I claim, moreover, the estate awarded to me by His Imperial Majesty, with the double purpose of conferring a mark of national approbation of my services, and of supporting the high dignities to which—­with the full concurrence of the Brazilian people and legislature—­I was raised as a reward for those services, the magnitude and importance of which were on all hands admitted.  To have withheld that estate, after the reasons assigned by His Imperial Majesty for conferring it, was a national error which Brazil should not have committed, and which it should, even now, be careful to efface; for by approving the dignities conferred, and withholding the means of supporting them, it has pronounced its highest honours to be worthless, empty sounding titles, lightly esteemed by the givers, and of no value to the recipient.  Had this estate cost anything to the Brazilian nation, a miserable economy might have been pleaded as a reason for withholding it; but even this excuse is wanting.  Any territorial grant to myself could only have been an imperceptible fraction of the vast regions, which, together with an annual revenue of many millions of dollars—­my own exertions, without cost to the Empire, had added to its dominions “unexpectedly” as the Commission appointed to investigate my claim felt bound to admit.  If Brazil value its national honour, that blot upon it should not be suffered to remain.

With regard to the sum owing to me by Chili, for which, in the event of its non-payment, both His Imperial Majesty Don Pedro I. and his Minister Jose Bonifacio de Andrada made the Brazilian nation responsible.  The discussion in the National Assembly testifies to the validity of the claim, which therefore rests upon the generosity no less than the good faith of Brazil, for whose interests, in accordance with the most flattering promises, I was induced to quit Chili.  To this day, Chili has not fulfilled her obligations to me; the miserable pittance of L.6000, which—­by some process I do not now care to inquire into, she has fixed upon as ample remuneration for one who consolidated her liberties and those of Peru, supporting her navy at its own expense during the operation—­constituted no part of my admitted claim for the capture of Valdivia and other previous services, involving no dispute.  Payment of this sum (67,000 dollars) was promised at the earliest possible period by the then Supreme Director of the Republic—­but to this day the promise has never been redeemed by succeeding Chilian Governments.  With regard to this claim, founded on the concessions of His late Imperial Majesty and his Minister, I am content, as before said, to leave the matter to the generosity of the Brazilian nation.  The other, and more important claims, I demand as a right which has never been cancelled, and which a strict sense of national honour ought not longer to evade.  If it be evaded, the documentary history of the whole matter is now before the world—­and let the world judge between us.  I have no fears as to its decision.