The Sun.
London, England, 1808-07-21 00:00:00

PORTUGUESE DOCLIMA,.,'N'rS

• .
BY THE AUTHORITY OF GOVERNMEgT, IN THE
-NAME OF THE PRINCE REGENT.

Oeoicro, JULY G.—The most important occur-
rence that creildeelerate the flaunt to glory and
dignity was reservethfor our .days,whieh serve,l9
transmit to posterity the illustrious natne of the heroic
Portuguese, anti to note in the records of this fine
arul opulent-city the immortal epoch of its restoe:-
tion, and that she gave the alarm. to the whole
kingdom. The most cordial love to the best of
Princes, stimulated all hearts in Portugal to oppose
the. most uniostilnd most scandalous usurpatron.
11i ill7mse unlimited oppressions, the viol aion of all
right;, and the absolute disrespect of the most sacred
duties armed every inhabitant • to shake off the
tyralinic yekee that oppressed them. But the Dis-
'penser of Empires had reserved to this city the pre-
rogeti e of leading the way, and stimetating by its
example every body to ematicipate this Kitig ;orre_e...
FOr this purpose he raised among us • persons of
genius, resohition, and vigour, cepable
hf achieving so
illustrious a purpose. The fatal day that deprived
us of our lawful Sovereign, whom the hand of it he
Oinnipoteet has preserved' 'nom the Wicked One
who persecuted him, .opened the way to tile most
disasterous events, 'which, after having Over-1.60,01e
Continent with nkery, desolation, and death, were
about Los eifeet the complete destruOioim of -otir.
• happy Peninsula; perfidy, simulatinn, and a combina-
tion of all artifices ! being the fore-runners of this
oppressionemd tyranny—% lolence and the most dar-*
ing.ainbition, its 'followers of the! monstrous man,
he produce of theinvel revolutions, which, for these
19 years, has upset vo many thrones,' and ruined so
many, people; who has made a traffic in kingeoms
and in men ; who put on the -mask of reheibn the
more imputlentlY to profine it; kvhd-has displayed
to !advantage all sorts of crimes, 'without being im-
peded by the least glimpsteof moralityeer kept back
remorse; that celebrated Napoieoh, whom vile
flattery avid its followers, or, with more Ropriety,
whom the fear of his tyrannies, has raised to the
most elevated uninlitediitles; after having announ-
ed by his reprosert6tiye., Juno:, to our desolate Na-
tipo,.thit he would Ptei‘ect us, dared to conceive in
his illusive ideas, and- i 6 utter without a blush—
" That that the Honse. of Braganza had 'ceased to
rreign in Portugal P.',!,l.,,lnthinking Man ! What
right, What conventioo.,authorises this iniquity and .
' usurpation ? Who constituted Napoleon the'Univer-
gal Tutor of.Kingsnind Natioris ? Who det'olved on
him the succession of 3:hrones wrested by his
tyrapny from their legitimate possessors ? Who:.
entrusted him 'with that extraordinary and Linious
protection witch authorises the spoliation of private-
property, and the trampling under foot of all right§
tee! privileges, that destroys rind confounds!all o'rder'?'
The most manifest, hatred arosein the heariS of the-
Nation, on its observing the accurnmulation of in-
justice and barbarity, with the most scandalous in;
decency ; then began the Kisien of protection to dis-
solve : forty millions of Cruzadoes were levied on
this unhappy Country, as an extraordinary eontribu-
Lion of war, a Country which the absence of its•be-
loved Prince, the invasion by numcrons troops, the
total stagnation of comtherce, and the diseverev!-
Inent of industry and arts had reduced to the greatest
distress : but this •is not all, those 40,000,000 were
for the redereprion -of all private. properly bow had
this hem forleited ? Vas it by our unbounded ea-
tieece in -suffering their extortions ? by time docility
with which their hard and oppressive yoke was
borne; by the meekness with which we recei‘ednur
tyrants ? Posterity will hardly believe their impu-
dence and • immorality could ever reach such a
length. The promised protection Went on itt this
way. The patrimony of the temples, the ornaments'
of the san6teark, the inheritance of its sacred Mini-
sters, were all iosuflicient for the insatiable thirst of
the Oppressor of the Continent. The national
dignity, disappeared—all public / employt»ents were,
given to the less iriNtimed and less worthy, e'tgo, dis-
countenanced in theii-O-Vi Country, chewed amongst !
us a matchles efTrontePy, 'and who appeared to be
influenced by the most insolent pride and the Most
;sordid eve-rice.. pese_Lealecepeeeent useleam:teachur _
the pi&ure of the,crdiou,s,,proon styled the Deeuty of
Police, in this city, iteisdkuore faithfully .engraved in
the indignation and mmernbrance of every one here.
The moment of liberty was, however, approaching ;
our valourous neighbours, the noble Spaniards, at
length opened their eyes. The perfidious manner
in which the reigning Family of Spain were betray-.
eel, roused the vengeance of that gltion ; -and as
soon as we were able, we. have shown that we still
are what we have been; and what onr forefathers
have been before us-, the most faithful and the most
loyal to our Prince, and the most capable of restoring
his wished-for Empire and our Liberty.
At length the evening of theer Bth day of June, ,
1808, MFered the most brilliOtand pleasing scene to
the generous Portuguese. .These faithrtil 'and va-
lourous men, who were strangers to fear, despised
all_daogers, and, actuated by that energy and faith-
ful •charatter, that distinguish, our nation, erected
the standard of restoration, and in the '''earns e of
theirkehglon, and in obedience to theer dateied
oaths, proclaimed anew the most 'exalted and
powerful Prince the Lord Don John; Prince Regent
of Portugal, our lawful Sovereign.. In this menvelt •
'of glory, however, we ~re surrounded by dangers
a column of the French army was merchiegto this
city; without arms, without troops of the hue, and
only with 200 artillery mtin and some Militia, we
were in extreme danger; 'but we had valour and
genius equal to our sitee!!on. Those'Wha en:leave:w-
ed to liberate their country, have their eulogiern in
their own Condua. Cannon and ammunition hed
6een previously obtained, the necessary dispesitiOns-
Irad been made for !fie' dk.ence 'of the bridge and . •
the passage of the 31Ar Douro; the ThbintS of
defence had been ree6nOitered, as also ell the en-
trances to the city. the' execution of a plan 'Was,
in contemplation among the Portuguese, and then.
had to conquer the illusions of some, and the fears of ,
others, and the` more necessity there was for delay,,
the more the project 't with ruin. The .•
Signal for the acciatneYki was given and for arming;
the orders were issued and executed with equal ar-
dour; ein a moment 30 artillerymen, • with 4 fical4
pieces, which covered the van and rear of two bo-
dies, of 100 men canal, aWthat remained, prettneted
all opposition. The arsenals were opened, and the •
people took arms. -Some corps of the militia were
for a while irreSelute, :owing to the unexpeded',cir-
cuinstances which. bad taken place, but theSe