The Sun.
London, England, 1827-01-01 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

The report of what transpired from the Chamber cf De-
puties, in relation to the affairs of Spain and Portugal, is
of a nature to satisfy the people of England that the inter-
ference of this Government has been viewed by most rea-
sonable Frenchmen as an act no less wise than it was ne-
cessary. M. de Villele states positively, and in words,
which came from M. Dames by implication, that there
" is no sarar to be made by France," while England comes
forward merely` as an ally to the Portuguese Government-0
in virtueForfatthwee The solid advantage de-
sirepossessing an Admia
nistration which feels and speaks the sentiment on
and
the great question now at issue, may be j.da4wed from a
tj:orintraenah,te;
from
slight perusal of the speeches delivered by the
of the Ultra-Royal opposition in the French Cham-
bers. Messrs. Beaumont, Hyde de Neuville, Labour-
donnaye, and Chateaubriand—what is the real tenour
of their complaints? Just this—that England will not
permit the Portuguese monarchy to become an appen-
dage to the despotism of Ferdinand the Seventh.—
One of the above gentlemen asks the wise question,
whether King Ferdinand is not " still a Bourbon ?" The
speaker disdains to consider whether or not this Bourbon
is right or wrong in his undertakings—whether he has
broken his oaths to his own subjects, or adhered to them
—whether he has made war upon Portugal at the moment
when he was writing " with his own hand" (a circum-
stance of which great, but foolish, stress has been laid) the
most pacific and friendly ordels— Al such interrogatories
are nothing to the purpose; but tl-e man is a Bourbon,
and therefore must be encouraged in tile most odious
crimes. It is quite clear that if this party were in power,
not a week would elapse without ample provocation being
offered for another question, which reflecting men on every
side would ask themselves—namely, whether a great nation
is to be hurried headlong to destruction rather than suffer
timely check to be placed on the wickedness or redness of
its Princes ? This is the real question which the moderate
language of M. Villele and his supporters enables them to
keep out of sight—a service for which, it seems, they ace
ill rewarded by the faction who would have most to de-
plore were it brought into practical operation. Some;
again, of the ultra opposition in the Chambers have in -
cused England of schemes not merely bounded by the
defence ofPortugal, but extending to a direction of the Go-
vernment of Spain herself. It is easy to make charges,
but how has this been proved—or by what symptoms
eren countenanced ? What has England not endured
from the Spanish Bourbons, who are, it seems, to be held
sacred in all their offences and extravagancies—the most
flagrant ingratitude for having restored them to the throne
which they dishonour—the most barefaced dishonesty ie.
the breach of precise and solemn engagements to indemnify
our merchants for their long-suffered spoliations—a series of
shuffling, deceit, and falsehood, in all that concerned the re-
pose and safety of Portugal, which this Government is bound
to protect. And how has England betrayed any spirit of
even just resentment towards Ferdinand ? She passed a
Foreign Enlistment Bill, that he might be free from mo-
lestation by British subjects. She has refused employ-
ment or the least encouragement to censtitutional Spanish
subjects, who required but a small aid in arms and money,
to shake to pieces the rotten system of the Monks of
Madrid, in every province of the Peninsula; sad now,
when England has been forced to act, her interference has
been limited, so far as Ferdinand is concerned, to a repe-
tition of demands which she had already made, of forbear-
ance on the part of the offending Camarilla towards Por-
tugal. She has not sought redress for wrongs actually
committed—she has not threatened nor inflicted punish-
ment upon the aggressor—she seeks only that an ancient
ally should be permitted to enjoy the blessings of good
Goverment in security and repose. By what species
of guarantee we can be assured that Ferdinand
will henceforth maintain, religiously, engagements which
no form or solemnity of obligation has hitherto
deterred him from violating in the face of the
world, becomes a very serious point, and one which
the British Government can, undoubtedly, not shrink
from ascertaining. Our opinion has long been declared,
that this worthless despotism is wholly incapable of afford-
ing security to foreign Powers, for any political compact.
M. de Villa Real, indeed, assures the Constitutional Cortes
at Lisbon, that certain Ministers of Conti: atal States
had considered him as being in the wrong !—him, the in-
jured Portuguese, as being the aggressor !—because he
had declined to take the often-forfeited word of Ferdinand,
where the existence of Portugal was at stake. Ti.is is a
pretty specimen of the sort of justice which arbitrary
Courts are disposed to administer to nations whir ll aub-
mit to their judgment; and we trust will be kept in mind
by the British Cabinet, when the exaction of sufficient
pledges from Ferdinand comes to be made an European
question (if our Ministers are weak enough to consider it
one), with a view to the independence of Portugal and to
our own tranquillity.—Times.
Since Saturday, another interval of suspense has oc-
flared, without advices direct from Oporto or List on. We
have, however, the satisfaction to state, that to e.orne en-
quiries made on Friday by a commercial house connected
with Oporto, an official answer has been gi'..4.lt from one
of the departments of Government, with an assurance that
two vessels Of war were dispatched thither at the earliest
moment, for the protection of British property and sub-
jects. This fact we distinctly mentioned last Monday,
when we asserted that" we were glad in having it in our
power to state that Government had sent thither (Oporto)
two small vessels of war, capable of passing the bar, to be
ready on an emergency. These," we then added, "we
have some reason to think, were the Galatea and Plumper,
which sailed some days before the troops went away." We,
therefore, do Government the justice eo say that they sent
timely relief to the spot where it might be wanted sooner
than in any other quarter; and we again repeat, as our
candid and sincere opinion, in the very teeth of the asser-
tions made in the French Papers, that this prompt and
efficacious demonstration made by us must have created
in the minds of the inhabitants residing on the banks of
the Douro, such a confidence as must necessarily check the
views and movements of the Apostolicals. We have never
disguised from our readers that the present attack on Por-
tugal was made on a plan combined with many leading men
throughout the country, among whom were some Nobles, a
considerable number of the regular and secular Clergy, several
Colonels in the command of regiments, and other Military
Officers, scattered in every town in Portugal. The ob-
ject of this party was not so much to place the Infante
Don Miguel on the Throne, or to quarrel with the in-
stitutions established by Iris elder brother, as to bring this
party into power, and second the 1": t ws of certain foreign
Governments in destroying the influence of Great Britain
among the Portuguese. The head and chief director of
this powerful native and foreign party has all Mon..
. .
the QUef2.ll Den'agcr, disposition, sub-
tilty, and ambition, are well known. She always wished
to govern Portugal, even during the lifetime of her hus-
band, by an influence over his councils, and when this could
not avail, by at tempting to rid herself of him. Her last
bold and treacherous attempt was through the instrumen-
tality of her son, who in 1823, raised a military rebellion
of which his own father most probably would have been
the victim, if it had not been for the presence of a British
naval force in the Tape, and the firmness of the corps
diplomatique. This infuriated and ambitious woman, for
a number of years, has been desirous of governing as Re-
gent, and the late appointment of her daughter has, no
doubt, redoubled her fury and chagrin. Her enmity is di-
rected chiefly against that power which has had a direct
influence in the appointments, as well as over the new in-
stitutions of Portugal. Her chief supporter, consoler, and
abettor, is her brother Ferdinand, with his whole band of
Apostolicals, and they derive aid and pecuniary means from
those Powers interested in the success of their plans. It
was foreign money which induced the late desertions from
Portugal to Spain, the Colonels and some of those detach-
ments having been already in the league. This widely
concerted scheme has, consequently, been organizing and
maturing for n long period of time ; and it was natural to