The news from Portugal, g...
The news from Portugal, given in a part of our impres- sion of yesterday, and this day accompanied by official do. cuments from the EBtraordinary Gazette of Lisbon of the 5th inst., must be looked upon as of no slight importance. IWe do not feel inclined to draw comparisons between the old Portuguese Constitution, now proposed to be re-esta- blished, and the more democratic one recently overturned. It is indeed possible, and perhaps Rot unlikely, that a sys- tem of Government which fell to pieces above 100 years ago, may not present materials fitted, under any circum. stances, for vigorous action or for long duration. But that is not the question now before us. A wickled attempt had just been made to fix a despotism upon the necks of the Portuguese. Has it succeeded? Has the ten- dency of the Court of Lisbon been towards an aggra- vation or a relaxation of the Kingly power ? Do the late events furnish room for an increase of the hopes, or of the fears, by which all friends of rational freedom have of late been agitated when Portugal became the subject of their speculations? The answer is decidedlv favourable. The conspirators were overcome-the King triumphed- and the first use of his triumph is, not to adopt, as others have done, the maxims wlich were employed against himself, but to give up unequivocally all pre- tension to the exercise of that tyranny to which the oc- casion seemed even to invite him-to revive tbose in- stitutions which, whatever an Englishman may tbink of them, the great body of the Portuguese look back to with veneration-and to oppose, if not a perfect, at least a sensible and improvable barrier, against the abuses of his own Royal power. Instead, therefore, of every thing being lost to liberty, much has been gained by this determination of JOHN VI. in favou.r of the ancient Cortes-the repre- sentatives of the Clergy, Lordls, and Commons of the realm. Nor is it quite fair to assume that such an assembly must now be as feeble in its contests with the Crown as during the 17th century. The spread of inquiry among the peo- ple--the quick and eager sympathy betvreen the nation and itsrepresentatives, now that the press has every where, and in spite of all precautions, an effect in rousing and inform- ing the public mind-must be regarded as a weight un- krnown to preceding ages, and helping the preponderancy of the worst constituted legislature oyer the most am- bitious and domineering Court. That the British in- Qluence with the Cabinet of Lisb3n should be at once proved and nourished by every accession to the cause of moderate andi reasonable government, is surely no aisgrace to this free country. England can gain no- thing by any application of her influence at Lisbon which shall not tend to the welfarQ and prosperity of Portugal herself. The enemies of both coantries, and of the comn- moln cause, may console themselves if they think fit, by reading in the French newspapers how civil a reception has been given at the Court of Louis XVIII. to MIGUEL, the ultra-Royalist conspirator, and unnatural usurper of the rights of his indulgent sovereign and father.