THE •PORTUG l' ESE QUARREL.
TO THE anrrout or THE SPECTATOR.
L1111,1011. tr,th September IS:33.
St it—Obset ving that many generous friends to the cause of the Queen of Portugal art in rather di,ippointed at seeing the illignelite troops stand yet
Dom Do r Er., in spite of the repeated seeing they have met with since the .1r It 115ich last. I beg to address to you some observations which, I believe, wilt folly account fur that unexpected firmness. When Dom PEDUO Costumed, most impolitically-, the title of Duke of BanciaszA' —when he called to his council the very same men who led againstiPurtug.al the invading army of General MASSENA,—when he, influenced by his Brazilian minions, rejected the services and insulted the feelings and loyalty of a great number of officers • and influential emigrants, by abandoning them disdainfully in France, England, - and Belgium,—when he dismissed the Regency of Terceira in a manner rather eheraleresque,—when lie, filially, and after the most .unjustifiable delay, sailed from Terceira with an army lie neglected to augment, as he ought and could, presumptuously believing, as Colonel HoncEs remarks, that his presence only would suffice to conquer the kingdom of Portugal,—then, Mr. Editor, I beg to remind you, a great number of refugees raised their voices to make Dorn PEDRO understand that with such a council, with a plan founded upon perfi- dious misstatements, and without cruise effective reinforcements added, at once, to the brave and faithful division of Terceira, he would never be able either to terrify the partisans of Dom MIGUEL, nor encourage and inspire confidence in the Constitutionalists living under the yoke of the t'surper. Deceived and flattered by some Afrancesados, collusively concerted with the same favourites who ruined him in the Brazils, Dom PEDRO would not believe (as it was said, writtemand printed) that the presence of Mr. CANDIDO JOZE XAVIER, AGOSTINII0 Jozn ..k1LEIRE, Mid JOZE DA SILVA CARVALHO in his Council and Ministry, was uteri; sufficient to estrang.e front him' not only the Ariguelites of every description, but even the true and IndependentConstitu- tionalists, who knew the infatuation and arrii:re pence e of all those in power and favour with that ill-advised Prince.
Events, Mr. Editor, have more than justified those unfortunate predictions.
Colonel HonGrs's narrative—the declarations of the French General SoLIGNAC —the representation, lately printed, addressed to Dom name at Oporto, pur- porting an essay of future accusation against his Ministers—the pamphlets of Colonel Piz.. ram, disclosing. the polities and behaviour of Dom Pimao's Minis- ters—all these documents, independently of many articles in the Daily Press, bear witness to the incapacity, discredit, and erronconsconduct of Dom I'anao's councillors. Bitt, iii spite of all this, Dorn PEDRO, Willa to experience, and deaf to remonstrance, as he did in the Brazils, stands yet by the same men, only becaum; they support him in his pretensions of being Regent of Portugal; though the Constitutional Charter, artic!e 92t1. be against hint. It is this ob- stinacy of Dom PEDRO, his partiality fbr such men, that forces, in consequence of inveterate hatreds, a great number of influential men in Portugal to stand to this day by Dom 1111GCEL. A rid take notice, Mr. Editor, and you will ob- serve, that no Miguelite of any importance will abandon the Usurper while Mr. C. .I. XAVIER, FRE and !: VA LII0e0liti1Die in the Ministry. For it is well known in Portugal. that many 1,oblemen, officers, Cc., who now fight in the ranks of DornAliG cr.r.., would have abandoned him had they not been ashamed of yielding to the same men who led the French against Portugal. This is a mere prejudice, you mav say; but being that of many thousand men of property, who haul their estates laid waste by the French invasions, ought to be respected. To conclude, Mr. Editor, Dom PEDRO will keep Lisbon, I am quite sure; lie will keep Oporto, where the gallant General Syr nes is popular enough to raise a new army to defend it; he will keep Faro, Peniche, &c. ; but Dsm MinuEr, will have an army as long as the nobility, the landed proprietors, and the clergy (the clergy have a great deal less influence than the two former classes, what- ever some superficial correspondents may say to the contrary) will stand by him; and they will not abandon him while Dom REnno continues to be surrounded by the same minions who induced him to revolt against his father, to ruin Por- tuguese commerce, and to suffer the unprotected Portuguese to be spoiled and murdered in •the Brazils for many years successively.
I-have the honour of remaining, Mr. Editor, your obedient servant, J. F. B. C.
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