The Sun.
London, England, 1829-04-28 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE LONDON JOURNALS.

statepe r ie noefedsoacenity
eaTdyheeximprovement throughout b Irelandeyondt
the
easmost
sanguine hopes entertained by the warmest advocates
of that great measure, which now, thank God! holds
air eminent place amongst the laws of the land, and
has already blended into one glowing light the ma-
nifold and incongruous colours which had hereto-
fore diversified, and we may justly say deformed, the
face of the British Constitution. The Legislature
having done its part, and his Majesty's Government
on this side of the water having manifested so much
boldness, generosity, and wisdom, on behalf of the
people of Ireland, it remains for the smaller func-
tionaries at the seat of the government, to execute
with punctuality, impartiality, and honour, the
commands which are issued to them from the
higher powers, for carrying into full effect through-
out the country the provisions of this bens
ticent law. When we speak of the local func-
tionaries, we seed hardly say, that it is lit
of the Lord Lieutenant, or his immediate ad-
visers and connections, we would imply any shadow
of distrust. Every act of that Nobleman, since his
accession to the Viceroyalty, proves the upright and
liberal spirit with which he went amongst the people
of Ireland. We are equally satisfied, that the po-
licy recommended from Mr. Peel's department here
cannot fail to be in accordance with the principles
of the recent Act of Parliament, which it cost that.
Right Hon. Gentleman such psinful sacrifices, and
involved him in such heavy risks, to support; but
it is against the acting, petty, intriguing, long-resi-
dent, rancorously-prejudiced, factious, tenacious,
jobbing subordinates, who have for a grievous course
of years usurped arid abused the minor patronage of
the local government, and infested every public
office in Ireland by their paltry and offensive ma-
noeuvres, that we are desirous to rouse, from the
commencement of this new era, the jealous vigi-
lance of the Lord Lieutenant and his Chief Secre-
tary, as well as the suspicions of this country.
These men are wholesale incendiaries : they never
have looked at Ireland but as the prey of their par-
ticular faction. They have loaded the whole me-
nial branch of the administration with Orangemen,
their creatures. They have meddled every where,
not merely by an abuse of patronage, but by the
grossest perversions of justice, when the insolence
a
or corruption of their Orange dependents was such
to bring them fairly under the arm of the law.
We do not hesitate to affirm, that if these barnacles
are suffered to grow and fix themselves upon the
bottom of the state vessel, they may, even at this
late hour, impede her progress towards the mooring
ground of national contentment. The country would
find it a profitable bargain even to pension off soma.
hundred and fifty of these old pirates of the back-
stairs. The Duke of Wellington may judge their
true character, by the sort of embarrassments which,
since Christmass, 1821 (the date of his brother's
arrival in Dublin), they threw across the path of the
King's Government, and by the outrages which
they offered to his Majesty's representative. His
Grace may judge of their loyalty to the King's
person, by the decent observance of his Majesty's
birth-day, no farther back than the 23d instant.—
, Times.

The approaching discussion in Parliament, on the
subject of the conduct of our Government towards
Portugal, is, no doubt, looked forward to with
much anxiety by the Portuguese emigrants in this
country; and with a view to inform the public mind
on the question, one of them has just published
" The Appeal of a Portuguese Emigrant to the
British Nation and both Houses of Parliament."—
It remains to be seen how far the officers acting
under the authority of our Government have or
have not departed from neutrality in the affair of
Terceira. On this subject we are not possessed of
information on which -we should be warranted in
pronouncing an opinion. The author of the pamphlet
leaves us in this respect precisely where we were.
The writer, however, endeavours to found a claim
on this country to take part against Don Miguel, on
account of the peculiarity of the relations between
England and Portugal. He addresses a distinct set
of arguments to the Sovereigns of Europe in ge-
neral, grounded on their assertion of a right to
interfere with the different European nations
for the protection of legitimacy. "If the Save- •
reigns of Europe," he says, " have sworn to
inuintain the rights of legitimacy, are they not
bound to interfere against usurpations ? Do these
Sovereigns wish to afford unequivocal proofs t hat
they mean merely to league themselves against the
people, whenever the latter may attempt to assert
their rights, or reform their Government, and yet
stand aloof, and see a people crushed by a tyrant
constituting himself King, only through the aid of
a faction, to the exclusion of the legitimate heiress?"
The Sovereigns of Europe interfere in behalf of
each other only when under the influence of fear
for the stability of their respective Governments.
Whether the principle of guaranteeing each other
be or be not justifiable, was a question long and
keenly discussed. Whatever reason may say, we
may rest assured that Governments will not be re-
strained by any principle of international law from
putting down a revolutionary Government when
they can, if they are really afraid of the influence
of the successful example on their own subjects.
But we may be equally assured that the period of
alarm once over, they will be as unwilling to embark
in expensive projects from which they can hope to
gain nothing, from an abstract love of justice. The
Holy Alliance is now dead ; and it would require
nothing less than the dread of another European
convulsion to revive it. During that period of
alarm, whatever the feelings of the Ministers of Eng..
land might be, they certainly did not compromise
themselves by any open approbation of, or assistance
to, the Holy Alliance; and, therefore, among .
the Sovereigns of Europe, the King of England
stands absolved of all obligation to take part against
Don Miguel, on the ground of his sins against legi.
timacy. But, says the Portuguese Emigrant, " No-
thing can be more extraordinary than that the British
Ministry should declare, it cannot interpose to check
the monstrous and tyrannical Government that now
oppresses Portugal, and which threatens to reduce
it.to the last stage of barbarism, while it is notorious
that the misfortunes and dissensions of that unhappy
kingdom have arisen from the intervention of that
very Ministry." We fear there is some ground for
this accusation. The relations between Portugal
and England have not been those of mere amity, but
have amounted to something like a guardianship on
the part of the latter. We have interfered but too
much in the affairs of that kingdom, and having so
interfered, part of the disgrace of the present stAto
of things attaches no doubt to us. The writer says,
Portugal might for these two centuries " have been
regarded rather as a colony than an independently
allied State. It would be idle to demonstrate this
truth, of which no person conversant with the his-
tory of the two countries can be ignorant. England,
exercising the same protection over it which it now
does over the lonian Islands, instigated, and nail.
mately effected the separation of Brazil from the
mother country, and the independence of the former
Empire; as proved by the commission and instruc-
tions given by John VI. to Sir Charles Stuart,
and the Treaty of Independence made by him
in consequence. On the death of this Sovereign,
the British Government readily acknowledged Don
Pedro, and sent an Ambassador to the Regency
Government in his name. Don Pedro, as the eldest
son of John VI., and to whom the Portuguese na-
tion swore allegiance as their lawful Sovereign, arid
who being equally recognized and acknowledged by
all the Powers of Europe, was both by right and
de facto the legitimate King of Portugal. The
Infante Don Miguel, was, on the other; head :called . ,
to the Regency, principally through tke iiiterven. ~..
_.
tion of England, It is scarcely necessary to state, • _.s\
that on accepting this office, he sworeto-govern-in :‘• •
the name and on behalf of his brother, Don -Pedr0.).',:...: -' - - •
All this, however, does not amount-'to the sanatst, jr- -j
claim on us which our Colonies or, rifle loairtiii:7„,-: i
Islands have. We may renounce Ltliariiivereterity;,..i./
of any Colony, and our PrOteCtOrShilY4 tb041.644.i.