The Sun.
London, England, 1828-08-21 00:00:00

eusations, now after so long a silence brought 1 the conduct of Mr. Canniug ; and it is extorted
against him, have been manufactured. This duty ' from us by the present conduct of persons, who,
indeed is not burdensome, as a very brief state- affecting to be the adherents of Mr. Cunning's
ment of facts is all that is required to the full policy, and the ardent admirers of his public
vindication of the Noble Lord, and to the corn- , character, have, nevertheless, deeply wounded
plete exposure of his calumniators. Lord . both, in their impotent efforts to strike at the
Strangford was the British Ambassador at the ' fair fame of Lord Strangford. As the subject,
Court of Portugal, at the memorable period and all the circumstances connected with it, have
when the victorious arms of France, directed by , been forced upon public attention, we feel that
the insa- 1 we should do less than our duty if we did not
the military talents, and impelled by
tiable ambition of Buonaparte, threatened to an- ! pointedly and strongly condemn a contrivance of
nihilate in the Peninsula the last remaining ves- ' Mr. Canning, the undoubted tendency of which
tige of European independence. In this caps- ;is to impair that implicit confidence with which
city, and in obedience to his instructions, lie ' the British people have hitherto been accustomed
urged upon time Royal Family of Portugal the 'to receive the official communications of their
expediency of transferring themselves to the ' Government.—Morning Post.
Brazils, and there awaiting the arrival of better We have not yet done with Mr. Dawson !
times, rather than of suffering their persons to The position in which lie stands, as regards him-
fall into the power of the tyrannical conqueror, self, and as regards those who may at the same
or of lingering within his reach until compelled time be considered his patrons and friends, is
to submit to the degradation. of serving him as one on which we cannot bring ourselves to think
slaves and tools in the completion of his coati-
there can be two opinions. Mr. Dawson, at
rental system. The counsels of Great Britain, time Derry meeting, either declared his own
communicated and enforced as they were by ' isolated opinions—he either spoke as an advised
Lord Strangford, were adopted by the illus-
-1 agent, or as the simple, unadvised, Mr. Dawson.
. . .
trious House of Braganza. It was determined iln either of these cases we must consider him ;
that, in certain contingeiicies, the Royal
li and the only way to remove the mystery, and
Family of Portugal would withdraw from I appreciate as it merits his extraordinary speech,
its European dominions, and seek in the Brazils I is to view it as the effusion of a converted and
that freedom and independence which Europe 1 independent man, or that of a secret envoy corn-
could not afford them ; and the contingencies i missioned to ascertain the pulse of public feel-
were the demand, on the part of the Ruler of ing. We shall first consider him in the latter
France, that Portugal should adopt the system 1 capacity. Supposing that what lie asserted was
, intended for the annihilation of British cone- true, and that lie was sent to the North of Ire-
merce, and the appearance upon the Portuguese land to represent the views of his Majesty's Go'
border of French troops to enforce the demand: vernment, it must follow that the Adininistra-
These contingencies did in fact occur, but not tion, of which the Duke of Wellington is at
until after Lord Strangford had withdrawn from the head, are inclined to parley with the Admi-
-1 Lisbon, in consequence of certain disagreements nistration of Mr. Daniel O'Connell, and conci-
which had arisen in the mean time between the liate the Catholics, by cenceding from fear, from
British and Portuguese Courts. On their oc- weakness, or from principle, those claims which
currence, the Family of Braganza pursued the they have hitherto resisted as incompatible with the
resolution which Lord Strangford had originally security of the British constitution. By recog-
inspired, and that Nobleman returned to Lisbon, musing Mr. Dawson in this character, we at once
not before the embarkation of the Royal Family, mix up with this Under Secretary's apprehensions,
but in time to have a long conference with the the apprehensions and the altered opinions of the
Prince Regent previous to their departure, and Noble Duke at the head of the Govermnent.
to accompany them for some distance on their We, indeed, by such admission, have no choice
voyage. Upon these circumstances, with respect but to concede, or take for granted that the
to the accuracy of which we believe there seditious Association has triumphed, and that
is no dispute, time enemies of Lord Strangford, he who conquered at Waterloo, who was not
who profess at the same time the- warmest ad- dismayed either on the shores of Portugal, or at
miration of the late Mr. Canning, found an ac- the foot of the Pyrenees, by the armies or the
cusation in which the late Minister and time Ann- nienaces of Buonaparte, has turned craven at
bassador are of necessity equally involved, the sound of a barrister's orations, and the threats
charging them with having conspired to defraud amid pikes of the priests and the mob of' Ireland.
their King and Master into the grant of' honour God forbid that we should insult either his
and rewards to the latter, which he .had not me- moral or his personal courage by such an ad-
rited, because he was absent from Lisbon at the mission. The Duke of Wellington may be de-
moment when the embarkation of time Royal sirous to settle the Catholic Question—and who
Family took place, and which, if bestowed upon is not, O'Connell alone excepted, desirous to
any body, ought, they say, to have been given to settle it. ?—but that he seeks to settle it, by
Sir Sidney Smith, time Commander of the British other than fair concessions on the part of the
naval force stationed off Lisbon at that period. Catholics—by other than that indispensable se-
The extravagance of this accusation only spews curity which time Protestant Religion and the
into what absurdities men are liable to be be- British Constitution require—we will not do the
trayed when they yield themnselves up to the spirit Noble Duke the malice or the slander to believe.
of' faction. 'l'he honours granted to Lord Strang- He who says otherwise foully libels that exalted
ford were not given on account of the part he bore Personage. He who insinuates that he was
in the transaction of the two or three days iinme- privy to the mission of Mr. Dawson, or did as-
diately preceding the departure of the Royal semmt to the opinions which lie uttered, time pie-
Family, but as the well-merited reward of ture which he drew, or the nauseous encomiums
a long course of zealous and able services, in he heaped upon the agitators, imputes to the
circumstances the most difficult and important, Noble Duke sentiments which would be the
which led to that event, by preparing the minds first, as in the case of Mr. Huskisson, openly
of the Illustrious Emigrants for a step beset by and unreservedly to denounce. Since the ac-
serious obstacles, and including sacrifices the cession of the Duke of Wellington to the high
most painful, but which tended not more to the office which 1,3 holds, and which we pray lie
glory and welfare of the Illustrious House by may be long spared to hold, various attempts
which it was adopted, than to the success of the have been made to palm upon the public as his
great cause for which Europe was then struggling. opinions, what he never uttered, what lie never
Between Lord Strangford and Sir S. South the even assented to, what he in fact abhorred, and
tamest cordiality had subsisted during the whole we have no doubt he will take an early opportu-
course of their connected services. The latter nity to show, that what Mr. Huskisson could
was placed by his instructions under the controul not do with impunity, neither will Mr. Dawson,
of the former, and the Admiral never complained nor any other Secretary tinder his control. Con-
that an undue share of merit had been assigned eluding, therefore, that the Honourable Member
to the Ambassador. That time foul and malige for Londonderry gave vent only to his own intii-
nant accusation applies to Mr. Canning as vidual sentiments, how are we to reconcile his
much.as or even more than to Lord Strang- conduct with the feelings and the prescribed rules
ford, is evident, for no honours were conferred of the Duke of Wellington ? Will the Noble
upon the latter but by his advice. It was his Duke dismiss this renegade " servant of :the
duty to read and to collate the dispatches of Lord Crown ?" Will he intimate to Mr. Dawson, that
Strangford and Sir S. Smith, and if discre- since he has chosen to lecture the Protestants of
pancy or obscurity appeared, to sift the matter Ireland in a syle more becoming a Prince of the
to the bottom. Raving thus stated. and refuted Blood, or a First Lord of the Treasury, than a
the substance of the calumny directed against humble subordinate of Whitehall, he must find
Lord Strangford, it only remains to notice a employment for his talents elsewhere ? To this
subsidiary charge, relating to a matter of' form it roust conic. Either Mr. Dawson must be
rather than of substance. The Noble Lord is considered as the mouth-piece of the Noble
accused of having written a dispatch in London, Duke, or he is a Ministerial belligerent, an
which was dated and published in the Gazette enemy in a friendly camp, a radical among loyal
as if it had been written off Lisbon. He admits men. If the last, the sooner he tenders his re-
the fact. He was desired by Mr. Canning to sigmiation the better ; and if he do so, we trust
compile from his former dispatches one entire it will be accepted in such a way as will prevent
dispatch, which might be published without any " mistake." It is almost comical to see
compromising the safety of individuals in Lisbon, how the reformed Orangeman is flattered and
then in the possession of the French forces under defended by its liberal friends. The Morning
the command of Junot. With this direction Chronicle, albeit .unused to the smiling mood,
he complied, transcribing literally such parts of is most amusingly witty and sarcastic on the
his former dispatches as were proper for publica- matter. It slobbers Mr. Dawson in a way that
tion, and carrying his accuracy in this respect so evinces strong feelings of rudeness and affection.
It handles him fondly, but at the same time :A-
far, that the apology of haste which concluded one
most pinches him to death ; and so frantic is its
of his dispatches, appeared also in the compilation.
Time Noble Lord may appeal to this apparently joy that it is hard to determine whether its words
trivial circumstance as a proof of his accuracy and and caresses be tokens of endearment or insult.
good
faith. His calumniators, when they. refer to For instance, in speaking of the Hon. Gentle-
it in support of their imputation of sinister de-
man's motives, and contrasting his former with
signs, forget that the originals, as well as the his present conduct, it says :
compilation, and not only these, but all the mi- ~ Mr. Dawson is reproached for repeating the
nute particulars which verbal inquiries could very reasons for a change of side which had so often
elicit, were in the possession, or at least within beet' addressed without effect to himself. Water-
the reach of Mr. Canning and the other Minis- ford and Clare, no doubt, supplied a motive which
came powerfully in aid of the understanding. But
ters of the. Crown ; and that the idea of deceiv-
purpose what a havoc would we make in the two Houses of
ing thern, whom alone for any sinister or selfish
Parliameut, were we to excommunicate all who act,
it could be of importance to deceive,
not from a conviction of what would benefit the
could not by possibility haire entered into the
public, but what would ha advantageous to the»z-
contemplation of the Noble Lord. On this part
of time subject, therefore, we boldly say the vindi- selves personally. Perhaps thane might be ten men
cation of Lord Strangford is complete. We wish at the most in the House of Commons who could
, stand the . ordeal. Mr. Dawson's connections are
however, he had not attempted the vindication of Orange; he could only , obtain influence through
Mr. Canning, since in this he entirely fails. The Orangemen. If he had riot opposed the Catholics,
direction given by Mr. Canning rescues Lord lie might have been a snore honest man; but he
Strangford from censure. It was an order which would never have beeu Under Secretary of State."
a diplomatist could not be expected, and ought This is kissing and kicking with a venge-
not, to disobey. But we feel at the same time ante--a pat on the cheek, but a most malicious
i order which B• • Secretaryof assault upon the seat of honour ! Mr. Dawson
that it was al a ritieb
State ought not to have. given. Lord Strangford, would have been more an honest man had he
whose duty was c"fined •to communicating been less a Protestant! Then he is not quite
with Mr. Canning, practised no deception homiest
yet. He played the kil eve in order to
upon him. e
'qr. Canning, whose duty it clamber to office ; but although now in office,
was to communicate with the British peo- now reformed, and now a patriot, he is still a
plc, did practise a
deception upon them. rogue ! Poor Mr. Dawson ! your ally of the
He intentionally produced in their minds the Chronicle is a most sarcastic friend. But we
erroneous belief that they were reading y-, an should be sorry to dissever him from such able
integral and ungarbletl dispatch, when in fact and honest 'supporters.—New Times.
frog-
they were reading only a combuiatioil of' g- Our readers will recollect that we gave in the
Gazette such Morning
meats. Why not have put in tile _
_Advertiser, of time 11th instant, some
parts of Lord Strangforti's original despatches as curious particulars respecting a project then said
could be safely published under their true name to be in agitation for a marriage between Donna
and description, as extracts ? Why, but because Maria da Gloria, and young Napoleon, Duke of
the effect would iii this case have been less Reichstadt, to both of whom the
,Emperor of
- striking, and that it was in time nature of time Austria stands in the relation of grandfather.—
Right Hon. Gentleman to prefer the striking to We mentioned this as a matter not actually de-
the true. We regret now to use this language, cided upon, either by the Court of the Brazils,
'but it appears to us the only way of explaining or by that of AUstria, but as engaging the at-