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    A REPARTITION OF EUROPE.

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    still leads to the complimentary request for her assent to the arrangements already determined upon . Spain , long as lifeless , has never passed from the European gaze . The world , which cared little about its policy , has been interested in , the conduct of its -niters , and has been alternatelyamused and indignant atj but always greedy to hear about , the scandalous vagaries of the faithful Christina and the pious Isabella . The sovereigns of Portugal have led a duller and more decorous life ; the " interesting events " by which Donna Maeia kept on diminishing the prospects of Don Miguel being almost the only news we heard for many years of the Court of Lisbon .

    Portugal is the precocious child of the modern family of nations . Whilst races older and stronger were still in their infancy , Portugal had developed a vigour and a daring which were rewarded by noble prizes . What were France and England , the now leading powers of Europe—so far , at least , as their marine and commerce—when Portuguese navigators discovered and took possession of Madeira and the Azores , and added " Lord of Guinea" to the titles of their sovereign ? What were they at that later period , when Vascode Gama found the way to India , and claimed for his king not only the whole east of Africa , but the sovereignty of all the Indian seas ? What were they—great as had been their growth in a short space of time—when , at a still later date , Brazil was added to the Portuguese dominions , and Spain alone rivalled in extent of empire its diminutive neighbour ?

    It was a brief but a glorious period . In a little more than a hundred years the sun of Portugal rose and set . With Sebastian ' s wild crusade , the glory of Portugal departed . Little real profit as Spain gamed by the annexation , she had at least the satisfaction of completely maiming her prey before she . gave . it up . The subjection of the Portuguese colonies to the Spanish crown was a godsend to the Dutch . What Portugal , defending her own , might have retained , Spain , already . embarrassed with an empire so much more wealthy , could not protect . When , therefore , Portugal resumed her nationallife , after her sixty years' bondage , she found all her pretensions to exclusive domination in India prao tically put an end to , and eager enterprising commercial rivals almost every where . The semblance of the power remained long after . She still retained vast tracts of the earth , which , if they yielded

    nothing else , gave what was then deemed the most valuable of all productions—gold , and to get that other nations were willing to court her favour . But the beginning of the century shook the last flowers off her old wreath , and the House ^ of Braganza now ranks amongst the secondary reigning families of Europe . Tt succeeded to a decaying heritage , and was unable to restore it . The powei and life of Portugal were exhausted in a too early development , and the nations which in their then poverty and backwardness envied her wealth and glory , and upon which she scornfully looked down , now treat her with contemptuous courtesy .

    Fallen and enfeebled as she is , Portugal yet , however * retains a large portion , in mere extent , of her old possessions . Her wealthier colonies have thrown off her yoke , and , ^ thanks to the severance of a connection which repressed their growth , are flourishing ; but she still holds nearly all she ever held in Africa , and still piu-sues there that narrow , monopolising policy which , has been one great cause of her decay . Although hey sovereignty both on the East and West coast is rather nominal than real , it is quite sufficient to prevent the development of the commerce , and thus to stay the civilization , of Africa . The other Powers pf Europe have recognised the sovereignty of Portugal over these

    territories , in which it really has but a few small pasta , and caraiot , therefore , well interfere with the jealous policy by which a nation with little orno commerce of its own hinders other countries from turning to account the resources of a continent rich in commodities of the greatest importance to the industry of Europe . The value of these possessions to Portugal herself can be but srriall . Their great use is to give the members of certain influential families the menns of accumulating fortunes by breaking the laws the observance of which they arc nominally sent out to secure . Portugal has professedly suppressed the slave-trade , in its colonies , whilst preserving slavery itself for a limited period j but

    it is notorious that the Portuguese Officials on both coasts of Africa ongage in the slave-trade themselves , nnd , especially with a view to the maintenance of facilities for carrying it on , throw every obstacle in the way of legitimate trade . The Government at home knows well that this ia the case , and is , therefore , responsible for their misdeeds . This is not a matter of small importance . Put aside for a moment any indignation at the manner in which oil the efforts of this nation for the suppression of the slave-tyrado oro thus thwarted j leave out of consideration the capabilities of those colonies for the production of cotton and other commodities of value to the whole world , the immediate interests of British subjects are seriously injured by tliis abominable policy of the I ' ortugueso

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    IN the . present perturbed state of continental politics , run view of territorial and dynastic changes in several European States , it is interesting to open a page of history perhaps less familiarly known than some others to the general reader , and find a confirmation of the fact that the events offco-day are but the offspringof those of yesterday—the progenitors of those of to-morrow . Two centuries and a half ago the powerful French monarch Henry IV . conceived , and in conjunction with our English sovereign , Queen Elizabeth , sought to carry out , a vast and important project for the redivision of the States of Europe . To restrain Austrian tyranny and aggression , and cuxbail the extent of the Austrian dominions , to liberate the Italian Peninsula from the yoke of the foreigner , reduce

    the number of Italian States , and unite them in a confederation under the presidency of the Pope , were among the designs nourished by Henry , and which formed part of the plan in questipn . The first eleven years of Henry ' s reign were passed m continual warfare , either civil or foreign . But the great king's genius overcame every obstacle , and at the opening of the seventeenth century he found himself seated upon his throne in tranquillity and security . Then ifc was that he began to think seriously of carrying put the grand and magnificent project upon which hia mind bad dwelt for ten yeara past . Having reduced it to a regular plan , and calculated all its elements of success , he comraunicatedit to his ftutliful minister , Maximilian de Kosny , afterwards Due de Sully . "I remember , " says he in hia M&moires ( livre sxx . ) , " that when for the first time I heard the king speak of a political system by means of which Europe was tp be redivided and governed like one family , I paid that he in

    little attention to the prince , imagining spoke only jest , or that he desired to gain credit for appearing to think more deeply and accurately upon politics than men in general . My answer was half in . a tone of badinage , half complimentary , and Henry proceeded no further on that occasion . He has since frequently confessed that he . long concealed from me what was passing , m his mind from the reluctance men feel to propound ideas which may appear ridiculous or incapable of realization . " But when Henry fully developed his plan the vast mind of Sully instantly penetrated its wisdom , and he gave his unqualified admiration and approbation . The cliiot ondsoi the project were professedly to render-all Christian nations independent , and unite thorn in a federal society which should render war rare , if not impossible . As a foundation for this state of thing's Henry considered it necessary first of all to humble the House ot Austria , whoso powerful preponderant threatened all Jiiuropo . Hnngary > Bohemift , and » great part of Germany yielded subjection

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    Government . Our colony of Natal , for instance , could cany on a mutually profitable trade with the whole of Eastern Africa , and enterprising individuals have attempted it , but the Portuguese Officials have prevented them ,, and , dpg in the manger-like , will neither carry on legitimate commerce themselves , nor let others do so . A sad contrast to the hundred years of Portuguese discovery , are its four hundred years of possession . First , genius , daring , patience , were employed to find new fields for commerce and new roads to the rich lands of the East . Then every remaining energy was devoted to the jealous attempt to monopolise the advantages of that genius , and render the benefits it had promised to confer -upon humanity nugatory . We see tile results of this system in the decline of the nation which has pursued it , and in the ruin of possessions which ought to have been flourishing . ' ' . ' '

    . . , , . Nothing , however , about these colonies of his does the King of Portugal say in Ms gracious speech , beyond congratulating himself that public tranquillity has not been disturbed . The principal thing he has to tell his trusty Chambers is , that he has appointed two plenipotentiaries for the Congress , which probably will never meet . Add that his Grovermnent has made contracts for some railways—a matter important endugh , since the great drawback of Portugal is its want of means of communication—and that the Finance Minister will in due time present his budget—and we have the substance of the speech . Our old and faithful ally must bestir itself , if it would enjoy the good opinion of the world and regain any portion of its old power . There is a field large enough for its energy and enterprise . The mother country herself has large resources undeveloped , and the colonies have

    immense capabilities . If Portugal is not herself equal to the work ,. assistance would soon be given if a liberal policy were adopted , and the good faith of the nation were sufficiently evidenced . Will the budget of our Finance Minister stir tip the sluggish race ? . ' . Although the advantages given by the Methuem Treaty have long since beeii nominally withdrawnj Portugal lias really enjoyed many of them up to the present time . The strong dear wine of Oporto could much better pay 6 * . per gallon than the light cheap wines of the Herault . Now , the Lusitanians must fight for our custom without any favour ; and as they will find that they cannot well do that with the monopolies they have been cherishing at home , they may possibly learn to give up monopolies altogether , and ; relying on their own energies , regain , not the proud pre-eminence Of which they once boasted , but the respectable position which their great natural advantages ought to give them . / . ' . ¦ '

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    232 The Leader and Saturday Analyst . [ Feb . 11 , I 860 .

    A Repartition Of Europe.

    A ¦ RTCPATITITION OF EUROPE .

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Feb. 11, 1860, page 132, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2333/page/8/