The letter from Lisbon, o...
The Times, 1824-12-31T00:00:00

The letter from Lisbon, of which we insert an extract, is- full of matt63 for reflection, but our commentary on it shall not be unreasonably long. The recognition of Bra- zil by Portugal would be ail t mAiiegt to both countries; and l1ni, as the frienJ of both, tales an honest patt ;i, pressing. for thiat recognition. But much1 mnore urgent is the duty imxposed upon E3ngland to promote and expedite such a moasure, when we regsrd it in eoil nexion with the general cause of justice to America, and of freedom, peace, and.happiness to the world. If Portugal bows to the independence of Brazil, with what show of decency or common sanity can Spain refuse the same token of respect to her own disboudaged vassals? Stapid as is FEigDYINAND, this c0nsquence stares him itt the face; and he has therefore or4ered-his Envoy at Lisbon -to join whatevcr intrigue hen can instigate or bear of among the dipl.omatists in the pay of despotii m, for averting the much. dreaded example of a recognition by Portugal of the sove- reignty of Brazil. In FnarnDHiNn, this neither surpnses nor provokes us. It is, howxvver, suficiently obvious, that if the acknowledgment of a Bsrzilian sovereignty by Portu- gAl were to bring on, as its natural fruit, a declaration by Spain that her old provinces likewise were to be hence- forth independent, no other Power in the world would have-aright to inpugn the independence thus recognized by those whom it principally affected. All the arbitrary Governments of Europe, therefore,would be, morally speak- ing, compelled to follow the example of Spain and Portu- gal, in reforence to their revolted Coloznies. That is to say, they would be forced to admit in practice a lawful sove- reignty, founded on the resistance of nations to their Kings ; or,in other words,toocognize tlhat prirciple which contains within it the absolute subversion of the! whole creed of legitimaqy from top to bottom. Tlhat M. HYDE, Dm NEUVILLE, therefore, should have run away from Lisbon, when he saw the advances Qf Sir WILLIAM A'CouRT's negotiation, is. not more won- aerful than the paltry remonstrances of the Spaniard; nor, if the Minister of ALEXANDER, that pink of autocracy, was found the chief mover of the intrigues of the House of' BouRBoN,as well as of the treachery ascribed to Sunsra.A and his colleagues, ought we to be a jot more surprized; however we may justly feel provoked at the malignant la- b6urs of this iess than holf-European Court, against the cause of civilization and hurdanity. It may be asked what saterest can Russia have in thus checking on overy side the movomnents of every people to- wards the universal good. The answer is, that Russia has objects apart from the other nations of Europe. As for her entertaining a serious fcXr thather own serfs and semi- ion-usstoo absurdL ALEEANDEt and his Ministers know their empire quite well enough not la recqnfteeid legitimacy abroad from any dread of libety ini Russia; but they have a sober and well-calculated apprehension, that other states mightbecome too ,ree,-that is, too enlightenied and powerfil-to, remain.wtools of tlfe policy of Russia, or patient witnesses of ;her broad and daring arbi. tion. So long as the other States of Europe can -be governed 4y the bayonet in dafiance of opinion, so long will there be occasions for a recourse to the Russian bayonet, and pretoxts for her interference to keep opinion down, and- to make,the addition of a province to her own empire an episode in every general disturbance. In pro. portion as other countries becorne free and intellectual, will they beeome positively strong, and Russia eompa- ratively feeble. Her war against liberty is a braneh of her schemes of aggression-not an expedient of security or self-defence. In this the whole character and action of' her policy are the reverse of those wwhich belong essentially to England. Our country thrives, and values'herself on thriving, tbrough the liberty and prosperity of mankind- there are those who live but to conspire against botli. Disguise it as -we may,. it is England and the human race against the -Holy Alliance-the combat between the good and evil prificiple. Howv, if there be a Providence above iis, ean sucl a coaflict end ?