tuated by sinister and reprehensible views, may seek to excite in the kingdom criminal commotions, perhaps making use of my name to cover their perfidious views. Under these circumstances, and considering the distance which separates me from Portugal, his have thought that it was not only suitable, but absolutely necessary, to express, by the only means in my power, that, far from authori zing, directly or indirectly, any seditious machinations, tending to disturb the tranquillity of our country, I positively declare that nobody respects more than I do the last will of our august father and master; and that I shall always disapprove every thing that shall not be conformable to the dispositions of the decree of the 6th March of the present year, by which his majesty the emperor and king so wisely provided for the public administration, by creating a junta of government for these kingdoms, till his legitimate heir and successor, who is our dear brother and master, the emperor of Brazil, shall have provided for it, as he, in his wisdom, shall see fit. been, on his part, a violation of the constitution of Brazil. Boafer In the event of Don Pedro re solving to sacrifice the crown of Portugal, and btransferring it to one of his children, it was doubtful how far Don Miguel and his ad herents would patiently submit to such an arrangement. They were declared enemies to the separation of the two countries; there was reason to apprehend, that, when Pedro relinquished the throne himself, they would dispute his right to fill it with another; and, at all events, Miguel's elevation to the vacant seat, would be the triumph of their own principles. On his father's death, however, Don Miguel appeared to be most submissive and respectful. When that event happened, he was still resident at Vienna, whither he had been sent as into a kind of honourable relegation, after his attempt against the authority of his father; and, however little the Austrian cabinet might be inclined to give countenance to political changes, by encouraging princes who acknowledged the independence of revolted colonies, they had nothing to gain for her by exciting in- "I beg you, therefore, my ternal discontent in Portugal, or tender sister, in the improbable raising up a competitor to its law- case that any one should dare ful monarch. Accordingly the rashly to abuse my name, to serve answer which Don Miguel re- as a cover to projects subversive nof turned to his sister, on receiving good order, and of the legal existofficially the notification of his ence of the government established brother's accession, while it plainly by him who had the incontestible showed what apprehensions were right to do so, to take care to cause entertained of his own inclinations, to be published and declared, For of the purposes for which a when, how, and where you shall party might employ his name, was please, by virtue of the present frank and satisfactory. Though letter, the just sentiments which the fidelity," said he, which the it contains, which spontaneously Portuguese nation has always ob- emanate from my heart, and are served towards its sovereigns be inspired by the fidelity and respect unalterable, it is, however, possi-due to the memory of the last will ble that evil-minded persons, ac- of our dear father and sovereign." 1 I moved; establishments military, na-i val, and commercial, which had existed for centuries; and allies both able and willing to support his au thority, if he should be so inclined, against any popular encroachments. In Brazil, he was to give steadiness to a throne tottering amid the storms of surrounding revolutions; laws and institutions, a fleet, an army, and a treasury, were to be created; a war already begun, but neither popular nor successful, was to be prosecuted; his subjects were to be jealous colonists, and savage, or half-civilized aborigines; and he was to have for neighbours, not powerful allies, and monarchs who had the same interest with himself, but vigilant, and inimical repub lics. But it was natural for him to desire that, although he could not rule over both countries him self, they should both remain subject to the House of Braganza. The successor whom he might aps point to the throne of Portugal, was not likely to be attacked by any dangerous and Such was the language of Don Miguel on the 6th of April. In the course of a few months a wide spread rebellion was raging in the kingdom, to overturn the succes sion appointed by his "dear brother and master," and place him self upon the throne, without its drawing from him any speedy, or decisive, or public disavowal of the traitors who were levying war in his name against a government to which he had sworn allegiance. of The intelligence of the death of king John reached Rio Janeiro on the 24th of April, the anniversary of the day on which he had embarked from it to return to Portu gall Don Pedro had now before him a choice which on every side was surrounded by difficulties. At first sight it would appear natural that he should prefer the ancient and settled throne of his European monarchy, to a new and unsteady dominion, whose populations were not attached to him by habit, while their national and political prejudices were strongly directed against his native country, competitor: the habits of legiti and whose territory came, on every mate succession were too deeply side, into contact with states the rooted in Europe, and it was too very form of whose government much the interest of all its momade them his enemies, and were narchies to preserve them, to allow incessantly presenting seductive the tranquillity of the legal suc examples to the discontents and cessor of a sovereign who had abantipathies of his own hetero- dicated to be seriously disturbed. geneous provinces. In Europe Brazil, however, was in a very there was prepared for him a crown different situation, and to relinvenerated for its antiquity and re- quish it to reign in Portugal spectable for its strength; a people brought the imminent danger of accustomed to obedience and at- losing it entirely. Of all the colotached to his family; a state of nies which Spain and Portugal had society which had nothing in it to planted in South America, Brazil produce uneasiness, excepting the alone had retained a monarchical remaining traces of a momentary government; and her continued convulsion which half the liberality adherence to monarchical forms he squandered upon the constitu- had been the result, in no small tion of Brazil, if joined with pru- degree, of the presence of the dence, would speedily have re-king and the court during the ན extraneous guese constitution by compelling England to interfere in its defence. The ultra-royalists, with Calomarde, the minister of justice, at their head, undervalued the danger, and silenced every whisper of prudence by pourtraying the horrible consequences of liberal institutions to the Crown and religion of Spain. The duke del' Infantado would seem to have been inclined to the more moderate and the safer course, but found himself unable to resist the united influence of the personal inclinations of the king, and the secret influence of the Apostolics, to whose burning zeal, moderation seemed treachery and indifference. He resigned the ministry of Foreign Affairs in the month of August, and was succeeded in his office by don Manuel Gonzalez Salmon. The Portuguese ambassador directed his applications more particularly to obtain the disarming and dispersing of the rebels, whose numbers had now increased to an alarming extent, in all the frontier provinces, but especially in Gallicia, Valladolid, and Estremadura. The captains-general of these provinces not only opposed no obstacle to their proceedings, but treated them as if both parties had been allies armed in the same cause; supplied them with military stores, and refused nothing that could complete their military organization. The determinations of the Spanish cabinet were more fixed than ever, because some recent events seemed to realize all its apprehensions of destruction from the vicinity of so dangerous a neighbour as a free constitution. The promulgation of the Portuguese charter had ex cited much interest at Madrid, though every expression of satisfaction was prevented by the police; and desertion, still more alarming than those from Portugal, now took place among the troops of Spain. These desertions occurred principally in Gallicia and Estremadura, but were more formidable from the disposition which led to them, than from their extent. It may be well doubted whether they proceeded, in point of fact, from any thing connected with politics. The men no doubt belonged to those troops of the line who had formerly set up the constitution; they were said to have arranged their desertions upon a regular plan, and to have announced to the governors of the Portuguese provinces in which they took refuge, their purpose of aiding Portugal to bring the Spanish government to the adoption of a system of greater moderation; but these latter circumstances were of very doubtful truth; only two officers had joined in the desertion, and no name was even mentioned of sufficient weight to head a plot. The Apostolics, to whom even a public suspicion of political discontent existing in the army was an object of alarm, ascribed the deser tions to the jealousy excited in the army at large by the gay trappings and regular payment of the Royalguards. Probably both reasons operated: an ill-paid, ill-clothed, and ill-fed, soldiery, might expect better treatment in the ranks of their neighbours, and in the politi❤ cal quarrel between Portugal and Spain, they would not doubt but that their services would be thankfully received. But, whatever might be the cause of the desertion, Portugal kept faith most honourably with Spain, and, on her part, at least, honestly fulfilled the obligations in which she was bound by treaty. Spain had been doing every thing to provoke her, and had allowed her refugees, during nearly two months, to assemble under her protection for purposes of invasion; and Portugal would have been perfectly justified in the eyes of all Europe, if she had embodied these deserters, and sent them into Spain, to teach Ferdinand what he had been doing against Portugal. But Portugal, under the restraining advice of Britain, took a nobler course. The moment the regency was informed of the desertions, it disarmed them, and sent them into the interior. The decree of the Spanish government disbanding the regiments to which they had belonged, and holding out to them a conditional pardon if they returned to their duty, was published in the Lisbon Gazette; while the Spanish government refused to allow a similar proclamation of the princess regent to be printed either in the Madrid Gazette, or in the provincial newspapers, lest it should entice stragglers from the rebel standard. The incendiary pro clamations, which were profusely circulated within the Portuguese frontier, and reached even to Lisbon, were openly printed, with out any impediment, in Badajoz and Ciudad Rodrigo. The Portuguese governor of Elvas complained of the abuse to the commandant of Badajoz, and threat ened to retaliate, if it was not put an end to. In such a war of retaliation Spain was sure to be a loser; and yet she seemed determined to provoke it, for no one officer or public authority was censured for whatever he might do or permit in favour of the rebels, and against the constitution. The Spanish people were amused, and the Spanish government pretended to be alarmed, by tales of exiled VOL. LXVIII. Revolutionists, and Liberals from almost every state in Europe, being about to enter the field against Spain, with the countenance and protection of England. There was no truth in these inventions; but, if she dreaded such a danger-and well might she dread it-it was madness to persist in a line of conduct which, if it did not render it inevitable, gave Portugal, beyond all doubt, a full right to produce it. Spain could have had no reason to complain, if Mina had entered her territory at the head of his brother exiles from the frontiers of Portugal, so long as Chaves and Montealegre were invading 'Portugal from Gallicia and Salamanca. In the mean time viscount Cavellas, himself a refugee, and one of the prime leaders in all the plots of the rebels, had taken up his abode for a time in Madrid, where he resided in full communication with the mi-" nistry, supporting the interests and arranging the plans ofhisparty. The presence of a declared rebel to his native sovereign was at best a gratuitous insult to Portugal; and her minister demanded that he should be ordered to leave Madrid. M. Salmon did not hesitate to give assurances that Cavellas would be ordered to leave Madrid, within three days, and Spain within a month; but M. Salmon had not the most distant intention that his assurances should be fulfilled, or if he had, there were stronger influences which counteracted his. At the same time, in the beginning of October, Portugal was invaded by the rebels almost simultaneously in the provinces of Tras os Montes and Algarves; the Spanish minister having promised, on the 3rd of October, that measures would be taken to prevent any further [X] disturbances from the armed refugees. Their success was brief; they were speedily driven back across the frontier; but while they remained in possession of some small towns, they were publicly congratulated by the Spanish au thorities of the neighbourhood, without any expression of disapprobation on the part of the government. This new outrage almost exceeded the bounds of forbearance; and especially as the rebels, after being repulsed into Spain, were received with the same encouragement as before, supplied with the munitions of war, and again prepared for a similar enterprise. The government could no longer pretend ignorance of armies being formed within its territory, and formed for purposes of invasion; it could not but see that these armies had been formed, and these invasions made, under the eyes, and with the connivance, of its own authorities, who had the power, and ought to have had orders, to prevent them: yet not only did it adhere to the same policy, which obstinacy might account for, but, by repeating its assurances that all this had been done without its knowledge, and contrary to its orders, seemed actually to imagine, that, while adhering to that policy, it could still by possibility be believed. The pretext, under which Spain now refused to recognize the Portuguese regency, was her want of information as to the sentiments of Austria and France upon the subject. Of the inclinations of both these powers it was mere trifling to doubt for a moment. Both of them had ac credited ministers at Lisbon; and at Vienna, the Infant don Miguel, whom rebels and Spain had set up as entitled to the crown, had taken the oath to the new constitution, and been solemnly betrothed to the young queen, in obedience to the will of his brother. This last aggression, too, against Portugal, had so completely unveiled the designs of Spain, and the active share which she had borne in hostilities, which but for her assistance could never have been committed, that forbearance could no longer be expected from Portugal, or her allies. Is it consistent," said count Villa Real, in a note to M. Salmon in the end of October, "is it consistent with the interests of the Peninsula, and of Europe, that Portugal should be kept in alarm on account of what may befal her from without? im that, the attention of its government should be withdrawn from the objects of its internal adminis tration; and that it should peded in its progress by the encouragement which the passions, inseparable from changes such as this country has recently undergone, will naturally find in the attitude of Spain? If Portugal has hitherto been able to abstain from taking measures which the duty of her preservation would appear to dictate to her, she has done so only in the confidence which she has placed in the support of her allies. In thus proving her moderation, Portugal has acquired the right of addressing herself to them, without fearing that her appeal will be made in vain." To these and similar remonstrances, Spain replied by palpable evasions and lying assurances. If she intended with good faith to prevent violence against the frontiers, for what reason could she refuse to recognize its government? So long as it was known that she regarded itas an usurpation, it was impossible to hope that her own functionaries |