ARMITAGE•S HISTORY OF BRAZI L. OFTENTIMES WO have books before
us which, professing to have orie Mated in itepulse, evidently sink etc their close into matters of trade. The publmation of Mr. ARM ITAGE is just the reverse. He un- dertook his history, be says in his preface, " front a consideration of the advantages whieli a perfect acquaintance with the facts noted therein might give him in a commercial point of view ;" but as he proceeded in his task, he " became anitnated by higher motives," from a sense of the interest and importance of his sub- ject. That both these qualities are contained in the annals of Brazil, there is no question ; but as yet they are rather in an embryo condition. When the government is firmly established. the new and discordant materials of s iciety fused and settled, and the state cleat ly advancing towards that wealth and greatness of which the ctaintry contains the elements, we shall then look back to the steps by which it was converted from a miserable and de- spotically-governed colony to an independent awl somewhat swag- gering young empire, with the sante feeling as we regard the youthful telics of a hero or a sage. At present Brazil is in her in- fancy. She may VOW up a giant, or she may prematurely perish. Nor, abstractedly speaking, are the events of such a nature as to interest by themselves apart frotn their results. There is none of' the enterprise of discovery, the spirit of adventure, or the hardshipa and struggles of rnimitive settlers, to tell of'. All these were long since over : I he arts of a bigoted and arbitrary govern- ment " had brought to one dead level every mind ; " and the naked subject of the History of Brazil, during the period of which Mr. ARMITAGE treats, is a dull and simple-witted people gradually emerging from their condition by the natural progress of events, and overturning by their new energies. a government ruling for itself instead of for them. But if the subject has not as yet the true historical interest, nor Mr. ARMITAGE perhaps a very high historical mind, he has yet succeeded in presenting a clear, readable, and rapid narrative of the leading occurrences connected with Portugal and Brazil from 18G8 to 1831, and in cleverly sketching some of the leading cha- racters ; to both of cs hich, the circumstance of his having derived much of his materials from original sources, and lived some time in the country and among several of the actors, have given an air of freshness. He describes, briefly but distinctly, the condition and mode of government of the colony previous to the- arrival of the Royal Family from lite Tagus, when they fled before the army of NAPOLEON. He narrates succinctly the proceedings. anti follies of the Court, as well as the manner in which political informaton was introduced into the colony ; and traces the growth ef a desire Ihr independence in the minds of the Brazilians, and the way in which it was accomplished. On the assumption of the empire by Don PEDRO, every thing promised well, and the Monarch was highly popular : but the narrator has soon to corn- mence noting his downward career. The obvious faults of the- Sovereign are quickly told. In his choice of Ministers, he fol- lowed his personal predilections, withiut regard to the fitness or popularity of the men. He preferred the native Portuguese—the Tories of Brazil; who were, not without reason, suspected of wishes adverse to liberty, and of intentions to establish arbitrary power. Ruling a people the more aetive of whom had Republican tendencies, he persisted in creating many titles and new orders of knight- hood ; and aimed, or seemed to aim, at supporting an aristocracy, when all real power was extinguished in the "order," and even the prestige attached to the name had departed. Ministerial misma- nagement, or rather corruption, courtly extravagance, and the ex- penses of a foolishly-begun and an ill-conducted war with Buenos Ayies and the Banda Oriental, embarrassed the finances. Having granted Sconstitut ion, Nom) wished to evade it ; and in all disputes. he sided, or was suspected of siding, with the Senate against the People's House, Mr. ARMITAGE, however, seems to think, that neither his public acts nor his private vices, nor the efforts of the Op. position, (which, by the by, he himself raised up,) would have over- thrown PEDRO, could he have persuaded his subjects that he was a man of the people—a Brazilian. But we suspect his essential fault, though of a similar, was of a much deeper kind : he ad- mitted a primary change, without seeing the secondary changes that must of necessity flow from it, or being willing to grant them. An instrument in the march of events, he yielded power to the people, and then expected them not to use it to better their condition. He was, like many others, a claptrap Liberal, of which the beau ideal is given iti his own words, uttered in reply to a suggestion made during the crisis preceding his downfal,—" I will do every thingfor the people, but nothing by the people." To those who, looking beyond the externals of things, can see an essential resemblance in actions which differ in forms, the reign of PEDRO the First is pregnant with instruction. Perhaps, as belonging so entirely to our own time,—as indicating so natu-
rally the march ofevents where a monarch and a faction oppose a people,—as illustrating so completely the small reliance to be
placed upon coups delta and the instruments to effect them, as well as proving how very easily a people with free institutions can cause the retirement of a monarch,—it may not be without use to sketch the leading steps of Panao's fall.
We have already given an outline of his actions : it is super- fluous to say that they were unpopular. Bent upon pursuing his
course and supporting the Ministers of his choice, the Emperor
tried to influence the elections ; but without effect. He then appears to have relied upon the army. The War Minister, being
irritated by a refusal of supplies, told the Deputies, that, being advanced in years, he could control his warmth, but he could not answer for the equanimity of his constituents : and when the Deputy PAULA SOUZA asked who they were, he had the STANLEY- like imprudence to reply, " his troops." Conduct of this kind in the Ultra-Tories of Brazil, gave rise to objects and language as Ultra amongst the Republicans; until the more timorous of the Moderate party were reduced to silence, and the more prudent and the more powerful, who saw that the attempt to establish a re- public in the present condition of Brazil would only be the fore- runner of anarchy, began calmly to speculate on and prepare for the expulsion of PEDRO and the advancement of the next heir. Having brought matters to this pass, the Emperor took a tour to the province of Minas Geraes, in order to recover his popularity, and influence the elections. He was received with silence or insult; and the utmost efforts of the Court could not procure the return of the Minister MAI A as a Deputy. " Don PEDRO never- theless persisted in setting the Patriots at defiance. The indivi- duals whom he received with most urbanity, were such as had become unpopular from the known illiberality of their principles ; the only counsels to which he lent a willing ear, were those ema- nating from the same party ; and finally, he issued a procla- mation indicating at once a full conviction of the dangers of his position, yet manifesting at the same time an inflexible determination not to accede to any important modifications of system, even though legally and constitutionally required." This was adding fuel to fire: the flame spread through all the provinces; and the most moderate, anticipating arbitrary measures, threw themselves into the Liberal ranks. Don PEDRO, having failed on all points, returned towards his capital, "disappointed, disgusted, and sick at heart.- His " friends ' got up a kind of festivity on the occasion ; which causing a display of numbers on the other side, gave rise to an outbreak, and finally ended in producing from many of the Patriotic Deputies a de- cided and spirit-stirring address to the Government. This so far influenced Don PEDRO, as to induce him to dismiss his Ministry : but, with a strange infatuation, he made choice neither of able nor of influential men; and they, satisfied if they could keep their places, did nothing. It would seem that the Emperor relied upon the army ; but this, as it turned out, was a rotten reed. The sym- pathies of the soldiers were with the people; some of the officers perhaps had similar feelings, or acted upon a principle of patriotism; others appear to have been gained by influence, and others by hope or fear; probably it might with as much of like- lihood be predicated, that both men and commanders had sense enough to see which way the stream was running, and where there was a ce,rtainty of permanent pay. Another popular demonstra- tion followed, in which the soldiers gave symptoms of their lean- ings; and PEDRO, "reduced to desperation by the joint aspect of affairs and the evident incapacity of his Ministers, dismissed them altogether, and called to his Cabinet six of his titled aristocracy." Their first step was significant in itself, and the result important as a lesson, adding another example to that of the French army during "the Three Days."
The Count de Lages, the new Minister of War, was fully aware of the diffi- culties of his position ; and his first step was to send over to the officers of the different corps to inquire whether he could rely on the fidelity of the troops. To this the answer was, that be might on the fidelity of the individuals person- ally applied to; but that they could not answer for that of their men. They might have replied with more truth that they were equally unable to answer for themselves. That very army which Don Pedro had raised at such an im- mense sacrifice, which he had maintained even to the prejudice of his popu- larity, and on which lie had unfortunately placed more reliance than on the people, was at length fated to betray him ; and those whom he had distinguished by benefits were not more scrupulous in their disaffection than the rest. The character of one officer, holding a distinguished post in the artillery,—an officer whose name will not be mentioned, but who, should this ever come under his eye, cannot fail to recognize his own portrait,—was, to the disgrace of the army, that of a very numerous class. This individual owed not only his ad- vancement, but also various honorary insignia to the especial favour of Don Pedro ; yet, no sooner did he perceive the authority of his Imperial patron on the decline, than he began to make interest with the Patriots, flattered both parties alike, until the 6th of April, when finally, in the last hour, he threw off his former allegiance, affecting, at the same time, a warmth and an exaggera- tion in behalf of the popular cause strikingly in contrast with his previous
servility.
In the mean time, riotous popular assemblies took place, and various rumours of the designs of the Emperor were spread about. A soothing proclamation was issued—without avail : the people tore it from the hands of the officer who read it, and trampled it under foot. The Emperor, urged by a deputation to dismiss his present Ministry and reappoint the former, obstinately refused, in the remarkable words already quoted. This answer, when made kaown, decided the public and the troops of the line ; the battalion of the Emperor was already fraternizing, and the Guards followed their example. The catastrophe now rapidly approached, and shall be told in the author's language.
During this interim, the Emperor, finding the serious turn which affairs were taking, had, as a last resource, sent off the Intendant of Police, Caetano Maria Lopez Came, to request the assistance and cooperation of Vergueiro, in the formation of such a Cabinet as might meet the popular wish. When, therefore, the Adjutant arrived at San Christovao, the Emperor informed hint of what he had done; but, at the same time stated, that no consideration should induce him to reinstate the Ministry which he had dismissed. At this time the Empress was weeping bitterly ; and he was in vain endeavouring to console her by an assurance that all would terminate pacifically. In this trying moment, he must be acknowledged to have evinced a dignity and a magnanimity unknown in the days of his prosperity. All selfish feelings appeared to have been forgotten ; and when, a few minutes afterwards, he received iutelligenca of the desertion of the battalion under the command of Joze Joaquim de Lima, his only answer was—" Well, let them ally themselves to their comrades in the Campo ; I wish no one to be sacrificed for me."
The Intendant of Police was, however, unable to meet with Vergueiro; and as his return was in consequence delayed, the Adjutant pressed the Emperor for an immediate decision ; observing, that the people in the Campo :night be committing some excess, under the impression that he, their envoy, hail been either assassinated or retained a prisoner: to which the Emperor replied —" I certainly shall not appoint the Ministry which they require : my honour and the Constitution alike forbid it ; and I would abdicate, or even suffer death, rather than consent to such a nomination." The Adjutant then observed, that he would communicate this reply to his General and to the people ; but he was requested by Don Pedro to stay for some final answer. No emissary from Vergueiro, however, appeared : it was natural to suppose that the populace were becoming every moment more impatient ; and, in addi- tion to all his former motives of disgust, Don Pedro found himself with scarcely a single soldier. Harassed, irritated, and fatigued beyond measure, he at length found it necessary to yield to circumstances; and about two o'clock in the morning, he sat down, and, without either asking the advice of any one or even informing the Ministry of his resolution, wrote out his abdication in the follow- ing terms: " Availing myself of the right which the Constitution concedes to me, I de- clare that 1 have voluntarily abdicated in favour of my dearly beloved and es- teemed son, Don Pedro de Aleantara.
" Boa Vista, 7th April 16:31, 10th year of the Independence of the Em- pire." He then rose, and advancing towards the Adjutant Frets, presented the de- cree; observing, with tears in his eyes—" Here is my abdication ; may you be happy ! I shall retire to Europe, and quit a country that I have loved dearly, and that I still love." Here tears choked his utterance, and he retired hastily to the adjoining room, where was the Empress, along with the English and French Ambassadors. He afterwards dismissed all his Ministers, with the ex- ception only of the Marquis de lehamhupe ; and in a decree which he dated the 6th of April, proceeded to nominate Joz! Bonifacio de Andrade as the guar- dian to his four children. It was a striking illustration of the ingratitude which he met in the hour of inisfintune, that from all those whom he had benefited and enriched, he was obliged to turn to the infirm old mail whom at a former period lie had so cruelly wronged. Finally, after arranging his house- hold affairs, lie embarked in one of the boats of the English line-of-bartie ship the Warspite, along with the Empress, the Queen of Portugal, his sister the Marchioness de Limb% and her husband the Marquis; and front this period he never more placed his foot on time Brazilian soil.
The house of STUART and the house of BOURBON have furnished four memorable examples to kings. The house of BRAGANZA, equally celebrated, and in the case of its early members perhaps more heroic, has offered another, and one possessing a still closer applicability to contemporary , events and existing monarchs—if monarchs would ever take a warning from history.
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