Studying the young politician Teofilo Ottoni, this paper characterizes some aspects of Brazilian political culture and languages in the 1830's. The Sentinela do Serro, a newspaper edited by Ottoni between 1830 and 1832, and nowadays disappeared, played an important role in the disputes to republicanize Brazilian political life. Here we analysis some Sentinela's fragments published in different contemporary newspapers in order to confront them with interpretations made by Ottoni when he published his autobiography in 1860. Finally, we argue to the necessity of revise the triadic political definition (radicals, moderates, conservatives) generally applied to categorize this moment. This normative approach limits the understanding of some fundamental aspects of the republican experience made by Ottoni and his supporters.
Brazilian Regency; newspaper; republicanism