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Title: The implicit meanings in private correspondence, their seizure and decoding by the

Intendência Geral de Polícia (1828- 1834)

Ana Leitão

ABSTRACT

The study of letter writing, especially concerning private correspondence, bring into the light of
our days personal perceptions about human relations, representations of the self and everyday
life impressions and experiences, as well as the usage of certain language mechanisms in order
to interact with other individuals.

Such primary sources, on the other hand, may also become a great challenge to the researcher,
since their study as historical documents require a deeper and a multi-dimensional analysis. In
fact, to better understand the original goals and material conditions, even the most apparently
simple letter – especially if dealing with legal proceedings – require: the decoding of verbal
and/or non-verbal messages – between manipulation, encrypted language and the usage of
figure of speech; the identification of the situational context of letter while being written,
transmitted and received.

Among the universe of manuscripts undertaken by literate, semi-literate and illiterate during
the early modern Portuguese period, numerous can be found in judicial archives, as I had the
opportunity to observe during my Post-PhD in the project Post Scriptum. Such is the case of
many letters gathered by the Portuguese authorities during the government of Dom Miguel,
which content provide important data to better portrait the kingdom of Portugal. This is the
result of several strategies of surveillance, search and seizure of the liberal suspects, as well as
of their correspondence.

In this paper I will analyze epistolary and ideological correspondence written and/or owned by
suspicious liberal individuals, which documentation has been found during my research of Post-
PhD in the project Post Scriptum, conducted in the Linguistics Centre from the University of
Lisbon. The sources selected come from political criminal records (1828-1834), as well as from
miscellaneous papers of the Intendência Geral de Polícia, both hold by the National Archives of
Portugal. As I intend to demonstrate, such manuscripts were used as documentary evidence due
to certain letter writing properties found by the police services of the king and other judicial
ministers all over the kingdom. Despite the variety of attempts of hidden identity, the usage of
figures of speech, encrypted messages and even of invisible ink, even the apparently most
ingenuous writings seemed to be unable to escape social and political control.

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