To Jose Feliz de Azevedo e Sa, the President of Ceara, I addressed the subjoined letter of thanks for the warning he had given me respecting Barros:—­

   Maranham, March 16th, 1825.

   MOST EXCELLENT SIR,

I have to offer your Excellency many thanks for your kind letter, informing me, by anticipation, of the character of an individual whose principles and plans I was not long in discovering.  Scarcely had he placed his foot on the soil of Maranham, when he was surrounded by all the Portuguese of the city, who expressed their joy at his arrival in no equivocal manner.  To give you a history of his intrigues would require pages.  Suffice it to say, that—­after having attempted to thrust himself into the Government within forty-eight hours after his arrival,—­without having any lawful commission from His Imperial Majesty—­and being defeated in that object—­he placed himself at the head of a faction, brought charges against the President interino, and on the night of the 10th formed a plan to seize his person!  This, however, I defeated, and as his charges against Lobo were entirely false and malicious, I have sent him off to Para, there to await the determination of His Imperial Majesty.

The intrigues here are so numerous, and there are so many interests to reconcile, that the harmony now restored will probably cease with the departure of the force under my command.  But it is obvious that the squadron cannot remain here for ever to watch over private broils and feuds of so contemptible a nature.  The only thing of which I am seriously afraid, is the influence and number of the Portuguese settled here, should they find a president desirous of promoting their views and supposed interests.

   (Signed) COCHRANE AND MARANHAO.

There was great difficulty to act for the best in this matter:  but whether Barros were appointed to the presidency or not, the course taken was the only one even temporarily to ensure public tranquillity.  If appointed, it was evident, from his acts, that he had been selected by the administration to put in execution their anti-Brazilian projects; whilst the Portuguese party in Maranham unequivocally expressed their intention to revive the old animosities between themselves and the native Brazilians; thus causing a renewal of disorder which I was determined not to permit, in favour of one who had no patent to shew for his assumption of authority.

This monstrous state of affairs—­fostered by the Imperial administration—­was a natural consequence of their Portuguese predilections, and could not have existed, except from want of union amongst the Brazilians themselves, who, unskilled in political organization, were compelled to submit to a foreign faction, unable to carry out its own views, and only powerful in thwarting those of the patriots.  Their policy was the more reprehensible, for even the government of the mother country conceded that Brazil