The Sun.
London, England, 1851-05-05 00:00:00

AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL.

We by no means attached credit to the accounts
brought by the last mail to some of our contemporarie,
from Portugal, and which represented the rebellion of
Ssldanha as hopeless. With such a mass of discontent
in the country, with a Ministry of the most despotic
principles and the most prt fligate political character,
obstinately maintained i❑ power by the Court against the
wishes and opinions of every independent and ever)
honest man, we should have considered any insurrection
as,very promising of success. Saidanha counted upon this.
He thought the mere declaration of a veteran general
against Cabral must suffice for his downfall. And he

terefore undertook to carry through the revolution,
ndependent of the great lib, ral or Septembristic party.
In this he reckoned without his host; the *cosi.), of the
King, and the inertia of the liberals, alike disappoin,ed
him. And, like most moderate politicians of our time,
who seek to swim between the arbitrary principle of a
court and the extravagant demands of an uninfermed
people, he well nigh sank, until the Liberals saved him.
It is as remarkable as unfortunate, the universal
tailure of moderate or middle parties, who seek to
steer constitutionally and independent of extremes.
The Constitutionalists in Germany have holed so
utterly as to have le c ,me a bye-word. The French
sailed fur Civita, cowl ing tiFou the exieeence of such a
party in Rime; but the very laeding of a foreign Dower
had the effect of annihilating such a feeling, which no
longer survives in Laty, except in Piedmont, where it
can only live, poitrinaires, by rule, and by the most
scrupulous care. In France Emile de Gtrariiin has pro-
claims d it aloud that there is no ne.dium between So-
cialism and Legitiomoy, which one would not mind so
much from one mouth, however talented, if the remark
was not echoed as something too true. Even in our
own Parliament, never was moderadoism put to such
shifts to live. Lord John Russell, who is its hero, has
run this very session the gauntlet of a thousand difficul-
ties, with a thousand more before him ; nor can his save
himself, unless, like Saldanba, he flings himself bravely
into the liberal camp. We would be sorry, however,
to compare the liberals of England with the Septem-
br.stas of Portugal, or even Lord John with Saldanha.
Personal pique and wrong, rather than any public
principle, seems the ruling motive with the General, who
made himself the tool of the court in putting down the
Septetubristas, and even breaking his word to them,
hoping, as he then did, that the return of Cabral was
impossible. No sooner, however, had Saldanba enjoyed
a year of peace, which, by the by, be sadly abused, than
Cabral pushed him from his stool, and has reigned since
in his place. Personally, Saldaehe has every right to
compla.n; and, according to Portuguese notions, every
right to conspire. And he certainly did so in such a
manner as would substitqte himself for Cabral once
more, and leave the old machinery of government un-
touched. In this he has been disappointed. He has
been .obliged to fling himself into the hands of the Sep-
tembrist party, who are once more masters of Oporto.
Thus have Portugal and its Queen returned precisely
into the self-same difficulties in which they were in
1847, from which it cost the British Government and
Luid Palmerston BO Limon trouble and an mush
loss of character to relieve them. The result
of that intervention was pretty much the same to
England as it was to Saideeha, a complete trickery
and a falsification of every promise. It was the
British fleet that put down the Juuta of Oporto tor the
Queen of Portugal, and site rtpsid the service by in-
stalling in power the most decided enemy a British in-
terests, commerce, and ideas. If even iu this her Ma-
jesty had shown any wisdom ; had she kept her
throne secure, her army faithful, her gqiiidees
contented ; had abe kept her court and her
country independent of Spanish, politics and Spanish
interference, England might have been contented
to waive influkeice and lose even ancient rights
in Portugal. But to be called to protect every three or
tour years--to restore by military power a Court and a
government that know not how to consolidate thern•
selves, and that repay every service by ingratitude, is
really too bad. It her Misjesty were lett to deal with
her own subjects as she could, without foreign aid or
lute; ference, she would then be compelled to submit to
what Kings of England and France have long ail ce
submitted. a genuine constitutional government,
with full freedom and influence to popular opinions.
It the constitutional dynasty of Portugal be cot taught
such a lesson as this, and allowed to derive the inv»
benefit from it, the result will be that Doona Maria
will be but keeping the place warm for Den Miguel,
us Louis Philippe did for the Duke of Bordeaux. We
trust that Liberal Members of Parliament will lose no
time its enforcing non-intervention on the Government.
If they do riot, a hundred motives will induce the
contrary. The Court of Madrid will be alarmed
at the resuscitation of the Oporto m
France will fan
ithe tears of the Spanish Queen. Nar-
vats will make t a pretext for getting back to head a
military occupation of Portugal, and restore thereby
his ii fluency in the Peninsula.. We shall e,mtnence ns
usual, with professions and pretensions of aiding the
liberal side, but the adroit murceuvres of these countries
will soon trick and pervert the support from the side i
was iniendud to supp?it, to the very opposite one o
despotism. So was it in 1847; so will it be in 1851, uu.
ivs Government be wary, and Parliament watenfisi.—
Daily News.