The Sun.
London, England, 1827-04-26 00:00:00

PORTUGUESE CONSTITUTION.

The sentiments of the people with. regard to
the Constitution, I mean those who pay the least
attention to the subject, are various. A con-
siderable number are favourable to it, though
they do not evince much enthusiasm in the cause.
On the evening of the young Queen's birth-day
the Constitutional Hymn was sung at the Opera
amidst considerable applause, but the scene no
more resembled that which was so often repeated
at Naples both in Parliament and at the theatres,
during the short Constitutional reign, than the
demeanour of a Turk resembles that of a French-
man. I formed a comparison between the
Neapolitans and Portuguese in this instance, be-
cause there is a great resemblance between the
two people. They are both noisy in the ex-
treme—a trifle will often excite them to the ut-
most pitch of joy or madness, and they speak
without intermission. (It is certainly a singular
coincidence, and one worth mentioning, that
while I write this, and a Portuguese gentleman
is in the next room speaking with all the noise
and volubility of his countrymen, the servant, who
is likewise a Portuguese, should come in and
say, with great naivete, and in broken English—
" 0 Portuguez never stops.") No doubt the
conduct of Spain, the well known sentiments of
several European Courts, and the dread of pu-
nishment, perhaps, front Don Miguel may ac-
count in some measure for the coldness of the
people in the Constitutional cause ; but all these
are not sufficient. The Neapolitans had an
equally powerful host of enemies, and certainly
much more declared,—yet their enthusiasm knew
no bounds. I must say, and Ido it without the
least partial feeling to one side or the other, that
the stability of the Charter is a very doubtful
problem. There are many of the same opinion
—not only those who are opposed to it, but
those who are bound to defend it, or whose
official situation must make them anxious that it
should succeed. It has few determined friends,
and has many enemies. Some dislike it because
it is not sufficiently liberal ; others because they
prefer a republic ; and another party because
they prefer the good old system under which the
Brazils were discovered and Camoens wrote the
Lusiad. "With these differences ofopinion, and the
little support which it receives from any consider-
able part of the people, it must be admitted, that
had riot England interfered, it would soon have
none to " the tomb of all the Capulets," or have
been " thrown aside like an old almanack out of
date." On the other hand, had Spain remained
perfectly neutral, and had there not prevailed an
opinion that France was secretly determined to
oppose it and bring back Don Miguel, the con-
sequences of whose ire none could foretell, many
believe that it would have been agreed to here
without the least opposition, and though it never
would have much influence in altering the man-
ners, or bettering the condition of the great body
of the people, they still think that in some re-
spects it would have been beneficial. I can hear
of none who expect much good from it, of many
who think that Spain valued its probable effects
far too high, and that England and France (for
these States are regarded as the principals) would
deserve the curse of mankind if they should go
to war, tear one another to pieces, and put the
whole world in commotion for the petty squab-
bles of a small, insignificant, and enervated na-
tion, who feels- no lively interest in the cause, and
who would only be roused from their lethargy
by the powerful effects of the flame which they
had kindled. The more one sees of the people,
and judges of the sentiments which animate them,
the more he is disposed to reprobate the conduct
of those who would endanger the peace of Eu
rope for their sake.