A little-discussed fact is that the most popular newspaper in Rio de Janeiro during the years of Independence was also the most radical. Written by the Portuguese merchant — though self-proclaimed Brazilian — João Soares Lisboa, the Correio do Rio de Janeiro was a vehicle for a broad and somewhat complex set of political ideas: it advocated a socio-political model that combined republican sentiments, the legitimacy of popular sovereignty, and the maintenance of the monarchy as a political structure, all within the same space.
The Correio was the first newspaper in Rio de Janeiro to come out daily — or close to it. Its four pages — the standard page count of the time, by the way — were filled with articles written by João Soares Lisboa. But there was also room to publish readers' letters — among them Frei Caneca and Hipólito da Costa, well-known critics of the Braganza dynasty — and to reproduce news and commentary, published by Portuguese newspapers, about events on the other side of the kingdom.
Figure 1 — Correio do Rio de Janeiro, issue no. 2. April 11, 1822. Fundação Biblioteca Nacional.
Image description: The image is a black-and-white newspaper page. At the top, there is a number "N° 2" on the left and "80 réis" on the right. The title "CORREIO DO RIO DE JANEIRO" is centered at the top. Below the title, there is a quote attributed to "Filinto Elysio". The date "QUINTA FEIRA 11 DE ABRIL DE 1822" is highlighted below the quote. The body text is left-aligned, with well-defined paragraphs.In this political ferment in which Rio de Janeiro lived, in mid-1822, the Correio became a staunch defender of a "Brazilian" cause. In particular, the defense of a Brazilian constituent assembly: "let us represent to our Regent [d. Pedro] that we want, because we need, now, now and now, Cortes, Cortes, Cortes." In May, barely 30 days after its debut, the Correio called on the population of Rio de Janeiro to sign a document, ratifying the Representação do Povo do Rio de Janeiro — a petition delivered to d. Pedro, asking the prince regent to convene a Brazilian constituent assembly. More than six thousand people answered the call, and expressed their support for the proposal, which called for direct elections to choose the constituent deputies. D. Pedro and his ministers did not like the proposal at all.
In June 1822, d. Pedro authorized the convening of a Brazilian court, but without direct elections. The Correio do Rio de Janeiro then published, in a somewhat bold tone, its impressions of the regent's decision: "Ah! Sir, what have you done? A Constituent Assembly in which the sovereignty of the nation is represented is superior to you, and at the moment of its installation you cease to be prince in fact, retaining only your dignity by right!!!". And it concluded: "Who authorized Y.R.H. [Your Royal Highness] to order the opposite of what the People of this Province represented to him?".
It was neither the first nor the last act of insolence by João Soares Lisboa. In October 1822, days after the emperor's acclamation, he referred to Pedro I as follows: “there's a true democrat!!!”. To the emperor, that was a genuine insult — democracy, at the time, was linked to the events promoted by the French Revolution. Furthermore, in a veritable “fake news” of the era, he attributed to d. Pedro a statement that, most certainly, the monarch never made: “Brazil needs and must be free in order to be happy, and, if the people express a general desire to be republicans, they will find no opposition in me; on the contrary, I shall do everything I can so that they may achieve it, and I am content to be their fellow citizen”.
For these and other reasons, João Soares Lisboa was the target of lawsuits brought by members of the cCourt of d. Pedro. He was indicted for the crime of "atrocious slander" in August 1822 — probably the first person accused of abusing freedom of the press in Brazil. In October, the Correio do Rio de Janeiro would be banned. João Soares Lisboa spent the following months between exile and prison.
Figure 2 — Opinion no. 7 on the arrest of João Soares Lisboa. May 27, 1823. Chamber of Deputies Collection [BR DFCD AC1823-E-275]
Image description: The image is a photograph of an old document, handwritten in Portuguese. It is dated May 28, 1823. The paper is white with yellow stains, suggesting age. Several signatures stand out at the bottom. The text is left-aligned, with some longer lines extending to the end of the page. At the top, there is a date written prominently, followed by a series of numbers and symbols.In 1823, the Correio began circulating again under an unusual condition. To readers who wished for a subscription to the newspaper, Soares Lisboa announced, on July 28: "This periodical shall continue to be published daily in special issues [...]. Whoever wishes to subscribe should go to the Jail, where the Editor currently resides." Lisboa continued running his newspaper from inside prison thanks to a concession from Pedro I, since the Correio's preferred target was José Bonifácio, the former minister who, at the height of his prestige, ordered an inquiry against his opponents — among them, Soares Lisboa — but who at that moment was being sidelined by d. Pedro.
Em November 1823, with the closing of the Constituent Assembly, decreed by d. Pedro, new censures and deportations came. The Correio do Rio de Janeiro and João Soares Lisboa were once again the target of police raids. The newspaper was shut down for good, and its editor sentenced to exile in France — a fate he ultimately did not fulfill: he secretly landed in Pernambuco, in 1824, and joined the ranks that defended the Confederation of the Equator. All indications suggest he died in combat that very same year.
Figure 3 — Oath of D. Pedro I, Emperor of Brazil, to the Constitution of 1824. Arquivo Nacional. Fundo Secretaria de Estado do Brasil. [BR_RJANRIO_86_COD_0_0852_doc 42]
Image description: The image is a photograph of an old document with borders decorated by floral and foliage elements in shades of pink, orange, and green. The document's background is yellowed, suggesting its age. At the top, there is a round seal with black text. The main text is written in Portuguese and takes up most of the document, with clearly visible letters organized into paragraphs. The side borders are adorned with floral and foliage motifs, also in shades of pink and orange. In the center, there is a prominent inscription, but it is not possible to fully read its content. The document appears to be of historical importance, possibly related to a country's constitution.Bibliographic References
ENDERS, Armelle. A história do Rio de Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro: Gryphus Editora, 2015.
DOLHNIKOFF, Miriam. José Bonifácio. The Defeated Patriarch. São Paulo: Companhia das Letras, 2012
LUSTOSA, Isabel. Insultos impressos: the journalists' war during Independence, 1821-1823. São Paulo: Companhia das Letras, 2000.
PEDREIRA, Jorge Miguel Viana; COSTA, Fernando Dores. D. João VI: a prince between two continents. São Paulo: Companhia das Letras, 2008.
SODRÉ, Nelson Werneck. História da imprensa no Brasil. Rio de Janeiro: Maud, 1999.
STARLING, Heloisa Maria Murgel; DE LIMA, Marcela Telles (Eds.). Vozes do Brasil: a linguagem política na Independência (1820-1824). Brasília: Edições do Senado Federal, 2021.
