The Sun.
London, England, 1829-06-02 00:00:00

subjects. lie wrOit a simitar letter to the king of
England and to his Most .Christian Majesty. He
likewise wrote a letter dictated in strong language
to his sister the Infanta, Regent of Portugal, and
directed her to make public that letter for the satis-
faction of his faithful subjects. In his letter to his
brother be had had the boldness, the perverted cou-
rage, to speak of supporting the Constitution to which
he had his terms being, the Constitution d moi
jure. Phis solemn oath had been confirmed at the
ceremony of his espousals. In consequence of these
professions he was permitted to return to Portugal
by way of England. Den Miguel was placed in a
situation which enabled him to accomplish his usur-
pation. If they were gulled by his frauds, which it
in evident they were, so far as to give him the means
of completing his crime, by defeating the purpose of
his brother, and destroying the rights of his sub-
jects; and if they supposed that they were entitled
to impose conditions, when did the right to intro-
duce those conditions cod ? If they could demand
those conditions, they had morally the right to re-
quire (I do not believe it would be necessary to
compel) him to desist, when at Lisbon, from ac-
complishing that which, itt Consequence of his frauds,
they had, to a certain extent, aided him to attain.
I confess I feel much interested upon this point, be-
cause I a:n anxious that the slightest speck of sus-
picion should be removed from the character of this
country; and to skew that nothing has been left
undone to preserve our ancient ally, in a situation of
the utmost need, from the depth of disgrace and
misfortune into which he has fallen. Don Miguel
is carried back, attended by a British Ambassador.
Conferences took place in London, of which I shall
mention nothing; but the protocols of all those con-
ferences were sent out to the Brazils. Don Pedro
was apprised of all that was done, in consequence of
Don MigueN promises and engagements at Vienna
and in London, and as the effect of the advice of his
allies. Entertaioing no just suspicions, and in con-
sequence of tile appearance of affairs in Portugal, he
dispatched his daughter Donna Maria to Europe, to
complete what had been commenced. I take what
passed to amount to a verbal engagement, of which a
minute was preserved by the Ministers of the great
Powers of Europe, acting in the names of their Go-
vernments, and which wasbinding in faith and honour
upon all of them. I conceive that they acquired the
most- indisputable right to oblige, if necessary, but
at all events to require Don Miguel to desist from
his conduct, and to place the parties deteri ed by de-
ception in the situation they would have occupied.
Don Pedro acted upon the conviction of the nature
and extent of the verbal engagement, and lie sent
his daughter to Europe to be married. Don Miguel
arrived in England in the last days of February,
1828, attended by a British Ambassador—a person
whose previous and subsequent conduct has been
distingnshed by as much skill and sagacity as were,
perhaps, ever displayed in diplomacy. He was at-
tended also by a loan ; and here I will mention
some circumstances connected with these affairs,
that seemed to afford remarkable encouragement to
the friends of the Constitution. Count Villaflor, a
Member of the •Administration at Lisbon, knowing
Don Miguel better than the Cabinet of Vienna, as
soon as he knew that Don Miguel was about to re-
turn to Portugal, procured himself to be appointed
on an embassy to Paris, in order to escape from
the wolf when he should re-enter his den. It was
thought that this circumstance would excite suspi-
cion; and letters were written front Vienna, en-
treating Count
.Villatlor to remain at his post, and
assuring him that Don Miguel would injure nobody.
He was therefore persuaded to continue in Portugal
although he afterwards fortunately escaped. Was
not this, let me ask, an encouragement to the
whole body of the Constitutionalists, and did it not
lead to the conclusion that all parties would be tole-
rated, and none oppressed ? I feel that I ought to
pass over this portion of the subject as quickly as I
can. I need not go over, in detail, all the steps of
this man's usurpation, for they are perfectly well
known. Perhaps the most scandalous and disgusting
of all his perjuries was the oath he appeared to take,
but which he slurred over, in the presence of the
Cortes, and of the whole diplomatic body at Lisbon.
He seemed to swear, but only muttered unintelligible
words; and while he satisfied those whe believed
him sincere, he kept a reserve for his own conscience
when he chose to break through that sacred obliga-
tion. Of all his base perjuries, this was the liasest ;
it arose out of the most paltry cowardice and the
lowest superstition, and it offered the grossest indig-
nity to that sanction he affected to regard. Nothing
more shocking can be conceived thaw -for a Prince
of one of the noblest families of Europe at the mo-
ment of his inauguration to resort to one of those
knavish tricks practised in this country only by the
vilest wretches at the Old Bailey (or said to be
practised by them, for I trust they are slandered), in
hopes at once to cheat their own consciences and
the Searcher of Hearts. Miguel was soon found out
by the leaders of the Constitutional party. During
the month of March, be gave such evident marks of
his determination in the dissolution of the Cortes,
and in the calling of a new Assembly, that he might
• justly be deemed guilty of rebellion against his bro-
ther, and there is no doubt that all the faithful subjects
• of Don Pedro were entitled, nay, bound by their al-
' legiance, to.endeavour to resist the accomplishment
of his treasonable purposes. Nobody, as it seems to
me, can doubt this principle. They owed it to their
loyalty and to their love of liberty to oppose him.
There existed, however, one insurmountable obstacle
—the British troops were not yet removed; and one
instruction to their commander was to guard the per-
son of the Regent of Portugal from all attacks. The
general maxim was non-interference; but an exception
was made in favour of the worst man in Portugal,
who had already waded through so many perjuries
to the very verge of criminal usurpation. I do not
mention this fact as any matter of blame; but I
have no manner of doubt that at that time, but for
the presence of the English troops, the Constitu-
tional party had the means of sending this recreant
brother to the Brazils, to receive the provision the
Emperor Don Pedro might assign, and which, what-
ever it might be, was much beyond his merits. The
Constitution would thus have been preserved until
fresh orders were received from Rio Janeiro. But
the British army was there, and it remained there
for three months, only to make it impossible for the
friends of the Constitution to preserve it from de-
struction. I admit that this course might possibly
be justified on-the principles interchanged between
the Thrones of Europe; but I must say that it was
most unfortunate, and the consequences that at-
tended the evactiation of Portugal were extremely
disastrous. At least it imposed a duty of tenfold
caution on the part of the British Government in
all its subsequent proceedings on this subject. S:r
F. Lamb, acting with the decision and vigour that
became- him, returned the loan ; but time was af-
forded the Usurper and those who were his crea-
tures to remove all loyal officers and troops from the
garrisons, and to supply their place by rebels whom
the British troops had driven out of Portugal six
months before ; and thus, by the influence of the
Priests, Don Miguel succeeded in effecting his usur-
pation. Our forces aided him by their presence
until his power was established, and only quitted
Portugal when liberty was at an end. I argue that
no higher than the point I have stated—l should
tire the House were Ito go into detail of all the cir-
cumstances, and the unfortunate blockade of Oporto
I discussed last year. I shall only say now, that
I lament that the words " Prince Regent of Por-
tugal" were ever used, and that I did not hear last
year, and have not yet heard, why other and more
general terms were not employed. I must also say,
that I do not yet think the proposal to suspend the
blockade until the pleasure of Don Pedro had been
taken so absurd as it was represented. I ought also
to remark, with respect to the events that followed
being taken as a proof of the national sense of Por-
tugal, that all the information I have received from
the best authorities leads me extremely to doubt it.
I believe that much delay was occasioned by the dif-
ferences respecting the Commanders-in-Chief; and
if a body of troops had advanced suddenly from
Coimbra upon Lisbon, it is the opinion of the whole
diploinatie body that no resistance would have been