The Sun.
London, England, 1826-12-30 00:00:00

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representative system m Portugal', • hnw happened it, that it
opposed the such a system when King John the Sixth
wished to establish it ? It is true that it was not the English
constitution, more or less modified, which that worthy King
wished to impose on his people; it was the restoration of the
ancient French franchises, adapted to their present wants, which
he *hilted to offer to their free aceeptancti Thia is an historical
fact Which the oinance of the sth of June, itil4, authenticate..
What, then, could hale prevented this royal intention Rota having
been carried into effect, it it was not English policy ? If it *as
not English policy, then it must hafe Wit ones, for all the world
knows that England and France were then the ohly poWers which
possessed any real interest over the Cabinet of Lisbon. If the
faiilt Wag ours, Ve have been greatly guilty with respect to that
tinfoittinaie atioii: Shall we accuse our Ambassador, who at
that time possessed all the dolfidfnee of King John ? But,, be-
sides that, his noble character rapati al suspicion its this respect ; he
wonid 'Mit been recalled by his Couiti ledd: he stied contrary to
his instructions: It is nnuth more natural to Apra* that the
English Government did not Wish the Portuguese to be happy and
free without its permission, and titzt now it is not so much liberty
that it conveys to them as civil war. ittail wished' to avenge the
dismissal of Lord Beresford, and the attempts which were recently
made by Portugal to withdrawherself from the British domination.
But do not deceive yourfelces ; it is not merely this part of the
Peninsula that the English Government has devoted to disorder and
anarchy, hut the whole Peninsula. The English Ministerial Govern-
ment paper, called the Sox, leaves no doubt on this point ; it says,
.4' Spanish Government has reached the term of its existence,
Spain must be finally sacrificed;" and Mr. Canning himself
does not separate Spain fretn Revd, in what he calls " the
narrow limits within which the new war may he lighted up."—
Such, gentlemen, are the projects in which we are about to aid
and assist; such the alliance to which we are about to sacrifice the
monatchy of Philip V., the ties of blood, and the family compact.
How can we do too much for those worthy allies, who boasted in
full Parliament of having duped no, of having rejoiced at seeing UP
fall into a snare, in which we struggle in vain, and out of which
we cannot get with honour ? We are told of the aggression of the
Spanish Government, because that Government could nut prevent
the Portuguese Government from returning to their country with
arms in their hands, because that return appeared to be favoured
by some Spaniih officers, who had the charge of disarming them,
and this accusation has been repeated by the Minister for Foreign
Affairs. But how often have armed hands, issuing from the rocks 1
of Gibraltar, attempted to incite insurrection in Spain; and if
they were not received there as the Portuguese, Emigrants have
been, no thanks to the English Government for that. Still they
dare to speak of aggression ; but is not he the aggressor, who
boasted in the English Parliament, not merely of having made his
country profit by the separation of the Spanish colonies from the
mother country, but of being the author of that separation, of hav-
ing called into existence new republics formed out of the ruins of
Spanish power ? And will it still be asked whence comes the aggres-
sion ? For this pretended aggression of Spain it is wished to render
us reponsihle. Our good faith has been suspected, and in the ey‘
of Europe we are made to submit to the contempt of the Eng.
lish Ministers-.-to the irony of their •justifications--and to the ar-
rogance of their eventual menaces. Are we, then, no longer the
France of Louis XlV.—the soldiers of Fontmloy and of Auster-
litz? It is proposed, gentlemen, that we shall associate ourselves
with English policy, in which we shall have for allies the allies of
Quiroga, and all the disaffected of Europe. What a part for
France to play ! The disaffected ! Are there none of them in
England ? Does the English Minister suppose that a population
of 'starving manufacturers, and 5,000,000 of men wounded in
their religious feelings, are well-affected subjects ? Believe use,
gentlemen, the English ./Eolus is more interested than any one
else in chaining up the tempests, of which he might perhaps be
the first to experience the ravages. The prosperity of England
may have more analogy than many are aware of with the court of
the king of the winds. Our Minister for Foreign Affairs threatens
the Spanish Government with withdrawing our support, on ac-
count of its having despised our counsels, or not being able to fol-
low them.. Note well this alternative. So, because, after our
victories, we have left Spain a prey to anarchy; because that
anarchy Juts endured for three years in -the presence of our
Army of Occupation, we now proceed to punish the Spanish
Government for not being" able to prevent some Portuguese
emigrants, favoured by a part of the Spanish population, from
returning with arms in their hands-into their own country!
And in punishment- of her weakness, we deliver up Spain,
defenceless as she is, not to Portugal, the Minister
said, for Portugal and Spain appear to be perfectly agreed
in their hatred of this • Brazilian charter, but to England,
which, after lighting Up civil war in Portugal, may try to pro-
pagate it in Spain.. llut what to us would be the relit& of such
" latl--- Vl' tie wle we were. years ago, with 300,000, ar woe e
rendered equally odious to both parties which divide Spain. Be.;
sides, if when the honour of France is the question, it he allow-
able to descend-to peeuniary considerations, I would ask whether,
under such circumstances, a rupture with Spain would not cause
the loss of the sums due to us for the expeuce of our Army of Oc-
cupation? For you do not imagine that your worthy allies would
permit you to pay yourselves by the conquest. No, gentlemen, in
such a partnership the division is already made—the profit will
be for them, the shame for you. The Minister for Foreign Af-
fairs, in concurrence with Mr. Canning, tries hard to find a re-
semblance between the occupation of Spain in 1823 by the French
armies, and the present interference of England in the affairs of
Portugal ; but the difference of the cases is too obvious to escape
your observation. In 1823, the Peninsula was in flames, and the
French Government might justly fear that the conflagration,
would extend to France; it was therefore conceived that it was
not only the interest of France, but her duty, to extinguish the
conflagration. With regard to Portugal, on the contrary, an
attempt is made to change the laws of the country. The nation
sees with pain this revolution, and is in arms to oppose it. The
contest in Portugal is a family affair, which can in no way
compromise the security or the prosperity of England. Here,
Gentlemen, I wish that the Chamber should rightly understand
that I am far front being the partisan of absolute Governmeut.
I sun not one of those who firmly believe the leg-Wu:tack of the
Grand Turk. I ant of Opinion, that wherever despotism and ar-
bitrary rule reigns, there is an usurpation. of the liberties of the
people, for one man never consents to become voluntarily the pro-
perty of another. lam aware that in the progress of time there
are formed among nations new interests which require new gua-
rantees, and that new wants arise which must be satisfital. I
sincerely wish that every people should enjoy all the liberty of
which it is susceptible. But I think that nothing but time, and
successive ameliorations, can bring about such changes in the si-
tuation of nations ; that it is not by insulting their ideas, their
manners, or even their prejudices, that such changeni can be
brought about ; that, above all things, this is not to be done
by employing violence • and that nothing can be more absurd
than to wish to compel the people to be free against their incli-
nation, or to pretend that the same form of Government ought
to fit all nations. Laws, says Montesquieu, ought to be so well
suited to the people for whom they are made, that it is a great
chance that tho laws of one nation can be adapted to another.
Let the English Minister play the Dort Quixote of Represen-
tative Government, and let us not follow in his train
like that grotesque personage described in the romance of Cer-
vantee. Such a situation doee: not become uh. Representative
government is , unquestionably a fine conception, and if it car-
ried with it in practice all that it . promises in theory, every
one would be impressed with the .advaritage which it holds
out above all other governments for the happiness of nations.
But if the observer, who endeavours to look to the bottom of
things, too often discovers under its brilliant exterior only
servility, corruption, the spirit of .parties, and an enormous in-
gress of public burdens, may he not think, that a nation edu-
cated in different ideas is excusable fur manifesting rePg-
nance towards that form of government, especially who' Lt.,ia
Pa
brought to it by a hand whose praises ought to be cosseted
I entertain, however, gentlemen, some satisfaction in thinking,
longerlhis, indeed, endeavourwillo
be t
that as I see your minister entering a league to give ii_natitt
tions to Portugal which Portugal does not wish to have, a° w"!
no longer refuse to give to France those which she hits so long de-
manded, and inn particular that he will
no
restrain the liberty which we still possess.
carrying the spirit of contradiction too far. Ins other matters,
whatever may be the diversity of our opinions, we surely shall
have only one when tine national honour is is question. We
ought to amine in the address a tone so mush the more high, as
it has been entleiveureil to depress it ; and -I owe that it he. re-
ferret' back tin the comMittee, to be drawn up anew."
The following fact will prove, better than all we. could say,
the present state of justice in. Spain. The case in question has
lasted during the three last years, and is far from being ter-
minated yet..
put in
lasrugsepeleante,di
dowibmerblagnda perpetual
prison in MS. and his
,R)regDthioteinorcT,moir
setiatpuoutroveaaw.Viiriegainti•meesel,p,
awaino,
successor refused to restore to him the enjoyment of his liberty and
property. The Royal Audieneia of Valladolid having decided in
his favour, the Corregidor sent M. Valcarcel for Segovia, and de-
livered him to the Ecclesiastical Tribunal, which threw him into
e t the
a dungeon and left him three months concealed.
After a number of references and appeals from one Tribunal to
our holy religion dtiting'the pretended Constitutional regime, he
atbnaotthaesr,itti:cp.pEcclesiasticalefenTdraibbetibnitio it4neoennoguunicirly
otfheoejturdeggne:enotz,k