Prussian Official Documents relative to the Measures to be taken against the Representatives at the German Diets and the Liberals General Dembinski on the Occupation of Algiers Diplomatic Relations of Russia with the Court of Pekin. Part I. [The importance of the following Despatch on the affairs of Portugal can hardly be fully appreciated without a previous study of the Despatch of Count Pozzo di Borgo to Count Nesselrode, given in the 6th No. of the Portfolio, and which, as being addressed to the Russian Cabinet, may be considered to have expressed its real views with regard to the affairs of the Peninsula. His Excellency, referring in that Despatch "to the chances of "collision between Spain, alarmed, violent, and obstinate, and Por tugal in the revolutionary act," states, "that his fears of a deplorable "result were founded, on the one hand, on the incompatibility of the "interests of the two countries, and on the other, upon the error of "the two Cabinets of England and France -that of England in not "pronouncing itself favourably on the fate of Don Miguel,” &c. The present Despatch is interesting in a different point of view, inasmuch as it was written for communication to the Cabinets of England and France, whose mutual jealousy had been excited by the arrival of their respective armies on the arena of collision which Russian diplomacy had been for many years preparing for them. The interminable complications in which England and France were to be involved, towards each other, towards the countries whose internal dissensions they were to appease, whose external relations they were to determine, have borne their fruits. Our arms, our capital, our sympathies, our interests, were enlisted in an intervention in the West, whereby the attention of Europe was artfully VOL. III.-No. 18. B 2 diverted from watching the progress of Russia to universal dominion, in the East. Her progress has hitherto been triumphant. Three years ago when Sultan Mahmoud invoked our aid to support his throne against a rebel in collusion with Russia, the refusal of England to succour our natural and commercial ally was founded on the fact of the whole of our disposable forces being occupied on the Scheldt and the Tagus. We consider this Despatch as affording one of the best illustrations of the mode in which Russia has for the last half century, in every diplomatic transaction, beguiled us into executing her own ends, inflicting upon us the odium of ruining our own interests, together with the humiliation of not daring to avow our simplicity, and therefore to resent her perfidy. Every secret end that she aimed at in this Despatch was attained; although Sir Frederick Lamb had the sagacity, on the arrival of Don Miguel at Lisbon, to frustrate one object at least of the intrigue, viz. the payment of an English loan to enable the usurper to carry on war against the friends of England and of Portugal.] |