The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1833-07-26 00:00:00

SONNET.

There is an hour in which I think of thee.
'Tis when the daylight fades upon the flowers,
And the moon dawns upon the evening hours.
And nature smiles in soft tranquillity.
'Tis a sweet hour ; for then the sighing wind,
With dirge-like music lulls the world to rest ;
More plaintive sings the bird upon her nest,
And all seems blessed ; then I call to mind
Thy gentle virtues, and the scenes beloved
Which we together trod, and like a dream
Most passing beautiful do those days seem,
Of confidence serene, and faith approved.
Alas! even like the bright and sunny day,
Have those delightful scenes all passed away !

THE PILOT THAT GATHERED THE STORM:

A PARODY, BY GAFFER GREY.

Cease rude AGE, relentless railer,
List ye Whiggites all to me,
Quack-mates. heat the prime State-Tailor
Sing the March of Anarchy!
From blest Reform first put in motion.
With gulling promise, tricks and lies,
Till swelling, like the troubled Ocean,
The people's gather'd furies rise.
"Hark I" the Chancellor cries, " We're falling—
By power, and pay, and dupery, stand :
Since bullying fails, let's take to crawling,
The Tories have the higher hand :
Curses freshen—sad disgraces ;
Threaten, shame, and oterthrow ;
Luff, boys, luff, don't make wry faces ;
Trim, or we must quickly go."
Now all you in malice sporting,
With our nom plus and alarms,
Thank your stars you've not been courting
Whiggish spoils and Pension's charms.
Round us roars the tempest louder,
Think what fear the mind enthrals,
Tories sneer—the mob swears harder ;
Now again the Chancellor calls.
"Give half our Church-schemes to the wind, boys,
Assessed Taxes take your course ;
The Local Court Bill's Burked—don't mind, boys,
The dreadful loss of place were worse.
A golden triumph let the Bank get;
From Bums and jaili set ourselves clear;
'Gainst India's future good our face set:
Live froth and humbug! Cheer, lads, cheer!"
Now the public voice is roaring,
The rabble muster—parties clash ;
Blood, thank heaven, will soon be pouring,
The lights of Revolution flash;
A reign of terror springs around us,
Peace and wealth from England tly,
Unions, arm'd for crime, surround us ;
Hark ! what means that dreadful cry ?
Why Ireland's gone! cries ev'ry tongue out—
CeCosNett strikes at Britain s neck
Revolt amongst ourselves has sprung out—
Poor old England falls a wreck :
Prepare to cut her sons to pieces—
Come, precious Whigs, be stout and hold;
Each day we rule the ill increases—
The Whigs in place, Britannia's sold.
While o'er the realm the storm is heating,
Our knavish plots we yet must mourn ;
From ruin there is no retreating,
To good repute there's no return ;
The crisis still is gaining on us—
How escape the final row?
Have mercy, Satan, here upon us,
For only he will have us now.
Self-int'rest+s our promised land, boys,
All remorse o'erboard be thrown ;
To the work come ev'ry hand, boys,
See, the Constitution's gone
it can't go to the devil more fast;
"Five la Republique !" ever more ;
Hoist tricolor to the foremast—
'Tis done! 'tis done !—our task is o'er!
Now upon the fruits we're thinking,
Glad the rope has spared our lives ;
We sold a nation without shrinking—
Drink health to the "Rogue that thrives!"
Fill the cann—ahout, Whigs, wheel it,
Close to the lips a brimmer join ;
Poor England's done and damn'd—who feels it?
So, ALTITORP, pr'ythee, pass the winel—Acs.

CHARACTER OF THE MARQUIS PALMELLA.
(From Colonel Hodges' Narrative.)

One fact is worth a thousa.id conjectures or assertions. The
Marquis of Palmella, by his fidelity to the constitutional in-
terests of his country, has lost fortune and influence,—nay, has
almost sacrificed the means of subsistence for himself and a
numerous family. I should not, however, be pursuing the
course of an impartial recorder, were I not to admit that the
Marquis has been by many persons held to be deficient in that
degree of energy required for an efficient part during a great
national crisis. A strong and determined self-reliance, and a
vigorous assertion of his own superiority, however called for by
by the arduous position in which he was placed, were per-
haps rendered peculiarly difficult of exercise in his case by
those habits of amenity and gentle deportment acquired by
him in the diplomatic circles where he had so long figured.
Under the continued influence of those amiable habits, he was
unfortunately too reluctant to assume the altered tone and
bearing which were demanded in order to repress the efforts of
those intriguers who beset his path. That kind of modesty
cannot be wholly sympathized with, which, under any circum-
stances, allows inferior minds to take the lead, when a great
principle, or the vital interests of a whole people, are at stake.
It has been said by Talley-rand, that Palmella's greatest
misfortune is that of his haying been born the member of a
small state; for that if he had been a native of England or
France, he would have attained extensive influence by the in-
genuity of designs which would then have had a full and fair
field for developement.
It was not till the 9th of February (the day before our sail-
ing) that the Marquis was able to join us on board the frigate.
There he seemed, as regarded his own countrymen, to stand
alone, and to have no friend or partisan among the Emperor's
suite--he, who was the only master-mind of them all. The
first day, the Emperor's coldness and indifference to him were
visible to every one. Ile was seated opposite to his Majesty at
dinner, yet hardly a word passed between them. The Marquis
partook, however, in such general conversation as occurred.
On this, as on subsequent occasions, the Emperor addressed
himself principally to his doctor, confessor, or chamberlain,
with whom he at all times and seasons threw off all reserve :
indeed, I was often surprised at the familiarity, even to practical
jokes. which he was pleased to exercise towards them * * •
Of the public qualifications of the Marquis of Palmella I have
already ventured to express some opinion. From the known
tenor of the politiCal views antecedently manifested by that
accomplished individual, considerable surprise was excited in
'the minds of those versed in Portuguese politics, by finding his
name, as minister for foreign affairs, associated with the moure-
inset party, as it was and called. This surprise was aug-
mented by the recollection of the emperor's personal coldness
towards him. But the true explanation of the mystery was to
be found in the fact, that the well-merited consideratiori lie was
held in by all foreign powers, rendered him indispensable as a
partner in any ministry that might be formed by Dom Pedro
at, that juncture : negotiation was all but impracticable without
him. This is no hypothetical assertion; it is a truth which
experience has demonstrated, and which every day of political
struggle in the Peninsula will probably go further to establish.
It should not have been forgotten, too, on the occasion to which
I allude, that the marquis had been for nearly three years the
established president of the regency of the Azores; and that he
had on the side of his claims the Count de Villa Flor, a tried
and faithful officer at the head of the army, and next in impor-
tance to himself in the government of that regency. Moreover,
the great sacrifices which the marquis had made rand to which
I have before alluded) in support of the cause of the young
Queen, afforded the most ample assurance as to the sincerity of
his zeal; and I do fully believe that he had, and has it at heart,
to emancipate his country from the existing slavery, and to
restore her to that rank, in relation to other nations, for which
it is his duty, as a statesman and a Portuguese, to labour. But
the sacrifices mr.de, and the good intentions cherished by the
marquis, would have had, there is little reason to doubt, a far
more beneficial effect for hie country, if he had firmly declined,
as he declared he wouldylaking office with any other persons
than those whom he might himself be allowed to name. A
course of this independent nature might have been taken by
him without fear of the emperor's power to resist it. Palmella
was both callesi on and entitled to be firm in the assertion of his
own plans and wishes, by his 'necessary conviction of Dom
PedroN irseapaeity (through his long ab-senee from Portugal)
to decide on the persons most fitted to he his guides in the (tiff],
cast 4nd, precarious course before lion.