Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1845-05-02

THE United States and Brazil. Our readers are
freshly reminded, by the comments upon ii in the
British Parliament which have reached us by the
last steamer, Of the Message Of President Tyler to
Congress, founded on communications received here
in February from the Minister of the United States
at Rio Janeiro, touching the prosecution OF the
Slave Trade by citizens Of the United States as
well as British subjects, notwithstanding the penal
laws and the existing treaties between the two
countries for its prevention and abolition. This
remnant of the Slave Trade it is understood, our
Minister (IIon. Henry A. Wise) had, under sense
OF duty as the Representative of his country, and
with something Of that vehemence which seems to
be inseparable from his public character singular.
y the reverse of the tenor of his private life-set
himself about extirpatng, by process more sum-
mary than was entirely acceptable to the Govern
ment to which he was accredited, and, if the cur.
rent reports are well-founded, by means rather
more energetic than the usual course ofdiplomacy.
OF what has actually passed between our Minis
ter and the Brazilian authorities we have no doubt
that our Government is well informed, by commit
ncatlons from Mr.. WISE if not also by remon-
strances from the Government of Brazil and that
the country will in time be informed upon proper
authority, what is the true state of the case.
at present, however, our information on the sub
lject through the medium OF extracts from mercan-
tile letters which find their way into the newspa-
pers, is very indistnct. We can only infer GER
tdIIy IToul tnese accounts tnat really serious ult-
ficuly has arisen between our Minister and the
Government of Brazil, for the history and conse-
quences of which it is proper that our readers
should hold themselves prepared.
The following letter. written apparently by a
young officer on board of one of our vessels OF
war, though far from satisfactory, affords the clear.
est glimpse we have yet had of the occurrences in
the harbor of Rio Janairo early in February, being
some five or six weeks later than the date of Mr.
WisC's dispatches transmitted to Congress by the
late President:
II Letter published IN the C7eueland Piaindealer
RIO DE JANEIRo, Feb. 9, 1874
The Brazilian Government have nsulted our
Minister here, and also the Consul and in fact the
American officers and the flag daily. The Minis
ter has written on to Washington about it to know
how he shall act-wheher he shall declare war or
not, and to send him out a larger fleet. The Bra
zlllians are fitting out all their ships of war, and
preparing their forts, that every thing looks like
war here. They are impressng men every day on
board their vessels Of war, and come out boldly
and say to our commander and officers they are
ready to go to war and give the id Yankees a
licking. The English and French here are laugh
ing in their sleeves at it. We took an American
slave brig, called the Porpoise of Brunswick, a
fortnight ago. with the slaves on board, and $4,000
in gold and silver with $4,000 worth of gold dust.
We kept her for week, under charge OF the fri
gate, but the authorities here command her, and
fact made the Minister and commander give her
up, or they would have sunk us. They had all their
ships around u.s. and their forts double-manned and
their guns double -shotted, to blow us ont of water
if we attempted to resist that we must have a
war, recall our navy home and pocket the insult.