The recent events in Spain and Portugal have been used
by the Tories as an excuse for railing and sneering at the PALMERSTON policy. In the first place, it is assumed that the changes alluded to must be injurious to British interests; and secondly, that Lord PALMERSTON is responsible for them and their bad consequences. But it would be very difficult for the angry and hyper-patriotic persons to prove in what way the people of England have suffered, or are likely to suffer, from the adoption of the Cadiz Constitu- tion by the Spanish Government and nation. Our trade with Spain, such as it is, cannot be diminished thereby ; and as to the holders of Spanish Bonds, their condition cannot be materially the worse for the restoration of MENDIZABAL to the Ministry of
Finance. These remarks apply also to the Portuguese revolu- tion,—a peaceable change in the constitution of the country, which, as far as any thing is known about it, is not likely to pro- duce hostilities with England, or to prevent the shipment of one gallon of port to this country. How, then, does it happen, tha within these few days the sympathies of the Tories for the fallet condition of Great Britain have been so marvellously excited ?
But Louis PiiiLip's treachery is now beyond doubt—every body sees that he has duped Lord PALMERSTON. Perhaps not It is not credible that Lord PALMERSTON should have been the
only person in England unsuspicious of the crafty and notoriously faithless King of the Barricades. But, supposing that it is so, where is the injury to England ? Her honour is not tarnished ; her part of the Quadruple Treaty has been performed ; neither Frenchman, Spaniard, nor Portuguese can complain that there has been foul play on our part. The worst that can be said is, that the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs trusted to the solemn assurances of a King of France, and was deceived. The " mate-
rial" interests of this country are injured as little as her charac-, ter, by the treachery of Louis PHILIP. Our trade with France is not affected by it in the slightest degree. If, however, the late events in the Peninsula should prove in any way disastrous to this country, before blaming Lord PAL- MERSTON, it is incumbent on his assailants to show that he could
have prevented them, or that the Duke of WELLINGTON, had he been lording it in Downing Street, could have prevented them. This remains to be proved: hitherto it has not been made pro- bable. Abuse, founded on the assumption of falsehoods for facts, is the only weapon the Tories have pointed against our Foreign
policy. The truth is, that the success of Lord PALMERSTON in keeping the King of Holland out of Brussels, Don MIGUEL out of Lisbon, and Don CARLOS a fugitive and a rebel, is the real cause of Tory hatred. All these worthies are prime favourites with the Tories of England, though hateful in Belgium, Spain, and Portugal.
