The National Register.
London, England, 1821-01-15 00:00:00

MONDAY, JANUARY 15, 1821.

MANIFESTO OF THE PORTUGUESE NATION TO THE

SOVEREIGNS ♦ND PEOPLE OP suaorg.

The Portugnese nation, animated with the most sincere
aild ardent desire to maintain the political and commercial
relations which have hitherto bound it to all the governments
and people of Europe, anti having snore particu'arly Let
heart to continue to merit in the opinion of idostrinos men
of all nations the return Leila cum. have tower
been refused to the loyal mid honuurahle character of the
Portisgucse, judges it itillispeosably necessary to offer to the
public a bUCCillel bet frank exposition of the causes which
produced the memorable events that have lately taken
place in Portitg,iil, of the true spirit that directed them, lof
the sole object to,thick the changes tended that have been
anode, 01 which It is intended to make, its the internal form
of its Giuverinticnt. It is confident that this expnsillout, ree
ttifying the false idea which may perhaps have beets con-
ceived of those evenbi, will merit the kind uttentium of the
Sovereigns and of the people,
'All.Lurape Isnusts the extraordinary circumstances which
in Iho7 forced his Majesty Julio V 1., ;It th it time Prince
Itingeot of Portugal, to remove with his Royal Family to
Its tsaussiAtlantic dot tt itt isms. It is grouted that this resit-
lotion of his Nlajt sty was judged then of the most drcidell
advantage to the general cause of liberty in Europe.—
Nobody, however, failed to perceive the el Hired situation in
which Pus tugal was placed by the absence of its Prince, and
succeeding events proved that this foreboding wits nut Vain
or rash.
Portugal, separated from her Sovereign by the vast ex-
panse of the ocean, deprived of all remorces front her
transom& sue possessions, ina (date benefits of commerce by
the blockades of her ports, cud governed at home by a hos-
tile force, which ivies then thought iiivincible, scented to
have reached the final term of its political existance, never
to be replaced io t lti• rank of independent nations.
In such IA 11115 heroic people did not lose
its honour, it• mintage, or its fidelity to its tog, which
could not be torn from itsbreast by the force of.ii cutostances,
nor by the preponderant 'toner of the eociw,
fact, displayed its thtw most energetic macuer as
soon as a favourable opportunity offered. The I•iti tugucse,
ith the assist:lov. of their recovered at the expense
of the most painful sact dices, their political exist. IICI); re-
stored with generous lay altY la their Mostar. h the throne
and the crown I and iiitpartial Europe must s not' ss (thou;11
lid:justice is not ays dont ) that to them are ulso in is
great measure owing the triumphs which have since been
joinerito the advantages of the libel ty awl milepemlimee .6
thrones told nations. II is inure easy to conceive than to
express what %Mb the iiiterind situation of Portugal, after
circeinstuisees ,u stew, cUr, is so extraordinary, and is CVOS..
111/1!i0ill so general. _ • _
_ .

Tor ruin of its population, commenced by the emigration
of the itilualtilailt, tt ilos li,hutvcd the Prince, or endeavour. d
to vs ithdr, w from the ill d u.tful smisiciim or t lie s)sternat ic
persecution of the enemy; which was increased by the Iwo
fatal invasior.s of I O 9 and 1810, and by the inevitable losses
of a Imo,' oh dinate war of IllVell years.
Cu no ice mid industry, which ran never prosper bat
under the beniticeut protection of peace, security, toad
trampilility. „ were oat hilly suppressed and aisandoned,
but seemed to have been wholly destroyed by vac
liberty given 111 foreign vessel, in the ports of Ihaztl ; by the
ili;:istrous treaty of 1810; by the consequent decline of the
tuitional niardifactures ; by the almost total dcstructiou of
the mercantile, marine, nod naval force; by the absolute
ca.int aid. care to protect and encourage these tnu most
bitrurbint i.rauclies of public prosperity.
Agriculture, ilie bag e. of the tichesturd strength of n.it ions,
deprived of the ;trots is high the army of death tool; from it ;
destitute of the capitals is hid; supported ii, and which had
(seen sum times employed on objects of the none 111.,:12111
111TOSIIV ; deprived of the vital strength whirl. it u•ed to
receive from the national intim try, tind from the :trine cir-
culation of commerce, bulb dodo stir aii.l foreign, lay in a
fatal lethar:y,aud pi escort' to the tioniiished spectator only
the nielmiclooly picture of 18111:11e mid tui,el y.
Mold:milli) of Ilse public reveille., canard by
the rub of the ilapabuthis, of cumin, rye, :dot of italuort ;
by sue iswevocithie los, of the great SllBl6 a 16:1•11 1118 twiny
v61)64114 eaturted Goon the bands at the Portuguese ; and by
the exces,ive exisences of the nor, obliging the na I jOil to
contract Lew and enurinnus debts, for the tv,) mem of uluch
tis rernurces tts to simaged, gave tire Boat blow to public
credit, a hick was itlretuty shakeel by the sea:ill/11mb to ilver.
satiuns of the oceids, Is dell as by the 11101,1 rllllllllolls
sysieiu of ailiniiii%trotiou.

lint the character of the Portuguese could not belie ,
itself. TM/ chose rather to hope uscr., thing fromAileir
Prince than to give to Lot ope, already utibuityby the
Ltte motto; IMO'S. the sight ut a turbulent anl • Patient
nation, or to appear to abuse the futility :010401 by air-
Clllllillailee* to show a spirit of testi:, and w.aut 4/1 stub.
mission. The silvtil mid peaceful eitdoralwa of Ilisoirt4
evils was 111 r basis of their proceedings—conlikiettee itt Lite
,4eknowjedged virtues of Coe Prioco, the ftroudalittil of
their hopes.- . I
After this introduction, the manifesto a trxmallit'9ll-,
.1 : ye that it is unnecessary to pmnt th 4 innati;
eholy picture of the progressive decline lotPurtorgatitis'
the 4.4 six year,, set being notorious to all Europe.
telling to the pi uceetling, it stoles :is additiomil causes of
I 011, the sending sO miiny Ihonsaini Iluoils to Brain to
curly ou it war el which Yen,: bore the ben den, end
n Welt exposed it to the attack:. of it powerfol neighbour,
:Unto& its I ital. and 110 W Mail provoked.
The 3latrifestu then shows how this distrolt :vas sill: Inc.
titer isgat.tv.tted by cootinning all lutuirtise e‘prinlit are,
twit' the Court were Mal :,t Lisbon, while the res CHOC Nos'
samllily diminishing by the above ceases, at as by else
iirgligrotc° itthi pretifutiun of the °dicers. The sulus seat

to Brazil for the war iu America, &c. increased the dis-
tress and can-ed the salaries of the public servants ill
every department, as well as the interest of the public
debt, to be ill eadfitily in arrear ; and thially (with shame
be it spoken) it was not possible to complete a loan et
onlv four millions of crusaders.
The Portuguese knowing the heart of their Sovereign,
hoped he would prepare the necessary reforms, a hope
a hien his Aisles!), sometimes encouraged—bat the hope
vanished, and the ministers at Itio Janeiro turned aside
the kiiig's mind from it, and were displeased when any
patriot dared to publish his opinions on this important
subject, and showed the necessity of restorittg the seat of
government to Portugal.
%Vila could the Piirtnenese nation do in such a situation?
Suffer and hope It did not suffer and hope in vain for
malty years. Sigh, remonstrate, complain ? It did sigh ;
but its sighs were nst listened to. Not listened to ? They
were repressed, cruelly st.fied. It remonstrated and
complained ; but its remonstrances 31111 complaints never
reached the throne. The King was told that his people
were contented and faithful ; and the Manifesto protests,
in the fact of Emope, the unalterable loyalty of the na-
tion, belt onset yes that content is incompatible with a si-
tuation like theirs. It is, therefore, absurd and unjust to
stigmatize what they Maur done as rebellions or unlawful.
In conclusion, the Manifesto remarks that it wwild be
most afflicting to the Portuguese union, if the powerful
sovereigns with whom It hits always been on the terms of
friendship should abuse their power to impose laws on it,
or to repress the noble efforts of A nation, incapable by
its gengraphicul position of troubling the peace of other
people, which has never interfered lit the internal coneerns
of others, still which may depend on the acknowledged
justice of the Price ea of Europe , but which, if its hopes
in this respect should be disappointed,. it will risk svery
thing in tile defence of its just rights ; that the maxim,
" No nation ever failed to be lice which desired to be so,"
is their encouragement ; and that if unhappily they should
fail its ail:titling this happiness, the nation Dill lie destroyed
sooner than conqiierell, and no good citizen will survive
the ruin of public felicity. They, however, anticipate a
snore fortunate result.

A letter addieshed by the ProvisionAl Junta nt Oporto to
his Majesty the King, now first published, contains n full ex-
positiiiii of the causes that lad to the revolution, of the spirit
oltich hail directed it, and of all the proceedings that had
pl ice up to the date of the letter. It appeals to his-
tory for u proof of the invincible loyalty of the Portuguese
lu their Sivereigns, and their devotion to the House of Bul-
ging a, vs Welt {hey coetinue to '191.110.1g undiminished to his
pfebelli Majesty, ot istinve soveriiign v irtues shey are perfectly
convinced.

The hatter, heptiniting with the act of the military council
at Oporto, details all the proceedings that had snecestfully
taken place. and, referring to doctimrnts (which hove been
till before printed), thous his Nlnjetty that regard fur his
',slums and dignity has never been lost sight of—that tin
measures have b. en taken but curb its teemed absolutely at-
cessarS-1 liat even the sotto nsion of the Loglish °dicers,
des: red and commanded by toe public is i h and the general
clamour, was accomplished in the aunt deny:lie inanner.-
7. he is alters dwell oa the unanimity that 11.,s prevailed among
all maks of people, the harmony between the two juntas of
Lett ttttt nod Oporto, after their union ; ;111(1 addi, that out
is w ;wen but •he pi esence of his NJ ajest y, or some niece of
lii f.nuily, to satist) the unanimous w ithes of the nation
their only feat ix lest his Nlajeti y should give ear to some,
one, who, mills r the mask oil zeal, may infuse ruin alarms in
hi. Majesty's heart, and give conoscli contrary to the retiiirstii
hicli, with the same respectful loyalty, they lay before
hint. The coosequeoce of such counsels cannot be well fore-
Well, hat they will certainly be 1.31111. The Ofitifin does tint
un •set his Nlidesty', ilisplensure ; it (blares to he happ), and
tii recovei the precious inheritance of its ttnrient gi cattalo.—
I hat the tarot of hi. 11; meaty may be firm without the power
of being tioje•t, hod that they may have the felicity ni re-
nt•wiag all the good winch his royal bruilieence promises
them, sillllllill tieing aisle to ascribe to him aim evil.
These MA' 1:10 ail4ll.s alit.' they inset in the 11:1111e of 1111
the Pal"tl-;;..... who, prusi.ate before his Nbijest)'s
they appeal to the honour aiue puLlic happini ss,
and rite tentilueett of religious piety whet animate his
Ru)tti heart,