nd condign
punishment those persons, who have been notoriously and scandalously
disloyal to their prince and the country by joining and serving the
French party: and, even if the English army should be allowed to screen
them from the punishment they have deserved, still it should not prevent
their expulsion--whereby this country would no longer have to fear being
again betrayed by the same men.' Yet, while the partizans of the French
are thus guarded, not a word is said to protect the loyal Portugueze,
whose fidelity to their country and their prince must have rendered them
obnoxious to the French army; and who in Lisbon and the environs, were
left at its mercy from the day when the Convention was signed, till the
departure of the French. Couple also with this the first additional
article, by which it is agreed, 'that the individuals in the civil
employment of the army,' (including all the agitators, spies, informers,
all the jackals of the ravenous lion,) 'made prisoners either by the
British troops or the Portugueze in any part of Portugal, will be
restored (_as is customary_) without exchange.' That is, no stipulations
being made for reciprocal conditions! In fact, through the whole course
of this strange interference of a military power with the administration
of civil justice in the country of an Ally, there is only one article
(the 15th) which bears the least shew of attention to Portugueze
interests. By this it is stipulated, 'That, from the date of the
ratification of the Convention, all arrears of contributions,
requisitions, or claims whatever of the French Government against
subjects of Portugal, or any other individuals residing in this country,
founded on the occupation of Portugal by the French troops in the month
of December 1807, which may not have been paid up, are cancelled: and
all sequestrations, laid upon their property moveable or immoveable, are
removed; and the free disposal of the same is restored to the proper
owners.' Which amounts to this. The French are called upon formally to
relinquish, in favour of the Portugueze, that to which they never had
any right; to abandon false claims, which they either had a power to
enforce, or they had not: if they departed immediately and had _not_
power, the article was nugatory; if they remained a day longer and _had_
power, there was no security that they would abide by it. Accordingly,
loud complaints were made that, after the date of the Convention, all
k