ing
impolitic and unjust to men who had laid the foundation of Brazilian
independence, and who were no less distinguished by their honesty than
their ability. By consenting to their exile, His Majesty lost three
valuable servants, and at the same time placed himself in the hands of a
faction which he never afterwards controlled, and which eventually
forced him from his throne.

As the expulsion of the Assembly--whether justifiable or not, it is not
my province to inquire--was decisive, it was obviously of the greatest
importance to follow it up by some measure which should convince the
public that so extreme a course was intended for their good. As yet no
permanent constitution had been declared This, therefore, was clearly
the moment for its proclamation, no less to satisfy the people--who
were heart and soul with the Emperor--than to prevent retaliation by the
faction which had been thus summarily dealt with.

Seeing that nothing was promptly acted upon in an emergency involving
the stability of Government, I addressed to His Imperial Majesty the
following letter:--

Rio de Janeiro, November 14, 1823.

SIRE,

My sense of the impropriety of intruding myself on the
attention of your Imperial Majesty, on any subject unconnected
with the official position with which your Majesty has been pleased
to honour me, could only have been overcome by an irresistible
desire, under existing circumstances, to contribute to the service of
your Majesty and the Empire.

The conduct of the late legislative assembly, which sought to
derogate from the dignity and prerogatives of Your Majesty--even
presuming to require you to divest yourself of your crown in their
presence--who deprived you of your Council of State--denied you
a voice in the enactment of laws and the formation of the constitution,
and who dared to object to your exercising the only
remaining function of royalty--that of rewarding services, and
conferring honours--could no longer be tolerated; and the justice
and wisdom of Your Imperial Majesty in dissolving such an
assembly will be duly appreciated by discerning men, and by those
whose love of good order and their country supersedes their ambition
or personal interests. There are, however, individuals who will
wickedly take advantage of the late proceedings to kindle the flames
of discord, and throw the empire into anarchy and confusion, unless
ti