ay down their arms, but he was murdered on his
return. This atrocious act, perpetrated, as I had reason to believe, by
some factious adherents to the president's party, from motives of
revenge, was unfortunate, as affording a pretext for others who were
ready to submit, to continue in arms for their mutual protection. I
therefore directed that all troops under the authority of the president
should remain where they were until further orders from me; and demanded
of His Excellency to use every endeavour to apprehend the parties guilty
of an act so disgraceful to the Imperial cause, that they might meet
with due punishment.

Finding no effort made to apprehend the murderers, I addressed to Bruce
the following letter:--

It is with great regret that I have learned the atrocious act committed
by your soldiers against an officer having my passport
for the purpose of endeavouring to tranquillize the province, by
inducing the dissentient party to lay down their arms. This is
a matter so disgraceful to the cause of those by whom it has been
perpetrated, that I must enforce on your attention the necessity of
exertion to apprehend all persons who may be suspected of having
committed this crime, and send them immediately, prisoners, to this
city.

I have further to direct, in the name of His Imperial Majesty, that
the troops under your command shall remain where they are until
further orders from me, as Commander-in-chief of the military and
naval forces of this province, notwithstanding any authority or order
which you may heretofore have received, or which you may hereafter
receive--except from me--to the contrary.

(Signed) COCHRANE AND MARANHAO

It is almost needless to say that the guilty parties--though doubtless
well known--were permitted to escape with impunity; the president
alleging as his excuse, "the insufficiency of the regular troops to
preserve the tranquillity of the city;" this remark being intended to
throw upon me the responsibility of having secured on board the black
savages whom he had organized. My reply was, that--"for what I had done,
I was responsible to the supreme Government and the public, and if he
could not find means to preserve the public tranquillity, I must do so;
as he must be sensible that I had acted with propriety in relieving him
from a portion of the labour and responsibility which he had hitherto
sustained."

On the 28th of November,