"And so, in the name of His Majesty, the Cortes requests that Your Royal Highness return home to the land of your birth."
Pedro had just finished reading the Cortes's letter, as well as the decree of 29th September abolishing Brazilian agencies, ministries and law courts. He placed both documents on his desk and paced up and down the room. What was he to do? He had lived in Brazil since he was a child, and he loved and strongly identified with the country. But on the other hand, he had a duty to obey his father, the King, and, by extension, the Cortes acting in the King's name. After all, had he not sworn to uphold the constitution that the Cortes was writing? He needed some help from his closest adviser.
"You must stay in this country", said Leopoldina at once. "You cannot obey the commands of a Cortes that clearly loathes this kingdom. The people would not accept this. And if we leave, the country will fall apart. We have already seen what happened in the Spanish colonies - it is only you that can keep Brazil as one. But if we stay, this could be a wealthy and powerful country."
"But my duty is to my father", said Pedro.
"But this letter, and this decree, do not come from your father", Leopoldina pointed out. "It reflects the hatred for Brazil harboured by the members of the Cortes. Your father would never have done what they have."
"But it's so hard for me", said Pedro. "I struggle every day with governing such a huge, chaotic country, and I have barely any control. Avilez and the army are in control of Rio, and he has the support of the Portuguese merchants here. And there are the juntas that rule all the other provinces. I have no real power here."
"But large sections of the population don't support the Cortes", said Leopoldina. "And look at São Paolo: José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva is loyal to you, you could work with him."
Pedro shook his head.
"It's just all too much for me. I'll publicly announce my intention to leave, I'll publish both the letter and the decree, I'll write a farewell manifesto to the people of Brazil, and I'll write a letter to my father."
He spoke so firmly that Leopoldina knew it was not worth arguing.
Pedro was back in his office, and quickly dashed off the letter to João:
"Your Majesty,
Alas the task of governing Brazil, which you graciously bestowed upon me, has become far too great a burden for me. There is chaos everywhere, and hardly any part of the country is under my control. I beg Your Majesty, by all that is most sacred in the world, most urgently to release me from this onerous task, that is surely going to kill me with the constant scenes of horror, some already in view and others much worse to come, that I have always before my eyes. I wish only to have the pleasure of kissing Your Majesty's hand and taking my place at the foot of Your Majesty.
Your loving and obedient son,
Dom Pedro"
But as the weeks went by, Pedro could not fail to notice regular demonstrations on the streets of Rio, and, so he heard, elsewhere in Brazil. Nor could he fail to notice the two most popular slogans at these marches: "DOWN WITH THE CORTES" and "DOM PEDRO PLEASE STAY IN BRAZIL". Even as he was in the middle of drafting his farewell manifesto, he began to waver. Brazil, after all, was the country he knew best, the country he had lived since the age of nine. Could he really ignore the strength of public opinion? Could he really abandon the country he had grown to love for one that he barely remembered?
One day, as Pedro was agonising over what to do, he received a letter: the messenger informed him it was from none other than the man Leopoldina had suggested could be his ally, José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva. Intrigued, Pedro took himself off to a quiet part of the palace, cautiously opened the envelope, and began to read:
"Your Royal Highness,
Greetings from your loyal and dutiful servants in the Junta of the Province of São Paolo. We write to you with the gravest concern about the odious decrees issued by the Portuguese Cortes, and at their attempts to persuade Your Royal Highness to leave this country. The people of this province are fired with noble indignation against the attempt by these men to impose a system of anarchy and slavery on Brazil. The enemies of order sitting in the Necessidades Palace wish to disunite us, weaken us, and leave us as miserable orphans by tearing from the bosom of the great family of Brazil the only common parent remaining to us after they had robbed Brazil of the beneficent father of this kingdom, Your Royal Highness's august father - and all before any Brazilians had taken their seats in the Cortes. How dare those deputies of Portugal, without waiting for those of Brazil, legislate concerning the most sacred part of each province, and of an entire kingdom?
If those haters of Brazil in Lisbon get their way, the vast and rich Kingdom of Brazil, the principal component of the Portuguese nation, will split into miserable fragments, like the colonies of Spanish America, by men representing only a small minority of the nation. Their aim is nothing less than to annihilate by a stroke of the pen all the tribunals and establishments necessary to the existence and future prosperity of this kingdom. Where now shall the unfortunate people resort in behalf of their civil and judicial interests? Must they now again, after being for twelve years accustomed to prompt recourse, go and suffer like contemptible colonists the delays and chicanery of the tribunals of Lisbon, across two thousand leagues of ocean, where the sighs of the oppressed lose all life and hope? How can it be that the vast Kingdom of Brazil should have no seat of government, and no command centre for the direction of our troops to defend the state against any unforeseen attack of external enemies, or against internal disorders or factions, which may threaten public safety or the union of the provinces?
Yes, August Sir, it is impossible that the inhabitants of Brazil, who are honourable, and who value themselves to be men, and especially the Paulistas, can ever consent to such absurdities and despotisms: yes, August Sir, Your Royal Highness must remain in Brazil, whatever may be the projects of the Constituent Cortes, not only for our general good, but even for the independence and future prosperity of Portugal itself. If YHR is (which is not the case) for the dazzled and unseemly Decree of September 29th, in addition to losing to the world the dignity of a man, and of a Prince, becoming the slave of a small number of disorganisers, he will also have to answer, before Heaven, or the river of blood, which will soon flow through Brazil in his absence; for their peoples, like rabid tigers, will surely awaken from the amateurish somnolence, in which the old despotism has buried them, and in which the cunning of a new Constitutional Machiavellianism now intends to preserve them. We humbly advise Your Royal Highness to stay in this country, to confide boldly in the love and fidelity of your Brazilians, and especially of your Paulistas, who are all ready to shed the last drop of their blood, and to sacrifice all their possessions, rather than lose the adored prince in whom they have placed their well-founded hopes of national happiness and honour."
And so the letter ended. Pedro noted that it appeared to have been signed by every member of the São Paolo Junta. He paced up and down the room: it was now clearer than ever than Brazilian public opinion was hostile to the decrees of the Cortes. How then could he comply with those decrees? He also realised that with public opinion on his side, he would be able to defeat Avilez and other supporters of the Cortes, and that José Bonifácio was his ideal ally in such a venture - exactly as Leopoldina had advised him.
A week later, Pedro, Avilez and the Rio de Janeiro Junta were sitting round a table, carrying out government business in the city palace, when some loud shouts could be heard outside. The source of the noise soon became clear, as a messenger rushed in to explain that the crowd had presented a petition of 8000 signatures, calling on Pedro to remain in Brazil.
"What an outrage!", exclaimed Avilez. "For these men to think they can defy the Cortes."
Pedro raised his hand to silence the general.
"The Bases of the Constitution, which, as you well know, I am sworn to uphold, guarantees all subjects the right to petition the Crown", he pointed out. "I shall hear what they have to say."
He strode over to the palace balcony, as Avilez looked dumbfounded.
"Good people", Pedro called out, "what is it you wish from me?"
"Stay in Brazil! Stay in Brazil! Stay in Brazil!", came the chant.
It was quite some time before Pedro felt able to give his response.
"Since it is for the good of all and the general happiness of the Nation", he announced, "I am willing. Tell the people that I am staying."
The crowd erupted with joy: there were dancing, loud cheers and shouts of "Long live Dom Pedro!". Pedro could not but be moved by the spectacle. When, several minutes later, he returned to the table, it gave him great satisfaction to see Avilez and the other members of the junta open mouthed, incapable of speech.
When the day's work was finally done, Pedro emerged from the city palace, to more cheers from the crowd. He called for a horse to take him back home to Boa Vista.
"No, Dom Pedro", came a shout from the crowd.
Pedro stopped, puzzled. The man who had shouted spoke again.
"We will unhitch your horses and drive the carriage ourselves".
The crowd cheered this suggestion, but Pedro quickly raised his hand, and they fell silent.
"It grieves me to see my fellow humans giving a man tributes appropriate for the divinity", he said. "I know that my blood is the same colour as that of the Negroes."
A stunned silence greeted these words, but soon the crowd starting cheering again as Pedro rode all the way back home. Once at Boa Vista, he informed Leopoldina of his decision, and she heaped him with praise. He also decided that he would summon José Bonifácio to Rio to become his new chief minister - Leopoldina again approved. That night, Pedro and Leopoldina went to the theatre: as they took their seats, both were met with rapturous acclaim.
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