The Sun.
London, England, 1861-06-20 00:00:00

THE EMPRESS DOWAGER OF BRAZIL

AND EER SLAVES,

We have been desired to publish the following
translation of a letter which has appeared in the
Correia Mercantile of Rio de Janeiro. We comply
with this request, in the hope than an august lady
resident in Europe may have a chance of learning
how her character for kindness and humanity is
compromised:by her:agents on the other side of the
Atlantic :

Sir,—l am neither an English saint nor an Ame-
rican abolitionist. lam a man, a Christian, and a
Brazilian. I am convinced that it is not the fault
of the present generation that the social wound
called slavery exists, which retards our moral and
intellectual development, but which at present it is
impossible to extirpate.
I approve, however, whenever I observe that the
kindness of the Brazilian character, and the mild-
ness of our customs soften the horrors of such an
institution.

In Brazil owners have not the power of life and
death over their slaves. House-born children gene-
rally form part of the family. To sell one of these
is by many planters considered quite as painful as
if they were disposing of their own children.
Planters who have no family are generally humane
and generous in their wills, frequently bequeathing
freedom to large numbers.
Even amongst those who have families many
avail themselves of the right the laws give them to
dispose as they choose of the third part of their
property and free their slaves (1).
Two years since the Correio Mercantile noticed
the will of a philanthropic millionaire, the late Mr.
Antonio Joze de Brito, who manumitted a great
number of his slaves and left them Government
stock and household property, the income from
which was quite sufficient to secure the subsistence
of those he had benefited.

When a widow lady has a large estate her slaves,
encouraged by numerous precedents, expect free-
dom when they lose their mistress, who in general
they love and respect more as a mother than as an
owner.

And if this is so generally when ladies possess
estates, what deep -visions of the future and of
freedom will have been indulged in by the poor
families, slaves, consisting of 140 individuals,
Brazilians (2), who have had the misfortune
to be born in slavery on the Macaco estate, but
who, knowing by report the high and virtuous qua-
lities of their 'mistress, the august widow of our
first Emperor, considered themselves comparatively-
happy, and cherished well-founded hopes of free-
dom, common to those who belong to religious and
charitable ladies. They never expected to belong
to another owner—and with reason. -It is quite
an excusable idea that a slave who belongs to a
royal personage cannot be transferred to the power
of another owner.

His Imperial Majesty the Duchess of Braganza
certainly cannot know that 140 Brazilians are to be
sold by public auction. lam well aware that her
Majesty the Empress makes good use of her money;
the benevolent institutions of Portugal tells us that.

Her Imperial Majesty would be-better advised
by her comptrollers, if they were to remind her that
her charity in general has not been exercised in
favour of Brazilians, and if the estate of Macaco
yields her no revenue it would be better to sell the
land and houses, and give freedom to the Christians
who are living there as slaves of her Imperial
Majesty.
Trading in human flesh in the name of, and for
the profit of, such an estimable Princess is to me a

horrible thing.
How much will the comptrollers receive from
this wretched merchandise ? Certainly not the
tenth part of what her Majesty the Empress
Dowager has received from the coffers of Brazil in
pension and dowry.
Why is not her Majesty the Empress Dowager
reminded of the example of his Majesty the Em-
peror of Russia, who is now freeing the millions of
slaves that are in his dominions.
___

Her Majesty the Empress Dowager will not wish
in charitable and religious feeling to be beneath
many ladies that are here in this vast region of
Santa Cruz (3).
Rather more than two years ago a widow lady
solemnised the 7th of September (4) by liberating
on that day many dozens of her slaves.
I beg, therefore, Counsellor Faria, the very
worthy agent of her Majesty the Empress, to stop
this unhappy sale •of Brazilians that is about to
tarnish the renown of the august widow of the
Founder of our Empire.
(Signed) MONARCHISTA:

(1). By the Brazilian laws a married man can only be-
queath one-third of half his property, the remainder belongs
to his wife and lawful children.
(2) By the Brazilian constitution all persons born in Bra-
zil are Brazilians, whatever may be their colour and condi-
tion ; if free, they are Brazilian citizens.
(3) Brazil is sometimes called the land of Santa Cruz.
(4) The 7th of September is the anniversary of Brazilian
declaration of independence.