622 Affairs in General. [ Dec. 
holding a rod in terrorem, and pouncing upon the offending party, to 
flog him for fighting, or—what was surely more rational, because more 
effective—by separating the combatants at once, and compelling them to 
an understanding and terms? The French are obviously inclined to the 
latter course, and we to the former ; but we—we, the individual—go 
entirely with the French, for there is decision with them, and something 
like a tending to conclusion. On our scheme, we might go on on for 
twenty years, and be just where we were at the beginning ; but then we 
shoul be able to employ those who are importunate for employment— 
and that is all consistent enough with our policy, domestic and foreign. 
The French, we are persuaded, will not long consent to keep in this 
lingering, vacillating course. War must soon burst forth between France 
and Turkey, or a compromise between Turkey and her old subjects 
be brought about. 
Of our other foreign relations, Portugal still presents nothing decisive. 
Miguel is apparently consolidating his power and party ; and we have 
no doubt at all, he has not only the numerical majority of the country, 
but of the influential part of it, with him. Not only the nobles, the 
clergy, the military, but all, save and except what may be termed the 
English interest, and a few political philosophers, who hope to profit by 
the change, and are restless and fretful, because they cannot carry all 
their own way. Pedro is manifestly unpopular with his countrymen— 
he is, first, identified with the constitution which they abominate ; he 
has, next, done his best to degrade Portugal into a province ; and, finally, 
attempted to impose a sovereign whom they do not want—three very 
unwelcome facts to the sober and substantial part of the Portuguese. 
Miguel is avowedly the patron of old times and old ways, and is warmly 
seconded by all who have any thing to lose—certainly by all the wealth- 
iest and most powerful, who cannot, with any toleration, look upon the 
Brazils as their superiors, or even their equals. Pedro has got into a 
puzzle; he has been duped by his Brazilian courtiers into the belief 
that he could dispose of Portugal as he pleased ; they have taught him 
to suppose the constitution was desired by a very strong party, which, if 
they were indulged in their wishes, would, in common gratitude, be 
bound by such an act to the maintenance of his daughter’s rights; and 
he was not insensible, it may be inferred, to the glory of conferring upon 
his daughter a crown which he could not himself retain. 
He has himself no forces at his disposal, or at least no resources to 
maintain them; and cannot, therefore, dream of a distant expedition to 
enforce what he chooses to call his daughter’s rights. He has done 
infinite mischief, it must be confessed, by this foolish act of consigning 
to her the queenship ; the poor young lady will always be a rallying- 
point for the disaffected and ambitious, and the evils of a disputed suc- 
cession be thus entailed upon the nation for her life, and perhaps longer. 
If Pedro was really disposed to resign the crown of Portugal, or found 
he could no longer retain it unless he returned—which we conclude was 
the case ;—if he could not retain both crowns, it was wise to resign one— 
the choice was with him; but then he should have left the other to the 
disposal of the Cortes, and not have intrigued with other nations, and 
tempted an English orator with the bait of a constitution, to get him to 
enforce it with English bayonets. Left to their own inclinations, the 
Portuguese would certainly have taken Miguel at once, and legitimated 
his right by the best of all sanctions. For our own parts, Miguel appears 
