The Sun.
London, England, 1858-10-26 00:00:00

THEATRE-ROYAL, DRURY- LANE.
and
Under the Management of Miss L. Fyne Mr. W.
Harrison.
THIS EVENING, Balfe's celebrated Opera, THE ROSE
OF CASTILLE : Characters by Miss Louisa Fyne, Miss
Susan Pyne Miss M. Prescott, Mr. Geo. Honey, 3lr. Bartle-
man, Mr. F. Glover, Mr. A. St. Al
e,
and Mr. W. Harrison.
Conductor—Mr. Alfred Mellon.
To conclude with a new Ballet Divertissement, LA FLEURas
D'AMOUR Mesdlles. L. Michelet, MorlacchL and Pquale.

ROYAL PRINCESS'S THEATRE.
Under the Management of Mr. Charles Kean.
THIS EVENING will be presented Shakspere's Play of
KING JOHN.
King John, Mr. C. Kean—Constance, Mrs. C. Kean.
Preceded by the Farce of
AWAY WITH MELANCHOLY.

THEATRE-ROYAL, HAYMARKET.
Lessee, Mr. J. B. Buokstone.
THIS EVENING will be performed LONDON ASSU-
X.A.NtE : Mr. and Mrs. C. Matthews, &c.
HE WOULD BE AN ACTOR.
JACK'S RETURN FROM CANTON.
And ANY PORT IN A STORM.
Commence at 7.

ROYAL STRAND THEATRE.
Lessee and Directress, Miss Swanborough.
THIS EVENING, THE LAST OF THE PIGTAILS;
Messrs.C. Selby, J. Bland, J. Clarke, &c.
After which THE MAID SAND THE MAGPIE.
Followed by THE BONNIE FISH WIFE.
And MY AUNT'S HUSBAND ; Mr. Swanborough, Mrs.
Selby, Miss Ternan. _ _

Commence at 7 o'clock.

ASTLEY'S ROYAL AMPHITHEATRE,
Westminster-road.
Sole Lessee, Mr. William Cooke.
The New Tariff :
Dress Circle, 3s. ; Upper Boxes, 2s. ; Pit, is. ; Galleries, 6d.
Great and Extraordinary Sensation produced by the new and
brilliant Decorations—Splendid Act Drop—Magnificent
Chandelier—Appropriate Scenery.
During the week the new and successful drama of
TffE BATTLE OF BOTHWELL BRIG.
With THE SCENES IN THE CIRCLE, comprising the
evelutioxs and equitations of the first Professors in the world
and their unequalled Stud of Horses.
To conclude with a Farc
for
booking.
Stage Manager, Mr. R. Phillips.

CANTERBURY HALL, Westminster-road.—
OPEN EVERY EVENING.—The following Company
of Vocalists are engaged for the performance of Selections
from all the popular OPERAS, MADRIGALS, CHORUSES,
GLEES, DWETS, fitc., viz.:—Miss Russell, Mrs. Badsey,
Miss Brunell, Miss Ray, Madame Bartoletti, Miss Montague,
Mrs. Lawrence, and Airs. Anderson; Herr F. Jonghmans,
Mr. Henshaw, S Jones, J. Barker, W. Melling, Senor Antonio,
E. L Mime, Mr. Badsey, Senor Tirol', Mr. Cozens, Mr. Bell,
Mr. Barnard, and Mr. St. Albyn. Mr. John G. Forde, Mr. E.
Taylor, and E. W. Mackney. Pianoforte, Mr. Cecil Hicks
—Harmonium, Mr. Courtnay—Director, Herr F. Jonghmans.
Commence at 7 precisely. Suppers, &c., until 12 o'clock.
NOTICE.—The Proprietor • respectfully to announce
tnat
THE FINE ARTS GALLERY,
now in course of construction, will be thrown open on
Wednesday next.

THE WEATHER.—SUN OFFICE, Ocr. 26.

THERMOMETER, IN THE SHADE.
57—highest since noon yesterday.
52—lowest .this morning and during the night.
56—this day at noon.
- -

- -
BAROMETER-40.32.
WIND, North Westerly ; light, with dull weather.

THE SUN.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1858.

The King of PORTUGAL has evinced great dis-
cretion in yielding where he could not have resisted
without involving all Europe in war. " Right "
was clearly on his side, but " might" was as cer-
tainly against him, and he pursued a dignified
course in yielding, but at the same time protest-

ing that he " ceded only to the threatened employ

meat of force."

This may be regarded by small minds as a
" humiliation," but it is not a " humiliation " to
the Portuguese Government. They had ex-
hausted every mode by which an authen-
tic judgment could be obtained. An appeal
was still pending before a court of competent juris-
diction. The decision might at once terminate
every difficulty, and that decision would speedily
be obtained. Would France wait until judgment
was pronounced ? An instant negative was put on
that suggestion—what the French Government
wanted, it required violently and immediately. It
would hear of no delay, listen to no arguments
institute no inquiries. It had put forward its de-
mands, and unconditional, unreasoning obedience,
was expected on the side of the weaker power.
Portugal, however, put forward another proposi-
tion, which it was scarcely anticipated could be
rejected. It offered to abide by the arbitration of
any neutral Power selected by France itself—to
let its opponent determine the tribunal, and to in-
vest that tribunal with unlimited authority.
Even this was refused. France would listen to
no reason, would admit no mediation. Its sole
argument was its power, with which Portugal could
not possibly cope ! The restoration of the
" Charles et Georges" was one act of
coercion which must inevitably place France
in the wrong, no matter how great may be the
merits of the case on which it relies. The humilia-
tion, we repeat, is not with Portugal, but with the
superior power that constituted itself sole judge in
its cause, and refused to tolerate any intervention
in any form, or under any circumstances.

It is said that England ought to have interfered ;
that it should not have permitted a friendly power
—one that has been a kind of pupil and follower of
our own—thus scandalously to be coerced, for merely
following our own advice, and acting in obedience
to the instructions it has received ; that
it was incumbent on our Government at least to
have interposed, and flung itself between the wolf
and its intended prey. This is all very well for

those who only seek to disparage the present
GoVernment, to fling dirt on every possible occa-
sion, and discover matter of censure in its every
act, right or wrong. But it will be very different
with all disposed to take an independent and
straightforward view of affairs. They will praise
the judicious caution that saved the nation
from becoming entangled in what must
at least have been a very complicated and un-
pleasant transaction. Had England directly
interfered, hostilities must have followed, and,
as we have already stated, a contest in
which the Western Powers, England and France,
took opposite sides must have been fought with
the most fearful consequences to humanity and
to civilisation.
We may also ask, Were we prepared for such
a conflict, were it forced on us in such a man-
ner that it could not be evaded without the

abandonment of our position as one of the great
Powers of Europe ? We fear that the answer
must be in the negative. Any sudden declaration

of war would find us in a state of the utmost per-
plexity and unreadiness. Doubtless, every man
would do his duty in the hour of emergency'
Those who had hitherto spared their purseswould
readily imperil their persons. They would fight
bravely, nay desperately, pro (iris et focis, but,
alas ! they -would fight unskilfully. There would
be a vast amount of individual valour and indi-
vidual daring, but that would not suffice against
trained and disc iplined cohorts. It would, indeed,
only lead to the destruction of those who knew not
how to fight, and were too brave to run away. Those
men, who might be turned to so good an account,
would become m ere food for gunpowder, and be
expended on the 'first opportunity.
The first and ma in line of defence, as has been well
suggested in a let ter which will be found in ano-
ther of our ii npression, is on the ocean itself,
where, the wood( n walls will still protect our
it •
iron-bound was t." The efficiency of the Navy

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