The National Register.
London, England, 1821-05-13 00:00:00

No. 1,311.—V0L. XIS.]

REVOLUTION AT RIO JANEIRO.

Rto DE JANEIRO. Fke. 27.—Although it has
been lung expected, we did not think the day of our
revolution was so ne,ir. The King's decree of the
IStll instant, in which he reserved to himself the
nomination of the Cortes, and assumed thc nomi-
nation of the Junta, has brought on the crisis. I
give you a brief summary of the facts, as they have
come to my knowledge : of the greater part of them
I was un eye.witness. Amidst the general discon-
tent which succeeded to the events at Lisbon, the
hope still existed that the King would voluntarily
accede to the general wish. That hope, however,
was destroyed by the publication, by authority, of
the pamphlet in which the policy of the House of
Braganza, with regard to Portugal, was discussed,
and in which the Portuguese were treawl as rebels.
Some patriotic individuals determined "on profiting
by the universal dissatisfaction, (placing their reli-
ance on the decided bias of popular opinion in favour
of the constitutional system), to effixt a revolution.
They possessed no personal influence, except over a
handful of soldiers. They held their deliberations
on board a vessel in the harbour; and the Ist of
March was the day fixed for currying their measures
into execution. The secret was intrusted by a son
to his father ; and the result was, an order for their
arrest on the night of the 25th or 26th; the execu-
tion of w'aich was confided to the battalion of the
police. Their measures, however. had been so well
concerted, that this circumstance only hastened the
execution of their plans, without deranging any of
them. It is generally said that one of the leaders
even sent an intimation of their plot to the Prince
Royal, to guard 'against any alarm to the Princess,
who is far advanced in her pregnancy, assuring him
that no danger could accrue to any member of the
House of BraganzA. Many respectable merchants
were included in the order of al-4st, and all were
to have undergone deportation to Angola.
The principal conspirators were Geis, who for-
merly served with reputation as lieut.-colonel; l)a
Costa, major in the 11th re,,iment, much beloved by
the treaps; Patients, formerly major in the southern
division, a sufferer by the injustice of the old mi-
nistry; Cipriano, lieutenant of artillery; Major
Padoa, son of Lieutenant Hey, who was massacred
in an attempt to make himself' master of the fortress
of Almeida ; Father Silva, and Mocataboa, a man
of letters and an advocate.

At midnight, on the 25th, the regiment of chits-
seurs left their barracks: their colonel, who attempt-
ed to restrain them, was arrested and placed under
a guard. On their arrival in the city they called
on the Brazilian chusseurs to make comwoa cause!
with them, which was acceded to, and they all re-
paired to the place du Roth), where the depots of
ammunition were situated. It was three o'clock in
the morning of yesterday, when the Prince Royal
received notice of what was passing, Wilell be im-
mediately maniksted the resolution of placing him-
self at the -troops, Avid), the view of sparing the
effusion of blood—the Prince b liberal; and the
great day, of which he from that moment became
the hero, owes i;s chid' lustre to the frank, loyal,
aul L.'l, VC manner in which he has acted.

The Prince appeared wholly unattended. It is
said that a c.wnonicr, whom he desired to cxtin•
guish his match, having refuted, he expressed his
approbation at Lis declining. obedience to any bat
his officers. On passing before the chas.seurs they
received him with cries of " Live the constitution.!"
to which he replied by repeating theta. After a
short deliberation with the 'dicers, surrounded by
the people, whom curiosity had drawn to the spot,
the Prince ascended the platform of the theatre
royal, which overlooks the place du Rociu, and read
the written act of adhesion to the constitution, in
the form to be decreed by the Cortes of Portugal.—
It was received with loud acclamations, which gra-
dually spread on all sides. The forts fired a royal
salute, and all the bells of the churches were put
In motion to spread the happy news. 11r.: act of
adhesion was signed by the officers, and by all who
could press sufficiently ne.tr to participate in that
honour. The Prince having asked if any thing fur-
ther was required, four students advanced to claim
the liberty of the press; but the Prince replied, that
it must ornecessity inflow the act he bud ju-t per-
formed, inasmuch us " a constitution without tha
liberty was a body without a soul."