Now, if I could believe that the idea of this
limitation originated with his Imperial Majesty himself, I should
respectfully and silently acquiesce; but being satisfied--from the
gracious manner in which he has been pleased to act towards me on all
occasions--that it did not so originate, I can only consider it an
intimation of an opinion prevalent in the councils of the state, that
myself and services can very well be done without, as soon as the
independence of Brazil shall be decided or peace restored.

As no man can be expected to dedicate his professional services
to a foreign country, without having a prospect of some recompence
more durable than that which such a limitation as is expressed in the
document in question seems to indicate, I am naturally led to inquire
whether it is the intention of His Majesty's advisers that, on the
termination of the present war, _my pay is to cease with my
authority?_ or whether I am to receive any permanent reward for
services, _the consequences of which will be permanent to Brazil?_
Because--if no recompence is to be received for public services
--however important and lasting in their effects those services may
be--it is a duty to myself and family to consider how far I am
justified in farther devoting my time to a service from which so
little future benefit is to be expected; a consideration the more
interesting to me, in consequence of repeated solicitations from the
Chilian Government to resume my rank and command in that state.

In saying thus much, you may consider me of a mercenary
disposition; but I have received from Brazil _no recompence whatever_,
beyond the honours conferred by His Imperial Majesty. If
you will peruse the accompanying papers, you will find that when I
left Chili I had disbursed of my own monies, 66,000 dollars, to keep
the Chilian squadron from starving, which sum, in consequence of
my leaving Chili, and accepting the offers of His Imperial Majesty,
has not been repaid. This amount His Majesty and his ministers
agreed to repay on my acceptance of the command; but I declined
to seek reimbursement at the expense of Brazil, "unless I
should perform greater services to the Empire than I had rendered
to Chili; but in the event of such services being rendered to
Brazil, and of Chili continuing its refusal to pay me, then--and
not otherwise--I shou