The Sun.
London, England, 1846-12-29 00:00:00

it ran :Ant

LONDON, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 29, 184 E

Knowing the confusion of parties consequent upon
the military disturbances in Portugal, we are in no
degree surprised at what would otherwise excite our
astonishment, namely, the contradictory intelligence
continually arriving from that portion "of the penin-
sula. Groups of insurgents are scattered over the
mountains, bands of guerillas infest the more sylvan
valleys, and regiments of the royalist troops are
quartered in the different towns and villages; beyond
this, there is a perpetual movement in the disposition
and numbers of the popular, army, as well as in the
body of soldiery in the service of the SOVEREIGN.
Much blundering is consequently inevitalile in the
information received from the theatre of this - civil
war. As in every similar outbreak, the most impos-
sible rumours are prevalent, "every moment has its
particular report, and those individuals - who,
from their mercantile occupations are not actually
implicated in the struggle, are alternately the
originators of some extravagant fabrication or
the credulous hearers of the equally extravagant
fabrications of their neighbours. In addition to all
these causes of uncertainty as to the information re-
ceived from Portugal, there is another—perhaps,the
most important of all—the detestable bondage of the
press. When merely a single-journal is permitted to
appear by the Government of a kingdOrn;and when
that journal is as subservient to the interests of the
degenerated Court of Lisbon as is the .Diario do
Govern°, it cannot be a matter of amazement that
the intelligence contained therein is of a marvellously
fragmentary and incredible character.
If we discard all the improbable and opposite asser-
tions of the different Portuguese correspondents, we
obtain the following lamentable picture of the condi-
tion of that country. Notwithstanding the numerous
and sanguinary conflicts which have already occurred
in that quarter of the peninsula, it would appear
that matters are, if possible, farther than ever
from any settlement. In spite of the vaunted
dispersion of the " rebels " under the banners
of SA DA BANDEIRA, the Court party are very far
indeed from being triumphant. The accounts ob-
tained as recently as the 20th ultimo are to the
effect that BOHM& had combined his forces with
those commanded by General Mum/quo D'Arzu •
QUERQUE, and that, together with a detachment of the
soldiers of Das ANTAS, he had established himself in
Caldas. According to the same packet SALDANHA
was hastening towards that stronghold. Oporto was
still invested by CABAL, and the question of the suc-
cess of royalists and insurgents still quivered on the
balance. A. fortunate calculation of time or of num-
bers, an accidental selection of ground, or a chance
concentration of troops on either side, may bring
victory to Dos ANTAS and his followers, or to SAL-

DANIIA and his colleagues. Numerically the hostile
armies are tolerably well matched, but they have each
a number of distinct and very dissimilar advan-
tages. The soldiers of Queen MARIA are ensured
ample rations and regular pay, they are periodically
reinforced, their leaders are guided by a council
concentrated in the metropolis. On the other hand,
the soldiers of the popular party are animated by a
contagious enthusiasm, they are recruited by the
ardent worshippers of a beneficent legislation, they
are inspired by the love of nationality, their cause is
the cause of the people, and they themselves are a
portion of that people.
While the position of the armed belligerents in
the provinces is thus precarious and complicated, the
state of the metropolis is most embarrassing, and
most unpropitious. Commerce is in the utmost
torpor, trade is languishing, provisions are gradually
rising in price, and the bank.notes are regarded
with so much suspicion as to be at a discount of
twenty-five per cent. It is utterly impossible that
the citizens can continue much longer in this condi-
tion without some frantic effort being made by the
Portuguese to re-establish a really constitutional
monarchy, to remove their numerous political dis-
abilities, to ensure certain municipal reforms, to re-
invigorate the manufacturing, and agricultural
industry of the nation, and to restore to Portugal at
least some shadow of her pristine glory and greatness.
It would be indecorous and ungrateful for any
maritime country like England not to regard the
prosperity and happiness of Portugal as a thing to be
peculiarly desired—Portugal, the mistress of naviga-
tion, the Carthage of the middle ages, the promoter
of international communication, the fosterer
of modern commerce ! 'What Tyre did by its
purple dyes upon the borders of Palestine; what
Venice did upon the Adriatic under the rule of its
Council of Ten ; what Genoa did upon the frontiers
of Italy under the guidance of the immortal DORIA,
and aided by the influence of her Golden Book, Por-
tugal did for Western Europe, and through Western
Europe for the entire world, in the fifteenth century.
The enterprise which was germinated at that period
in the palace of Prince HENRY, in the harbour of
Lisbon, in the hearts of her mariners, and the marts
of her commerce, has entitled Portugal to the eternal