INTRODUCTION. 25 
to rctiuoe the colony to its tbrmer state ot“ dopendonec, the enthusiasm of 
tlie disappointed Brazilians suffered a severe shock ; new disorders 
followed ; and, after a stormy session of the Chambers, the King Avas 
summoned to accept for Brazil the Sjjauish Constitution of 1812. He 
assented to everything; but, within an hour after the retirement of 
the King, the sitting of the Assembly Avas arrested by a volley fired 
through the aaiucIows by a company of Bortuguese riffemen : and Don 
Joao VI. availed himself of the panic of the capital to AAuthdraw all his 
concessions, and to set sail for Lisbon three days after-wards (on the 
20th of April, 1821), leaviug the Ci-oavu Priuce, Don Pedro, us Eegent, 
Avith extensive powers. 
The Portuguese Cortes, however, could not yet make up their 
mind either to abandon then- old system of keeping doAVii and tutoring 
the colony, or to concede to it any privileges. Continual chicanes and 
encroachments upon his rights drove the Prince Eegent at last openly 
to head the revolutionary party. At Ipu-anga, near Sao Paulo, having 
received another friendly missive from Lisbon, ho raised, on the 7th of 
September, 1822, the cry of “ Indej)cndencia ou morie ! ” Avliich was echoed 
with enthusiasm throughout the country. On his return to Eio, he was 
unanimously declared emperor on the 21st of September, and croAvned as 
.such on the 1st of December. In about a year’s time all the proA’uices 
Avere vacated by the Portuguese troops; and in 1825, chiefly through 
the mediation of England, Brazil was acknoAvledged as an indepen- 
dent empire. 
But the iuner commotions continued, and AA'ere not oven soothed 
by a ncAV Constitution, drawn up in 1823, and SAVorn to by the Emperor 
in 1821. KeAV revolts in Pernambuco, and some of the other Northern 
provinces, and a Avar of thi‘oe years Avith the Argentine Eep\iblic, Avhieh 
ended in 1828 by BrazE giving up Banda Oriental, atuiexed only 
eleven years before, disturbed and Avoakened the land. The foreign 
soldiers, enlisted for this war, and retained after its conclusion to keep 
doAvn the Opposition, and the extravagant private life of the Emperor, 
Avho recklessly trampled doAvn the honour of respectable families, 
provoked dissatisfaction and murmurs, Avhich rose to the highest ]jitch 
Avhen he insisted upon carrying on a most unpopular Avar iu Portugal 
to defend the rights of his daughter, Dona Maria da Gloria (iu Avhose 
favom- lie had abdicated tlie Portuguese Crown), against his brother, Don 
Miguel. In April, 1831, Don Pedro 1., so enthusiast ically raised to the 
