The National Register.
London, England, 1817-06-02 00:00:00

INSURRECTION IN S'OUTII AMERICA.

The Tigris, of 44 guns, Captain Henderson, arrived
at Portsmouth from the Leeward Island station, last
from St. Kitt's, in forty-two days, has brought
dispatches for Government from Rear-Admiral Har-
vey, announcing a revolution in the Brazils, which
took its rise on the 7th ult. in the province of Pernam-
buco, but had since extended to the adjoining six pro-
vinces of Rio Grande, Para, Siara, Marignan, Puy-
caba, and Tamura.
The cause of this commotion is ascribed to the uni-
versal discontent that had prevailed for some time both
among the troops and militia, trnd among the people:
the firmer from receiving no pay, nor even the means
of existence; and the latter, from the heavy contribu-
tions and excessive conscriptions which had been rigour.
ously levied for the meditated conquests in Paragon,
and on the Rio de la Pluto, with which they had not
only no concern, but esteemed inimical to their inte-
rests. It appears certain that the Court of Rio Janeiro
had intelligence for seine time of conspiracies in differ-
ent districts of the northern provinces; and it had trans-
pired that, on a given day, the troops were to receive
orders for the military execution of 150 leading indivi-
duals, civil and military, in those parts. An accident
precipitated the execution of the meditated revolution.
A colonel of a regiment having, for some unknown
cause, accused one of his officers on the parade of be..
ing a traitor, the latter, who was real!), implicated in
the conspiracy, imagined that he had been discovered,
and that this was the signal for the massacre, drew his
sword, and laid the colonel dead at his feet. The bells
were then rung, and the population of the place, as
well as the troops, rose with one consent, seized the
shipping in the ricer, which they stripped of their
guns and anunimition. Search was also made for arias
of every kind. A strict embargo was laid on the foreign
ships in the harbour, which was evaded only by the
ship Rowena, an English vessel, which effected her
escape, and brought the news to the Leeward Islands.
The Governor of Pernambuco at first thought of resist-
ance, but foetid the whole force that he could rely on
consisted of his personal staff. He retired, however,
to die fort, where he was compelled next day to sur-
render. He was not molesual in his persoa or proper-
ty, and tune was allowed hint to depart for Rio Janeiro,
which he did. The country people of all (lasses were
poured into the town of Pernambuco, enthusiastic in
the cause, which it would 'seem had been previously
organised with coasidarable address unl ability. A
,otearcss was called, but in the mean time a committee
of government, headed by Signor Domingo Martinea
took charge of affairs. The intended constitution was
already icroloulicated, the basis of which was, tlatt

JUNE 2.

these provinces should be governed like the North
American States—liberty of conscience, and unbound-
ed freedom of trade, being the leading principles.
Private letters brought by the Tigris add, that the
insurrection was general throughout the whole of the
Portuguese Brazilian territories; and that the inde-
' pendenta had taken possession of Bahia, and St. Sal-
vador, and were daily gaining strength. This pit.
lar commotion, it was understeel, had been produeed
by the many restrictions ishich had been laid on traire
—the absence of' the Portuguese troops at Monte Vi-
deo—and the success that had attended the efforts of
the Spanish independents.
The Tigris left the Antelope and Brazen at Barba-
does ; the Scamander and Childers at St. Kitt's. The
Larne, Captain Lowe, had arrived out, with dis-
patches from England for Admiral Douglas. Thu
Tigris being reduced from the peace establishment will
be paid off.
Other intelligence of great importance has arrived
from South America, by the Colonel Allan, Captain
M'Lennon, arrived from the North West Company's
settlement on the rieer Columbia, and last from Bue-
nos Ayres. Letters and Gazettes to the pith of March
have been received, which infOrm us, " that the Bue-
nos Ayres army, commanded by General San Martin,
and destined to revolutionize Chili, has met with most
complete success. On the Htli of February, the in.
surgants mat the royalists near Chabuco, defeated them
in a general action, and the result of this victory is said
to be the downfal of the Spanish power in this interest-
ing portion of the South American Continent. A new
form of government was instantly organised in the ca-
pital of Santiago, and the supreme directorship con-
tided to Don Barnardo O'Higgists, who issued a pro.
donation, congratulatory of the event, to the people
of Chili. On the 13th of March, three of the enemy's
standards, two taken on the coast of Valparaiso and
the other at Llamparues, in Upper Peru, reached
Buenos Ayres.—The former Spanish Governor of
Chili, Marco del Pont, had been taken by the patriots.
The army of the Andes, with General San Martin at
its head, was expected to recross the Andes mountains
before the winter closed them, with a large body of
Chilenian auxiliaries, to fall on the rear of the royalist
army acting in Peru."
What the conduct of our Government will be in this
new state of affairs, we presume not to anticipate. But
we may safely state that, guided by the principles laid
down iu the important note now published, they will
act in concert with the other Courts of Europe, and
do every thing which equity and justice prescribe, " to
preserve, as much as is in their power, the peace of
the world, purchased by such great sacrifices."
After the defeat of the Spanish troops, Marco, the
royalist governor of Chili, was made prisoner in
his flight towards Conception ; and the treasure taken
on the occasion amounted to upwards of 800,000 dollars.
The Governor of Valpara►so escaped in an armed
vessel. General Sorna, successor to Peaeukt, was ex-
pected to retire immediately to Potosi.
Extract of a letter from Admiral Harvey, at Barba-
does, dated April ‘23.—" Considerable British property
was at Pernambuco when the revolution broke out :
five vessel:: were nearly laden, but none were permitted
to leave the port. The Rowena only obtained leave
through the personal influence of Mr. Bowen. All
the guns, and other arms and ammunation had been
taken from the vessels of every nation in the port ; and
great precautions taken to prevent the rising of the
negroes, by removing all offensive weapons from their
possession."
A letter from Buenos Ayres, dated March 17,
says : " The market is rising, and every kind of sta-
ple goods in cottons is in demand ; considerable pur-
chases have been made for Chili, great hopes being
entertained that the road to Potosi and upwards will
be again open. It is said that a dispatchof the Viceroy
of Pcru has been found in Chili, stating that he had
only 300 hit aired Eurapean troops in the capital, and
it is presumed that the royal forces in upper Peru
• must fall back on lieta."

For scrim years past, details respecting the popula-
tion of Brazil h►ve been published in several French
Journals, which appear to be the result of the enume-
ration of 1798. Aecording to these Journals the popu-
lation of Brazil consists of 800,000 Whites, 1,000,000
of Indians, and ,500,000 Negroes; in all 3,300,000.
It to this be added the natural augmentation in a
space of eleven or twelve years, we are persmulA
that the actual population of Brazil must be nearly
4,000,000.

Bessant, a pauper, in St. Michael'. parish, Winches.
ter, gained a Ifith of' a 20,0001. in the late Lottery.
The Corporation of Bristol have now a plan bcf,re
them fire firming a new read from that city to London,
by which the distance will be reduced full i G miles.
A pumter, observing two Sheriff's officers, running
after an ingenious but distressed author, remarked,
that it was a new edition of the " Pursuits of Litera-
tam," unbound, but liot-pressed.
The poor-rates of the parish of Plymstock, in Deror.
shire, which three years ago did not excetd 60). per
annum, now exceed; 13001. fur the same puludi

.TUNE 2,

LITERAIVRE.

THE HISTORY OT THE 3EICS.-11v fl tNN %11 ADAMS.

(Concluded from our lust.)

AFTFR the Jews had been banished from France in
1330, by Philip the Tall, they took rethge in Lom-
bards., and gave to the fbreign mexhants' hills of ex-
change, drawn upon those to whom they entrusted
their effects at parting, and those bills were accepted.
Thus " commerce wan seen to arise from the bosun' of
vexation and despair," 2 Monte* (ht. It was reserv-
ed for an oppressed people to invent a method by which
merchants, in regions the most remote from each other,
could procure the velue of their commodities, without
the inconvenience of transporting gold and silver. In
this way the Jews often eluded the violence and ra-
pacity of their enemies; the richest among them fre-
quently having none but invisible effects, which they
could convey imperceptibly wherever they pleased.
Thus they accelerated their return ; for though the
Princes were willing to banish their persons, they
wished to retain their wealth. Sec French Enevel.
and Gregoire ()bser. sur des Juifs. Hannah Adams,
id,. 29(.
The Jews have long been numerous in the Otto- I
man Empire, particularly at Constantinople ; they in-
?whited a suburb in Galata, which was called the Jewry,
in the time of the Crusades. Though hated anti des-
pised by the Turks, they rendered themselves so useful I
by their skill in pecuniary transactions, that they ear- I
tied on the greatest part of the commerce of the coon-
try; and Christians, as well as Turks, employed a Jew-
ish broker in all their negotiations. Among other
privileges, they obtained that of selling wine, and it
was supposed, that which they prepared was of the :
purest kind, because they are prohibited by their law I
from nuttingg any mixtures. Basnage, 718. Gregoire,
131. 2 Adams, 16.
They afterwards settled in Thessalonica, now called 1
Saloniehi, where they have remained since the time of
St. Paul. They have for ages possessed a considerable
•catlemy, and in later times a printing office has been
established. 2 Adams, 18.
The author's researches have enabled her to give a
succinct representation of the impostor Zuhathai Tzevi,
who, to avoid the Turkish ordeal of impalement, re-
nounced his pretensions to the holy office of Messiah,
and became a Mahometan, in 1675.
Of the Jews in Ethiopia, a curious but brief sum-
mary of their peaceful state is mentioned, and also of
the Falasha in Abys'inia, who claim their descent
from a colony of Jews in the time of Soloaton ; their
ambitious attempts to usurp the throne, and their de-
feat and retirement to the mountains of Lumen ; where
Mr. Bruce found them in their capital, named the
Rock, v. 2, 114. They claim to be of the tribe of Ju-
dah, and he fistula them to consist of 100,000 effective
men. Their Old Testament is in the Greek language,
which they speak, having lost the Hebrew, and do
not possess either Hebrew or Samaritan copies—they
maintain, that the scepter has not departed from Judah,
and apply the prophecy of the gathering of the Gentiles
to the flttore appearance of the Messiah. It is remark-
able, that in this latter point, all Jews, wherever they
are scattered, agree—that they still expect a Messiah,
as a temporal prince.
The Jews in Cairo are very numerous and opulent,
they take the farm of the custom house every two years,
which is let to them for the Grand Seignor—they are
Pharisees or Talmudists ; they have several syna-
gogues, and shut the customs on their Sabbath, so
that no goods can pass on that clay. They are also
very numerous in Morocco ; and spread over the face of
the whole country since their expulsion from Spain and
rortugal. Yet they have never acquired any perma-
nent settlement or security ; and while they suffer per-
secution, their superior knowledge to the Moors renders
them useful agents, and thus they find consolation in
enriching themselves by their arts, which sometimes
leads them to renounce Judaism for the Koran. Al-
though their numbers at .Algiers are greet, yet they do
not appear to have been noticed in the late assault by
Lord Exmouth. Gregoire relates, that at Fez a day is
appointed fur the dews' payment and tribute, and
when they have laid it down they receive a blow on
the feet, they then make profound obeisance and retire—
Thus no persecution or indignity scent ever to induce
them to leave the place where they have settled ; and
we are told by Mr. Park, that even out African Moor
deduced, that though he were a Christian, he should be
better than a Jew.
As our historian approaches nearer to modern times,
she becomes more eircianstantial and devotes much of
her attention to the different parts of Europe, where the
efihrts for and against the house of Israel, have been
as ingenious as severe.—The reformation, which has
D'Levi's grateful thanks, in great measure freed the
Jews from the persecutions to which they had been
sertainly exposed in the middle ages ; but they entertain-
ed a hatred against Luther for having deterred some
Christian Princes from receiving them into their domi-
nions. The author is every where careful to preserve
the name and title of most of the Jewish works of any
note which have appeared, and also the origin or tradi-
tion of the Jews first settling in any country ; both which