Star.
London, England, 1829-12-28 00:00:00

deliver the people of Puerto Rico snd Cubs from thel
yoke, which is so emphstioallyasseribed by 40411tairla
Correspondent from Bogota.

" Them is information tide snersdag in thsCity,lesight
by the Havaansh Packet to OA:, that Bouvai was
preparing an expedition spinet Puerto Rico.*

- -
In • second Edition of the Messages des Chambres of
Friday, (see our first page) it is stated that the Apostolic
Courts ere thrown into consternation by the approach-
ing marriage of the Brother of the young Empress, with
her Majesty DoNsi MARIA. We have little doubt but
that such a project is on the tapir,--at all events,
* more eligible alliance could not be formed. Such a
marriage could not fail to exercise an immediate and be-
neficial influence on the fate of Portugal. The King of Ba-
iaria is at once the most enlightened and liberal Sovereign
of Europe. It is not likely that the benefactor of Greece
will look unmoved at the sufferings of Portugal; while
it is satisfactory to know, that he possesses, in an im-
mense private fortune, ample means of meeting any ex-
penses which would attend the restoration of the
Quczn. If an auxiliary corps should be wanted,
there is no part of Europe where better officers or braver
could be found than in Bavaria.

troops

We sincerely hope the following report, just received
from the City, may be confirmed by subsequent intel-
ligence. Notwithstanding the lesson just experienced
by the Court of Madrid at Tampico, we should not be
at all surprised (for nothing is too extravagant or
absurd for the advisers of Ftuninxia)• if 'die troops
stated to be preparing at various. points of the Penin-
Zola, by our Cadis Correspondent, were destined for
Puerto Rico, with the ulterior project of attacking
some part of Venezuela. Here we would again
call the particular attention of our readers to the
fourth letter of MZXICA 11 VS, which appeared in the,
Swan of Thursday last, and in which some valuable hints
will we found on this subject. Now that there can be no
longer any doubt that Spain intends to make Cuba and
Puerto Rico the fulcrum of her attacks on the New
States, it is sorely high time that the latter should com-
bine for their common safety and defence. We cannot
imagine that Ministers will throw any farther impedi-
rents in the way of measures as just as they are news-
. may. On the other hand, would it not be politic and
highly advantageous to British interests, were they at
once to .tell Spain; as we suggested six weeks ago,
" England a determined to- form a close alliance with
Mexico gad.. Columbia, and.she cannot render you a
grde,ter service than by -insisting that you send
no more Quixotic expeditions *Out either of
tbsee Statie."—This is what lute rest eat small
policy dictate. We shell watch very eldsely tie *progress I
of evestsi and hi the mesa time we, offer up Oar *axiom
prefer for the success sof say eaterpriee oak** to

•

Several of our iontempotaries, with *Dom it is
honourable to be found in unison—the Examiner ape-
daily, and the Morning Chronicle—have come round to
the conviction txpreneml by us months ago, that the
rsinsults,neotts attacks on the .Press lb France Mid;
land hams been the rest4of 4'convert pion between the
"ettnifinietiiliAl6/6Wielai tl. •
This concert between the Duke 'of WlFLuisTox
and
Prince POLIONAC was affirmed by us, first bsfore all 007
contemporaries, and we were followed in that affimisititit
by the News and Examiner of the Sunday following.
As we have mentioned the Chronicle to-day, as coin-
ciding in this opinion, it is proper to say that he Tither
acquiesces in the probability of certain statements made
by the Examiner, than confirms them by his direct
went : it is enough, however, that be acknowledges the
collusion to be probable.' For our parts, we hive not
doubted it from the beginning. Ministers like these,
who are secretly conscious of their -own arbitrary pre-
dilections, and who have laid down to themselves a sys-
tem is coerce' and overawe—rather than bend before,
and accommodate themselves to—the spirit of public
opinion, cannot be friendly to a public press. If is not
in the nature of things. At this moment, the great
struggle in Europe is between Cabinets banded to re-
press, and. people determined to be free. Let it not be
imegtaid that the KING of the NZTIIIIILA his
itZed tyrant .4 M once, without accomplices in the
ochre,* ler vision. His decree against the Belgic
WOOD ally one of the many " wheels within wheels,"
'ln the great league to keep down the freedom of na-
-1 Isms: if Sir CHARM'S BAOOT would faithfully answer
hsterrogatories, be could disclose many secrets of the
se..Viewed, then, in reference to this extensive con-
federacy of power against opinion, the prosecutions
which have been just pressed with such severity against
the Morning Journal assume an importance, and a deep
interest, which few triali—even on ex-officio indictments
—have possessed. It is not, in fact, the Morning
Journal, but the razes, which is the object of attack :
B is an experiment on that mighty engine of opinion,
made through the sides of our contemporary—and as it
shall produce the signs of submission, or resistance,
it will be followed up, or relaxed by the experimenters.
We remarked a few days ago, that the alacrity with
which these extraordinary verdicts were conceded to the
sophistical and bombastic declamations of the ATTORNEY..
GenEZAL, was among the saddest proofs of the prow
tration of the national spirit. In all that the Right
Honourable and Leaned Placeman urged, there. MS
not one shadow of argument—one inch of approxi-
mation to the conclusions at which he jumped—
and which any Juror making use of his natural common
sense, and independent spirit, ought not to Jtive instan-
taneously and indignantly rejected. By what magic—
employing at once such fury and such sycophancy
as he did—Sir J•uns SC A RLETT succeeded in
so obfuscating the intellect of his listeners, as to obtain
the convictions that resulted, we are really at a lees
to understand : all that we know and repeat, is—
that the fact is truly humbling to contemplate. When
power wishes to domineer and repress, it is a common
practice with the instruments of it to mask the
meditated invasion under the specious show of a
love of order : but order—in these instances—means
nothing but the blind submission of the people to the
will of those who rule them. Sir Jm xis says that It
is a crime to write any thing, having a tendency to bring
the KING'S Government into contempt—that is, having
a tendency to show Ministers in their true colours,
'whenever those true colours may happen to
expose vices and deformity in the Government.
This is ir monstrous doctrine, and may be still fit enough
Ito inculcate in Algiers or Turkey, but it can no Linger be
I enjoined here, without great risk to those who teach it.
It would go to overturn—not by degrees, but " at one
fell swoop"—all the liberties which the Constitution
secures to the subject : since it is plain, if the freedom to
remonstrate against ministerial encroachment were inter-
dicted, ministerial encroachment would swallow up all
the rights and privileges that now stand in its way. The
TRIAL IT JURT.-11 it affects criminal justice—might,
perhaps, even in such circumstances, remain : but in its
relation to political trials—that relation alone, in
which it has been designated the Pallariket of,Oltr
rights-4t would be ceremonial merely, and inef-
fective. On what an abyss that grand bulwark of
the Constitution stands—how near it approximates to so
shadowy and depreciable a formality—we are almost
afraid of saying. The Noble Duke has indeed made
gigantic strides ;it is for us to arrest him—for sure we
are, that he will not stop of his own accord.
We would impress, particularly, on the minds of all
future Juries, in any prosecutions which the Govern-
ment may yet institute, that the cant about bringing the
KING'S Ministers " into contempt," is deserving only of
" their supremest scorn ; and that the hired instrument
of oppression, who besets them with such unconsti-
tutional language, is himself the only object of " con-
tempt" with which they have to deal. The liberties of
the people are in the hands of Josses, even more than
in the laws or charters: let juries, therefore, as they
love their country, be watchful of the inestimable trust.
We direct attention to a short leter signed HAMPDZW,
in another column. It emanates from a quarter which
hes always commanded respect from um—a quarter,
indeed. to which we look with - high expec-
tation in the coming crisis. If any ens circumstance
more than another is calCulated to rouse the Pans into
combination, it is the contemplation of an apostate