d'or are
among mountains inaccessible to any army, and Rio Janeiro is considered
the strongest port in the world after Gibraltar. In case of a
successful revolution, a republican government in a single body would
probably be established."

I took care to impress on him, through the whole of our conversation,
that I had neither instructions nor authority to say a word to anybody
on this subject, and that I could only give him my own ideas, as a
single individual; which were, that we were not in a condition at
present to meddle nationally in any war; that we wished particularly to
cultivate the friendship of Portugal, with whom we have an advantageous
commerce. That yet a successful revolution in Brazil could not be
uninteresting to us. That prospects of lucre might possibly draw
numbers of individuals to their aid, and purer motives our officers,
among whom are many excellent. That our citizens, being free to leave
their own country individually, without the consent of their
governments, are equally free to go to any other.

A little before I received the first letter of the Brazilian, a
gentleman informed me there was a Mexican in Paris, who wished to have
some conversation with me. He accordingly called on me. The substance
of the information I drew from him was as follows. He is himself a
native of Mexico, where his relations are, principally. He left it at
about seventeen years of age, and seems now to be about thirty-three or
thirty-four. He classes and characterizes the inhabitants of that
country, as follows: 1. The natives of Old Spain, possessed of most of
the offices of government, and firmly attached to it. 2. The clergy,
equally attached to the government. 3. The natives of Mexico, generally
disposed to revolt, but without instruction, without energy, and much
under the dominion of their priests. 4. The slaves, mulatto and black;
the former enterprising and intelligent, the latter brave, and of very
important weight, into whatever scale they throw themselves; but he
thinks they will side with their masters. 5. The conquered Indians,
cowardly, not likely to take any side, nor important which they take.
6. The free Indians, brave and formidable, should they interfere, but
not likely to do so, as being at a great distance. I asked him the
numbers of these several classes, but he could not give them. The
first, he thought very inconsiderable; that the second formed the body
of the freemen; the third equal to t