Star.
London, England, 1822-10-05 00:00:00

TO TIM EDITY)II OF rme STAit.
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toetsotr, agetmania 24.
Ste—l ans one, I trust, of a • eery great number
still in England, who hive viewed with astonisbnient I
and surprise, the very little attention-Which the Daily
Press of this country has gieen tp tint alias of Pore,
tugal.--We heard of a Revolution having been
effected--we have been informed tisattisiTlng. lia.sl
returned from America to EarOpe,,en cls occasionally,,
when a packet arrives from Lisboa, ire set it stated,
that the Cortes are sitting in that capital t or wei
are sometimes told that a debate has taken place, and
that such and such were the subjects that occupied
the attention of the Representatives of the Portuguese
Nation. Nov, Sir, this is not altogether accidental,
nor does it proceed from the apparently little interest
which you and• your brother Editors take in the
happiness or misery of some millions of our fellow
creature.. With some of you it may be so, but with
others, I think, I have perceived too much of a deter-
mination either to withhold all information, or to
misrepresent that which they could not withhold.
I detest all Ultrairm, whether as Royalists or Li-
berals—the one is calculated to do as much mischief
as the other, and while the Radical Press of this
country has been endeavouring to puff of the pre-
sent state of things as the work of a Party, the Con-
stitutional Papers have been equally in ignorance,
and have never yet viewed the proceedings of the
good and loyal Portuguese with anything of a
-friendly eye—nay, I believe more injury has been
done to Portugal and the Portuguese since the com-
mencement of the reformation in her Constitution
and Government than it is possible to conceive, from
i'e Radical Press of this country characterising the
ezcessary changes and improvements as a revolsitiox,
sad taking her cause, as it were, under their protec-
t:en. The changes that have taken place in Portu-
Fal may be called a Tejo' rmation, if you please, but
tear no resemblance to a revolution; and the im-
provements which have been most happily effected
in the Constitution and Government of the country,
and which, I believe, are now nearly completed, are
such as do honour to the heads as well as the hearts
of t.l.e Pat• lots who, under the guidance and autho-
rity of a truly beloved and patriot King, have dedi-
cated their days and nights, their health and their
comforts, for many months, to the benefit of
fellow-creatures.
Sir, it is with the view of drawing the attention of
my countrymen and of Europe to the labours of the
truly noble and patriotic Cortes of Portugal that I
Lave selected the columns of your independent Paper
as an available means of giving publicity to a series
of letters on the past and present state of Portugal
and her dominions. These letters, Sir, will contain
the sentiments of one who has studied the subject—
s 110 knew Portugal intimately as she was—who his
had many opportunities of.knoeing and appreciating
tt:e Portuguese character—who will yield to no man
:n loyalty and attachment to his own Sovereign and
a nay.-archical form of Government—who detests all
11.1.1:teals and Revolutionists as he does the arch enemy
e; mankind, but who et the same time was satisfied,
iron what he saw in Portugal, that it is impossible
1.: t! e best of men and best of Kings to govern a
country unless his servants are made responsible.—
In the original constitution of barbarous States, abso-
lute monarchy may have beers proper, and I firmly
believe was necessary and beneficial for the people.—
It may still Le proper in the semi-barbarous regions
of Russia, and tAerated in some of the modern king-
doms of Germany; but, when a nation has reached
that degree of civilization and perfection of know-
ledge which it is well known the Portuguese bad
arrived at, in almost every rank of life, it is neither
possible for the very worst tyrant nor profitable for
the best absolute Monarch to govern without respeo-
sible Ministers. I am satisfied that his Most Faithful
Majesty was long aware of this ; and to a Sovereign
oho has SO much at heart the good of his people as
I trust I shall be able to prove King JOHN the Sixth
of Portugal really bas, and who has shewn it en all
occasions from the first moment that his mother's un-
happy state obliged him to take the reins of Go-
vernment into his own hands, a truth so important
would soon force itself upon liii observation. The pecu-
har situation of his MAJESTY, too, for the last fifteen
years, must have rendered this fact still more appa-
-1 rent. Placed at a great distance from his ancient king-
dom, his Meagers was obliged to delegate the SO:
vereign Power to certain of his servants. How often
they et red, even with all the aid of the experience
of Lord Beagsrorto, and the powers of the Duke of
le etaaKorose, and how often it was necessary foe
the good KING to interfere for the benefit of his loyal
and suffering people, I shall not now Stop to inquire.
If tie residence of the KING, whose innate goodness
woeld have no doubt prevented many of the errors
sted abuses that took place, had been nearer, I have
eo doubt the reformation which has taken place
v oeld not yet have been accomplished. The Portu-
,gaese have long been, and still are, proverbially, the
retest loyal people open earth; but the government
.of 3liaisters clothed with absolute power, and con-
s;iered not responsible, was a thing not to be borne
even by the loyal Pei tuguese.
In my letters I shall consider the original Consti-.
tetion of the Portuguese Monarchys-altew how,
abuses actnalle, crept in—to what extent they existed
—the necessity for reformation—the reformation
that bas taken place, and bow wisely and consi-