to me for my extra-official services
in putting down revolution in the Northern provinces--an act, or series
of acts--in my estimation, of far greater importance and difficulty than
the expulsion of the Portuguese fleet and army? Every historian of
Brazil has spoken in high praise of my execution of this almost
impracticable task--but coupled with the infamous lie derived from the
Government that, for my own personal benefit, I robbed the Treasury at
Maranham of 106,000 dollars; though in the concluding chapter _I will
print in full the receipt of every officer under my command for his
share of the money returned by the Junta_, the original receipts being
now in my possession for the inspection of the Brazilian Government, or
of any commission or persons it may choose to appoint for that purpose.
Were these services nothing, just as half the Empire had declared itself
Republican? Was my refusal to accept a bribe of 400,000 dollars from the
revolutionary president of Pernambuco the act of a man who would
afterwards conduct himself as has been falsely imputed to me? The
Brazilian Government cannot refuse to inspect or authorise the
inspection of the originals of documents contained in this narrative,
and if they consent, I have no fear but that the national honour will
yet do me justice.

It is not justice to have awarded to me the above-named pension
merely--even on the assumption of the Commissioners that I did leave the
service of my own accord--for that sum is _less than one half the simple
interest_ of the amount of which for thirty years I was, even by their
own admission, unjustly deprived. This may be a cheap way of liquidating
obligations, but it is not consistent with the honour of a nation thus
to delay its pecuniary obligations, and then _pay the principal with
less than half the interest_! I feel certain that when making an
award--which they admit could not be avoided--the Commissioners
inadvertently lost sight of this obvious truth.

Let me refer the Brazilian Government to the officially recorded
opinions of honourable men on the Commission, or "_Seccoes_," when
commenting upon this very inadequate reward about to be given after the
lapse of thirty years of unmerited obloquy, which would have sunk any
man unsupported by the consciousness of rectitude to a premature grave.

Senor Alvez Bhanco E Hollanda declared that "as a commemoration
of the benefits which Brazil had derived from Lord
Cochrane,