Vandalia Whig and Illinois intelligencer. [volume] (Vandalia, Ill.) 1832-183?, 1833-08-28
From the New ork Courier and Ei5uirer.
A GLANCE AT EUROPE.


A GLANCE AT EUROPE.
The late news from Europe, hough
not of a character 10 create muci Excite.
ment, is by no means dss itute inter
est. The honest dutch ness ,Will-
lam of Holland, has, 1t would seem, at
length vanquished the High-Contractng
Non Intervention Powers, with their ar
my of Protocols, and driven them from
their strong ground of the Convention of
October, 1882. The independence of
Belgium remains unacknowIedged by the
King OF Holland, and settlement has
been patched up, that leaves all the mate
rial points of collision just where they
were. 1t is evident that the arrangement
is but temporary, and that Doth parties
only wait more favorable crisis to the
dispute.
The lraternal war between Don Pedro
and Don Miguel still continues. 1t is a
war OF old women, who can do little else
than scold and scratch each other; one Of
those wars that may last forever, because
there is neither the means nor the ener
gies to use them, which are essential to a
final issue. 1t is like battle between
two enIaged drunkards, neither of whom
can harm the other much. 1t is difficult
for US at this distance to judge which has
the right side, or whether there is any
right side to the question. All that we
know, or rather hear on the subject, comes
to US through the I1edium of the French
and English presses, and is scarcely to be
relied on for any just conclusion. Which
isthe usurper is no easy matter to decide;
nor is it probably less difficult to predict
which will finally make good his claim to
legitimacy by success. The government
of the United States having, however, es-
tablislied friendly relations with Don Mi
guel, and our commerce being placed on
an advantageous footing with Portugal,
we think upon the whole it would be as
well t" refrain from echoing the language
Of English newspapers denouncing him
as tyrant, monster and usurper. There
is in fact no proof that he is either one or
the other, for if we believe all the Eng
lish press says of Don Miguel, we have
no right to complain, if other nations be-
lieve all it says of US. Whoever has the
legitimate right, whether little Donna Ma.
ria or Don Miguel, it is evident the Por-
tuguese nation is in favor of the latter,
and that is a sufficient claim in the estima-
tion Of republicans.
The Despotisms Of Germany and Prus-
STA seem to be perpetually stretched OH
the rack of fear. The breach of faith
they committed, in denying their people
in the flush of success, what they solemn
ly promised, when they called upon them
to resist the power Of Ma poeon--namely
representative government,-has bro't
with it its reward in its own consequences.
On one hand, it has produced indignation
and disaffecton; on the other, perpetual
jeaousics and perpetual apprehension
> The people cannot forget that it is 10 them
the Emperor owes the preservation of his
Imperial, the Prussian his Kngly crown;
and the two latter cannot feel themselves
safe under the consciousness of breach
Of faith, which has entailed upon them
the i'll will Of their people. Every thing
and every body has become an object OF
fear. The public semanaries of learning
are watched with unrelenting Jealousy,
and the acquisition of knowledge depre-
cialed as the inevitable forerunner of the
downfall of their power. What a. satire
on these old decayed relics of ancient stu
pidity, that they should fear the dissent
nation of that Intelligence which, in the
United States is hailed as the best, the on
ly sure support of the government! Yet
the advocates of Kings affect 10 confound
republicanism with ignorance and barbar-
ity!
In every part Of Europe, indeed we see
rulers afraid of nothing SO much as Of
their own people; while here in this free
country they are looked up to as its only
support. The despots of states and EN-
pires in that quarter of the globe, trem-
BILE at an assemblage of the people, wheth.
er at letes, at religious festivals, at fairs
at weddings or at funerals, as the signal
for instruction and bloodshed. Their
immense armies, which eat out the sub
stance Of the state, are kept up not to re
sist foreign aggression, or maintain the
rights OF the nation, but 10 watch the PEG
ple at home and secure their allegiance
at the point Of the bayonet. In short