A report was current yest...
The Times, 1824-07-03T00:00:00

A report was current yesterday in tde city of a demand having been transmitted by' t}e King of PORTUGAL, fftr a body of British or Hanoverian troops to defend his Government against his own subjects, and pro,luced, as might be expected, an extraordinary sensation. We will not vouch for the veracity of thle rumour; but, true or false, the case put is one which cannot be dismissed without notice. If, as we are told, the Bri- tish Cabinet have taken any such 'request from King Jo1t1N into' consideration, the 'consideration given, to it is, we trust, for form's 'sake only, aiid for that of cover- ing wvith some tinge of decency, the prompt refusal to meddle, by means of an English army, wiilh the domestic affairs of foreign nations. Ina vwhat does this overture, if it has been made, differ from so man-y former ones from Af o- narebis it1 distress, a compliance with which on the part of other European States has been the themie of end- -less reproach, and the cause of unnuinbered cala- mities ? When FsantNAND of Naples gave his sane- tion to the seizure of his country by the Austrians, tinder pretence of defending his person and his de;potism against the Neapolitan Carbonari, wve believe there was hardly any imaii in this empire, saving Lord LoanoX- sniay and 6ther creatsdres of the Court, who did not ex- claim against Austria for the barbarous tyranny of her ag- gression. Again, 'wheu the -Spanish fiEMIXIAND, only two years ago, was swearing eternal friendship to the Cortes on one side of his mouth, and( on the other bellow- ing to the Tuileries for succ.ur against the Cortes, wlho were louder than the English nati3n,. except inleed the Englishl Ministers, 'in denoutncing 'the' atrocity of a wtar against ar independent nation, for the return to dIepotism of a worthless King? True, it may be said that tlhe King Of PORTUoGAL is an honest Prince, and that thie aid requested of England is for the maintenance, not the over- throw, of a Constitutional- Government. This may sa- tisfy'the conxcienice ot an English reasoner, but will it supply him with argumenti to silence the foreign slanderer of the policy of 'England? If British troop3 are sent' to take part between the King ef POwRTUGAr and his people- that is, for the Kling, and against the people-the merits of the dispute will avail us nothing: the measure is, on the face of 'it, a eounterpart of the march of Austria to Naples-of the Duke D ANGOULvME to CadiZ6 our plea of going to-protect libertv against tyrannly will, in the eyes of the world at large, be nio whit better than the French pre- text of Sul)portiiig law against usurpation and anarchy. Therequest itself of the King of PoivTroAT, will be placed in the same rank wvith the colourable applicationl of FvR- DrNANDa to hiis cousin Louis. Although we send troops to support the King, we shail be charged ith a design to seize the country. We shall confirm, by a British prece- dent, whatever Uas been cited as imost odious in the armeld aggressions of the last 40 years throughoutEurope; and shall .Countenanceb6forehland every' faturewickedrtess undertakei. *by the strong against the we .k, OEn plausible pretences, and to the most shameful purposes. The safe rule is, to meddle not at all by military force With the internal concerns of neighbouring, kingdoms. We way grieve for the sufferings of a worthy man upon a throne -we mnay tremrble for. his danger; but our activity must be confined to fiiendly counsel, and our measures of protection to thl mere ofFer of an asylum, should lie intrust his person to the flag or to the territory of Great Britain. WV .earnestly hope that the King's Ministers may look at this case, not as Englishmen oinly; butinthe-lighitin wvhich it mnust beconteamp!Wtd by foreign Powers, astute in their examination. of our. policy, and in tbhir measurement of. our professions by our con- duct; and, no doubt, anxious to see us entiapped into such .an imitation of their own .policy-, as may forevef after shUt the mouths of our i'4inisters insal cases of siiilaraggrossion.