admitted in his interview with Sumter, Brazilian independence (though not involving separation) was now assured. The country could not revert to its former colonial status, and whatever the form of government or momentary ties with Europe, our interests had been served.

Nevertheless, the cautious Administration did not commit itself to anything suggesting an alliance, or even an understanding. In reply to Chargé Rademaker's routine communication conveying the new of the change in Brazil's status, Secretary of State Monroe said :

Having submitted these Papers to the President, I have it in charge from him to assure you that the measure adopted by your Sovereign is seen with great satisfaction by this Government, as it cannot fail to promote the prosperity of his dominions, and may probably (1) strengthen the ties of friendship and good understanding which have long happily subsisted between the two nations. Both these objects interest the United States and any measure calculated to promote

1. The italics are mine.

them will be highly acceptable to them (1). Four years later the idea of an alliance was broached by Minister Corrêa da Serra to the Washington Government, but rejected since it was but a thinly disguised attempt to secure the rigid repression of violations of American neutrality in the war between Portugal and the Uruguayan revolutionary leader, José Artigas.

These four years witnessed a great cooling in the friendship displayed in 1815-1816. This was due to several causes. Among these were the failure of Portugal to secure from Great Britain indemnity for the destruction of the American privateer General Armstrong, in the port of Fayal, the laxity of the American government in the euforcement of its neutrality statute against privateers who left American ports under the flag of Artigas to prey upon Portuguese shipping, the countenance given by the Monroe Administration to the Pernambuco revolution of 1817, the Frigate

1. Sec. of State Monroe to Chargé Rademaker, June 5, 1816, Mss. Dept. of State, Notes to Foreign Legations, vol. ii, in Manning transcripts,

Congress incident at Rio de Janeiro, and a number of acts of injustice against individual Americans in Brazil. The principal difficulties arose from the imperfect fulfillment of the obligations of neutrality imposed on both countries by international law and practice, and will be treated chronologically in the next two chapters.

The Congress incident, though in itself a mere teapot tempest, resulted in an important revelation, and deserves some mention here. In 1817 a commission was sent by the President to South America to report on the progress and prospects of the revolutionary movement, especially in the River Plate region. The frigate Congress, bearing the commission, put in at Rio de Janeiro on January 29, 1818, for the sole purpose of delivering despatches to Sumter, and with instructions to leave after a short stay. The commander was presented to the King by the American Minister (1) but the commissioners did not feel an audience necessary, and thus Dom Joâo was spared the dilemma of expressing himself regarding a situa1. Queen Maria died in 1816, and Dom João became king.

tion which was complicated by his own intrigues, and the Portuguese invasion of Uruguay. During the stay in port, a seaman of Portuguese nationality serving on board the Congress became intoxicated while on shore leave and resisted the efforts of two of the frigate's officers to take him on board. A disturbance ensued in which the populace sided with the seaman, and the latter was placed under the protection of a port authority. The Americans returned a little later, invaded the official's home, removed the man, and took him on board. The Minister for Foreign Affairs addressed a vigorous protest to Sumter demanded the release of all Portuguese seamen on board. Sumter endeavored to arrive at a friendly settlement, and requested Commodore Sinclair to delay his departure until the affair could be amicably adjusted. Sinclair offered apologies for the action of his officers, alleging their ignorance of the character of the house they had invaded and the violation of Portuguese sovereignty, refused to land a single man, and made ready to sail. The forts were ordered to prevent

him from leaving, but he sailed out of the harbor with the crews standing behind the guns with lighted matches, and met with no opposition. Although Sinclair acted with the authority of long established right, the feelings of the townsfolk and the Court were greatly ruffled by this rough-shod procedure, and the growing hostility to the United States was given new stimulus (1).

The visit of the Congress also provoked irritation in other quarters. The Spanish Minister, Count Casa Flores, becoming greatly excited at the dispatch of such a mission, and suspecting that it would result in the formal recognition of the Provinces of La Plata by the American Government, addressed a note to Mr. Sumter protesting against the step and declaring that a general mediation of the five great European powers had been agreed upon for the settlement of the revolt in Spanish America. This was the first official

1. Brackenridge, op. cit., vol. i, p. 92; National Intelligencer, of Washington, April 29 and May 5, 1818; Caesar A. Rodney to Monroe, February 8, 1818, The Monroe Papers (in Library of Congress), vol. xvii.