"Revulsion, Rancor and Revenge" Topic

"To continue the theme of this month, where only the best qualities of humanity are presented (the previous post was "Random Racist Rantings"), here's another excerpt of a time period writer about the Portuguese. This time it isn't fantastic and opinionated, but truthful, unfortunately.
In the book "Sketches of Portuguese Life, manners, costume, and character" written in 1823, A.P.D.G. writes some scenes that happened at Cais de Sodré (the Quay of Sodré) and surroundings in regard to the local people of Lisbon and their attempts of revenge against the French soldiers who capitulated after the 1st French Invasions and the Cintra Convention, gathered at there. Other examples are also given.
I had written before about similar attitudes and how the feelings towards the French evolved over the years of French occupation.

I wouldn't say it is a normal thing to happen, but war and it's atrocities bring out the worst in people, even if the occupation was considered "peaceful" to avoid the bloodshed like in other countries were napoleon's troops passed; even if in churches, during mass, priests were told to sermon about Napoleon being our savior and friend. It wasn't easy to see the troops take everything they wanted: property and women; shooting and hanging those who opposed; forcing merchants to financially support the war, when our King wasn't even here. If you forcibly muffle the people's voice, they will show their feeling in other ways such as cruelty. And that has been one of the main adjectives to describe the Portuguese's attitude towards the French until 1812. Cruelty and (naïf) fierceness. Living on this side of the Pyrenees has developed the natives in other ways than remaining Europe and even the Romans complained about it!…"
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