176 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF DOM PEDRO II. 



eigu, who at last summarily dissolved the legislative body. We can 

 easily understand the irritation this act produced in the nation. The 

 Emperor, in order to calm the disturbance and restore public couiidence, 

 prepared, in 1825, a most liberal constitution. But unbiased judgment 

 was no longer possible ; misunderstandings again occurred in regard to 

 the execution of this fundamental code; for, on the one hand, the 

 Emperor, who had been reared in absolutism, had a natural tendency in 

 that direction in spite of himself, and, on the other hand, the liberals 

 wished to efface this element completely from the government in order 

 that they might rule. Fault existed on both sides. The fact was, the 

 political parties, as well as the sovereign, were novices in parliamentary 

 government. A curious incident shows the state of public feeling at 

 this time. On the 25th of March, 1831, anniversary day of the adoption 

 of the constitution, the Emperor went, according to custom, to church 

 to assist in the Te Deum announced for the occasion. On his entrance 

 there was a cry of " Long life to the Emperor ! " followed by "As long as 

 he is constitutional !" The Emperor turned toward the portion of the 

 audience from which the latter came, and said in a firm, clear voice, 

 " I am and have always been a constitutional sovereign ! " This, how- 

 ever, did not prevent discontent from increasing every day. 



On the 6th of April the Emperor, considering his ministers inefficient, 

 dismissed them and appointed others. The malcontents seized upon 

 this occasion to promote a revolt, in which the garrison of the capital 

 participated. The insurgents sent messengers to the sovereign to de- 

 mand the restoration of the dismissed ministers, under the pretext that 

 the new officers had not inspired the people with sufficient confidence. 

 The Emperor replied, "Iwill do everything for the sake of the people, but noth- 

 ing by force of the people; " and, although he could count upon the support 

 of the Portuguese part of the community, and of the troops of that nation- 

 ality, in the maintenance of his authority, he preferred to abdicate in 

 favor of his son rather than shed the blood of his countrymen. He signed 

 the act of abdication the next day, the 7th of April, and set sail a few 

 hours afterward for Portugal, where he re-established his daughter, 

 Maria da Gloria, upon the throne which her uncle and husband Don 

 Miguel had usurped. His son, in whose favor he abdicated the throne 

 of Brazil, is the present Emperor Doin Pedro II. 



DOM PEDRO II. 



I. 



Dom Pedro II was the offspring of the marriage of the Emperor Dom 

 Pedro I, of Brazil, founder of the empire, and descendant of the house 

 of Bragance, of Portugal, with the Archduchess Leopoldine, of Austria, 

 and of the house of Hapsbourg.* He was born at Eio de Janeiro on 



* The Princess Leopoldine was the sister of the Archduchess Marie Louise, who 

 became Empress of the French hy her marriage with Napoleon I. 



