PORTUGUESE PATRIOTS.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SPECTATOR.
London, 19th June 1833.
SIR—That Lord A ISERDEEN, Lord PA LM E RSTON, &C. &C., W110 have always, found in the person of t he Marquis of PA LIMEL LA a flexible instrument to rule, at their pleasure, the destinies of my unfortunate country—that the Globe, the Sun, &c., influenced, as well as the Times, many years since, by all the diplomatitte who have represented the court of Lisbon at London—that, finally, some stock- jobbers, protected in their transactioes by that noble Marquis, may join altogether to recommend the merits of that nobleman, I am by 110 means surprised : I know their motives. But I am at a loss, Mr. Editor, I cannot conceive how a.
journal so independent, so valuahle as the Spectator, many also, and, I dare say, without examination, join in such a chorus ; and declare, moreover, " That the Marquis of PA LNI EL I. A is the only man in the service of Don PEDRO [1 beg to say, of Dorms MARIA], on whose honour the least reliance may be placed." I confess, Mr. Editor, that I feel 'myself ashamed of being a Portuguese ; and even more, of having seer ificed my life, my fortune, and my family, to a cause, to a party, where no other man of honour is to be found, but the Marquis of PA LMELL A ! I thought that the cause of the Queen Donna .1Ie us is-as supported by a great number of gentlemen, at least as respectable, and, perhaps, of more consequence than the Marquis. Such as Generale SArmranins, STUBBS, CA BREI ILA, PIZARRO, &C. : such ilS the distin- guished magistrates and lawyers, ALMEIDA, Rout A Lou REIRA PA ssos, Ste. t such as the venerable and honest Meerseocut, LIRERATO FREIRE, and many others, who fought with the swool and with the pen thirteen years since, to as- sert their rights, and to give their country those institutions against which thb Marquis of PA LMELLA intrigued in the year 1623, as well as in 1827. Bute Mr. Editor, you pass sentence upon them all, and reduce a hundred thousand persons, fighting or suffering at Oporto for the Queen and for the Constitutiou? to have no other man of honour among them but the Marquis of Pntareane ! It is not my intention to vituperate the Marquis of PA LMELLA in his absence; but I beg to say, that a man who has been distrusted by all parties, exiled bly the Liberals, by the Absolutists, dismissed by Don Primo, &e has not eis great influence in Portugal as you seem to believe: he has none, depend on my word. That you may see that my opinion is not singular, I beg to enclose two letters, to show that the noble Marquis is not so esteemed by his own countrye men as in England. I hope, Mr. Editor, you will be more generous and kind than the editors of some Daily Papers, who never consent to take notice of any observation contrary to their hicubrations on the affairs of Portugal.
I remain, Sir, your respectfultrervant, M. G. C.
[We never meant to insinuate that the Marquis of PA LHELLA was the only honest or respectable man among the Pedroites ; but the base plotting against SOME NA C, and other intrigues in the little court of Oporto, prove cleatijr enough the rascality of some of Don PEDRO'S recent advisers; and our remark)) had reference to the influential persons in his Cabinet, not to the volunteers in Iris army and navy, or to the subordinates in the expedition generally,—many of whom are, in all probability, honest and independent men enough. As to the Marquis himself, we do not feel inclined to contradict the assertions of our cor- respondent, who, it is very likely, knows much more about him than ourselves.. but we think we cannot he wrong in reasserting, that he stands incomparably, higher in European estimation than any other Portuguese gentleman in the ext. pedition ; and we should regret to add him to the list of the unworthy, though possibly he ought to be placed therm—Era]
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