“MONSTROUS AND ILLEGAL PROCEEDINGS”: LAW ...

merchants. Dória then argued that Amaral “was the leader of this small and discredited
band, or faction, whose stripe does not possess the slightest glimpse of love of justice,
probity or generosity.” Not surprisingly, the Alegrete court agreed, citing Vianna for abuse
of office. 50
In doing so, the Ribeiros, through Teixeira, continued to challenge Amaral, Prado
Lima and their allies throughout the western borderlands, accusing them of corruption and
lawlessness at every turn. Conversely, with each legal decision, the Ribeiros further
established their claim to be the sole source for justice and legal rights in Alegrete’s comarca.
The Ribeiros’ ability to control the Alegrete courts and use them against their factional rivals
throughout the borderlands permitted them to consolidate their wealth and power in the
town by serving as the protectors of the personal reputations and reciprocal relationships of
their allies. In short, the court was an invaluable resource in securing their place as the
lynchpin of the system of borderlands legalities that defined Alegrete’s commercial and
political life.
The obvious power flowing from the control of Alegrete’s courts, however, equally
made it a tempting target for other elites along the border. By the late 1850s, the Ribeiros’
dominant judicial position in Alegrete was under assault from another important borderlands
figure with ties to Prado Lima and his allies, David Canabarro. Prior to the Farrapos
Rebellion, Canabarro was a rancher and merchant in Santana do Livramento along the
Uruguayan border. Through his modest commercial operations, Canabarro had developed a
number of political and personal ties in Alegrete, particularly with the Prado Lima family.
The Prado Limas had assisted Canabarro in setting up a commercial partnership in the town
50 Ibid.
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