Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Vol. 70, No. 431, September 1851Various
History
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Vol. 70, No. 431, September 1851
Various
England -- Periodicals; Scotland -- Periodicals
were directed by the governments and press of those two countries.
Insurrections were stirred up in Portugal, volunteers were recruited
abroad, irregular military expeditions were encouraged, loans were
fomented; money-lenders and stock-jobbers were all agog for Pedro,
patriotism, and profit. Orators and newspapers foretold, in glowing
speeches and enthusiastic paragraphs, unbounded prosperity to
Portugal as the sure consequence of the triumph of the revolutionary
party. Rapid progress of civilisation, impartial and economical
administration, increase of commerce, development of the country's
resources, a perfect avalanche of social and political blessings,
were to descend, like manna from heaven, upon the fortunate nation,
so soon as the Liberals obtained the sway of its destinies. It were
beside our purpose here to investigate how it was that, with such
alluring prospects held out to them, the people of Portugal were so
blind to their interests as to supply Don Miguel with men and money,
wherewith to defend himself for five years against the assaults
and intrigues of foreign and domestic enemies. Deprived of support
and encouragement from without, he still held his ground; and the
formation of a quadruple alliance, including the two most powerful
countries in Europe, the enlistment of foreign mercenaries of a
dozen different nations, the entrance of a numerous Spanish army,
were requisite finally to dispossess him of his crown. The anomaly
of the abhorred persecutor and tyrant receiving so much support from
his ill-used subjects, even then struck certain men in this country
whose names stand pretty high upon the list of clear-headed and
experienced politicians, and the Duke of Wellington, Lord Aberdeen,
Sir Robert Peel, Lord Lyndhurst, and others, defended Miguel; but
their arguments, however cogent, were of little avail against the
fierce tide of popular prejudice, unremittingly stimulated by the
declamations of the press. To be brief, in 1834 Don Miguel was
driven from Portugal; and his enemies, put in possession of the
kingdom and all its resources, were at full liberty to realise the
salutary reforms they had announced and promised, and for which they
had professed to fight. On taking the reins of government, they
had everything in their favour; their position was advantageous
and brilliant in the highest degree. They enjoyed the prestige of
a triumph, undisputed authority, powerful foreign protection and
influence. At their disposal was an immense mass of property taken
from the church, as well as the produce of large foreign loans.
Their credit, too, was _then_ unlimited. Lastly--and this was far
from the least of their advantages--they had in their favour the
great discouragement and discontent engendered amongst the partisans
of the Miguelite government, by the numerous and gross blunders
which that government had committed--blunders which contributed
even more to its downfall than did the attacks of its foes, or the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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