ABSTRACT
FROM the first fortnight of his accession to power until the very last of his life, Canning was occupied with questions relating to Portugal and to Brazil. In these two countries, during the years 1820-5, the whole of European and British diplomacy was exhibited on a miniature stage. As elsewhere, the revolution in Portugal was followed by the attempt of the Neo·Holy Alliance to cause the Constitution to fail by withdrawing their diplomatic representatives. Then there was the revolt of Brazil, and the hardly concealed attempt of France to interfere there by force of arms. In Portugal itself there was a distinct threat of French interference of the same kind during 1823-4. Combined with this went the attempt of the Neo-Holy Alliance to intimidate the Sovereign of Portugal and his rebel son in Brazil, through a conference of Neo-Holy Ambassadors which sat constantly at Lisbon, at Paris, and at Madrid. As a counter to this attempt Brazil developed the germ of a Monroe Doctrine of her own, which gave much anxiety to Canning. But every such attempt was defeated, and by 1825 Canniqg had recovered British influence at Lisbon, and had achieved the Independence of Brazil, in defiance of the Old World. In this minor theatre of operations the success of Canning was already great, but it was not until 1826 that the affairs of Brazil and Portugal achieved European importance, and it was then only that the power of Canning was really exhibited. Men still differ, and perhaps will always, as to what Canning did for Spanish
America, but there can be no dispute as to what he did for Portugal and for Brazil.
