«Nation» and «Emperor» in the First Constitution of Brazil

The paper is devoted to the «nation» and the «emperor», the key concepts of the first Constitution of Brazil of 1824. These concepts reflected the originality of the conceptual framework introduced by the Constitution, as well as the principles and purposes of the institutions it established, which were based on a variety of foreign source — historical and contemporary, ideological and legal. The study determines the extent to which the framers borrowed norms of Roman public law, the French Constitutions of 1791, the Spanish Constitution of 1812, the Portuguese Constitution of 1822, the Constitutional Charter of 1814, and the ideas of Benjamin Constant in shaping the conception of the emperor. It also identifies the provisions of the French Constitutions of 1791 and 1793, the Spanish Constitution of 1812, and the Portuguese Constitution of 1822 that inspired the Brazilian constituent power in formulating the concept of the nation. Particular attention is given to the historical context that predetermined the significance of these concepts, including the role of popular political activity and the convergence of interests between the population and that part of the Portuguese royal court that did not leave Brazil. The article identifies and analyzes the characteristic features of the understanding of the nation as the people — that is, the community of Brazilian citizens; its relationship to the concepts of empire and emperor; and its significance for determining the emperor’s title, his duty to be the protector of Brazil, the representative and Head of the Nation, and the holder, alongside executive power, of the moderating power intended to ensure the harmonious functioning of the institutional system of the Brazilian Empire. The author concludes that the concepts of the nation and the emperor embodied the distinctive features of the Constitution adopted in a country seeking recognition of its independence and the creation of its own statehood, and that they anticipated both its long period of operation and its influence on constitutional drafting in a number of other states.

1. Andreeva G.N., Khashchina E.E. Legal acts on independence in Latin America and Eastern Europe as sources of study of secession. Historical and Legal Problems: A New Angle. 2020;3:56-77.

2. Nersesyants VS. The history of bourgeois constitutionalism XVII–XVIII. Moscow: Nauka Publ.; 1983. (In Russ.).

3. Kirsanova N.V. Idea of a nation in Portugal. In: Bondarchuk VS. National idea in Western Europe in modern times. Essays on history. Moscow; 2005. (In Russ.).

4. Fausto B. A brief history of Brazil. Tr. by Okuneva and O. V. Okuneva. Moscow: Ves Mir Publ.; 2013. (In Russ.).

5. Cicero. Dialogues. Tr. by V.O. Gorenstein. Moscow: Lomir; Nauka Publ.; 1994. (In Russ.).

6. Afonso Campos G. Poder moderador na obra de Constant e na Constituição de 1824: pena de morte e sua comutação e perdão entre os escravos brasileiros no século XIX. Estudios de Filosofía Práctica e Historia de las Ideas. 2019;21:19

7. Catalano P. Popolo. Parte giuridica. Principi e Sistema. Enciclopedia di Bioetica e Scienza giuridica: In 12 Vol. Vol. 10. Napoli: Edizioni Scientifiche Italiane; 2016. P. 480–491.

8. Catalano P. Riflessioni di un romanista su alcuni aspetti della Tradizione giuridica brasiliana: impero e cittadinanza. E vós, Tágides Minhas A cura di M.J. de Lancastre, S. Peloso, U. Serani. Viareggio-Lucca; 1999.

9. Constant B. Principios de política aplicada a todos los gobiernos representativos T. 1. Trad. A. Zozaya. Madrid: Biblioteca Economica Filosofica; 1890. (In Russ.).

10. Fanni R., Pimenta J.P. La Asamblea Constituyente de Brasil de 1823 y la presencia de la América española. Revista Complutense de Historia de América. 2021;47:111-136.

11. Paz Silva J. La «santa ciudadanía» del imperio: confesionalidad como fuente restrictiva de derechos en Brasil (1823–1831): Tesis doctoral (Departamento de derecho público general). Salamanca: Universidad de Salamanca, 2014.

12. Poletti R. Concetto jurídico de imperio. — Brasília: Editora Consulex, 2009. 363 p.

13. Romero de Oliveira E. O império da lei: ensaio sobre o cerimonial de sagração de D. Pedro I (1822). Tempo. 2009;13(26):133-159.