I of Portugal and his heir, Luis Filipe, the Prince Royal by assassins sympathetic to republican interests...
), he took refuge at the home of the Regenerator politician António Teixeira de Sousa
António Teixeira de Sousa
António Teixeira de Sousa, 2nd Count of Sousa Palmela was a Portuguese medical doctor and politician during the Constitutional Monarchy. He graduated in Medicine at the University of Porto, in 1883.A member of the conservative Regenerator Party, he was first elected to the Chamber of Deputies, in...
, before escaping into exile in Salamanca
Salamanca
Salamanca is a city in western Spain, in the community of Castile and León. Because it is known for its beautiful buildings and urban environment, the Old City was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988. It is the most important university city in Spain and is known for its contributions to...
.
After the Republic
When the First Portuguese Republic was declared in 1910, he returned to Portugal, dissolved the Dissidência Progressista, and joined the new regime. Alpoim moved from a position as the Attorney-General of the Crown to adjunct to the Attorney-General of the Republic, but was initially ostracized politically. He considered himself a professional revolutionary, at one time declaring "I want and desire power, for power's sake", but he ended his political life as the Republican government representative on the board of Companhia do Niassa. At this point, he was removed from the establishment and politics, although his friends would later note that politics was the only thing that really interested him.In addition to his fluent oratory and spontaneity, he was a brilliant journalist for his time (his O Primeiro de Janeiro is notable); he was one of the founders of the Correio Português, he directed O Dia and collaborated on the Correio da Noite, Novidades, O Repórter and other newspapers.
Later life
He married D. Maria do Carmo de Tovar Pereira Coutinho de Vilhena e Menezes, and raised two sons (Bernardo de Alpoim and Egas de Alpoim) who were notable officers in the Navy.At a time when he was becoming a vocal critic of the participation of Portugal in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, he died in Lisbon on December 15, 1916. The public garden in Mesão Frio
Mesão Frio
Mesão Frio is a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 26.7 km² and a total population of 4,652 inhabitants, composed of seven parishes in the district of Vila Real.-History:...
, along an avenue that bears his name (Avenida Conselheiro José Maria Alpoim) and in front of the municipal grounds, a bust
Bust (sculpture)
A bust is a sculpted or cast representation of the upper part of the human figure, depicting a person's head and neck, as well as a variable portion of the chest and shoulders. The piece is normally supported by a plinth. These forms recreate the likeness of an individual...
of José Maria de Alpoim was erected in 1923.