Historic Tales: The Romance of Reality. Vol. 03 (of 15), Spanish AmericanMorris, Charles
History
Historic Tales: The Romance of Reality. Vol. 03 (of 15), Spanish American
Morris, Charles
Latin America -- History
But the people were not satisfied to let him go until he had given his
royal warrant to the new constitution, and just before he was ready to
depart a crowd gathered round the palace, demanding that he should give
his assent to the charter of the people’s rights. He had never read it,
and likely knew very little what it was about, but he signed what they
asked for, all the same, and then made haste on shipboard, leaving Prince
Pedro as regent, and as glad to get away from his _loyal_ Brazilians as he
had once before been to get away from Junot and his Frenchmen.
Brazil again became a colony of Portugal, but it was not long to remain
so. The Cortes of Portugal grew anxious to milk the colonial cow, and
passed laws to bring Brazil again under despotic control. One of these
required the young prince to leave Brazil. They were laying plans to throw
the great colony back into its former state.
When news of these acts reached Rio the city broke into a tumult. Pedro
was begged not to abandon his loving people, and he agreed—thus defying
the Cortes and its orders. This was on January 9, 1822. The Cortes next,
to carry out its work for the subjugation of Brazil, sent a squadron to
bring back the prince. This forced him to take a decided stand. On May 13
he took the title of "Perpetual Defender and Protector of Brazil;" and on
the 7th of September, when word came that the Cortes had taken still more
violent action, he drew his sword in the presence of a party of
revolutionists, with the exclamation, "Independence or Death." On the 12th
of the following month he was solemnly crowned as Pedro I.,
"Constitutional Emperor of Brazil," and the revolution was consummated.
Within less than a year thereafter not a hostile Portuguese soldier
remained in Brazil, and it had taken its place definitely among the
nations of America.
This is but half the story of Brazil’s struggle for freedom. It seems
advisable to tell the other half, which took place in 1889, sixty-seven
years after the first revolution. The first made Brazil an independent
empire. The second made it a republic, and brought it into line with the
republican nations of America. And in connection therewith a peculiar fate
attended the establishment of monarchy in Brazil. We have seen how John,
the first emperor, "left his country for the country’s good." The same was
the case with his two successors, Pedro I. and Pedro II.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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