The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-07-29
THE UNION.
CITY OF wAsHING TON,
BRAZIL AND BUENos AYREs.
70 t4s Edilor Of the Unions ., .....


7 To tho Editor Of the Ussions y ...... ....
sa...r RIo DE JAsEIno, June 6, 1876.
SaA The affairs Of this part Of the world in
ereasing much IN interest and importance, that
have thought IL might be agreeable 10 you and 10
your readers 10 have some information concerning
lhem more precise than Is furnished by the public
journals. r. ...
The principal event here Of late has been a
change Of ministry, owing TO dissensions which had
Occurred during the recent voyage of the Emperor
between the commander Of the squadron, Admiral
Grsnfell, Englishman in the service Of Brazil,
and senior Jose Carlos de Almeida Torres the Min
ster OF the Empire, or Secretary OF State for the
Home Department The latter Immediately upon
his reiurn endeasored 10 obtain satisfaction for the
insult which he said the dignity of the Crown had
received in his person, by requesting the Minister
Of Manne--Hollanda Cavalcanti--to take due no.
lce Of the admiral's conduct. But that personage,
having received the imperial command, when he
went on board the frgate 10 welcome his Majesty
back 10 thank all the officers Of all the yessels,
without exception, for their department during the
cruise had already issued the document, In which
the admiral with his subordinates, was eulogized
in the most Astiering terms. Senior Torres in con
sequence, forthwith rendered his resignation, and
was followed by the Ministers Of Foreign AffairS,
Of the Treasury, and Of Justice, tho Minister OF
Manne--who was performing the duties Of Minis.
ter Of War ad inisyim-being left alone in the cabi-
net. He was then directed by the Emperor TO form
a new administration, which he soon did, he as
suming the treasury, and retaining, also, for the
TINS beng his old post of the navy. Ii would seem
thas the Emperor took sides, TO speak, with the
admiral Indeed il is well known that he sent word
to him on board aot to mind what the minister
might say, his secretary ''muito NAL eriado--
very badly brought up The latter is a man OF
CANT disposition, who assumed it appears, more au-
thony on the water than the admiral was willing to
concede to him. He had also brought himself into
some disfavor by endeavoring, when the court was
in the province Of 81. Pauls, to present to the EN-
press a lady-the Warehouses Of S.-who had been
the svowed mistress Of Don Pedro !, and whom
her Majesty percmptorily refused to receive. Irri.
tsed 10 imprudence, he observed that her Majesty
had been approached in Rio by persons quite as
unworthy a. the uiarchioness; to which she replied
that II such were the fact was his fault and not
hers, he being acquainted with their characters
which she, stranger, could not be-and officially
bound to protect her from improper contact. Moth
ing, il may be remarked, can exceed the personal
rsspectability Of the present imperial couple. The
scahdalous scenes which disgnccd the previous
reign have had salutary antidote in the virtues
which now adorn the palace, the influence of which
upon The nation cannot fa 10 be beneficial =
The dissolution ofthe cabinet just before the meet
ingof the chambers, was productive of awkward eff
fscts. The reports prepared BY the administers
had to be presented by their successors, from whom,
Just installed az they were in Office they came with
rather prepostsrous airthough as the latter fortu-
nately, profess the SEINE policy as the others, they
were enabled to assume their statements and opn-
ions without belng compromised. The report OF
the Minister rather examinister Of foreign affairs is
very ,sluminous publication, and Limpo de Abren
has been highly applauded for being SO much more
copious in the information communicated by him
than were any Of his predecessors. There can be
little doubt that this gentleman Is the best foreign
secretary that Brazil has perhaps ever had and his
retirement is serious loss not only to the country,
but TO all those with whom he was brought into
official contact. His industry, in particular, was
admirably conras.ed with the careless Incidence of
most of the functionaries from whom answers to
diplomatic notes are required; who seemed to cher
ish profound respect for the time-honored maxim,
that the least said il the soonest mended. If he did
not do more for the claims Of our countrymen 1t was
owing to the indispensable obstacles presented by the
state, whose action is always indispensable, is a
vast pigeon-hole, where papers that are once filed
away are allowed to take their chance with the
white ant and the dust--a kind of chancery In
which suits are quietly consigned TO the sleep OF
ages, buried without book or candle. The allusion
in the report to the United States, is in the friend
Hest spirit and shows that there is an appreciation
here of the the advantages accrung from our In
ercourse, which must lead to excellent results.
Senior Limpo was called upon in the chamber OF
representatives to explain the ministerial changes,
and after mentioning what have stated, expressed
strong regret that the construction OF the cabl-
net in this country is 80 weak as to permit II to
be ovcrthrown by such trivial causes. The chief
defect complained of is the want Of a head. There
IS no premier here as in England and France--no
one minister who has any the slightest control
over the rest; and this in monarchical government
Is pronounced to be serious evil which will always
be source of confusion and insecurity. The pres
ehi minister of foreign affairs is member of the
Llsboa family, TO which the Brazilian envoy at
Washington belongs. He enjoys high reputation
for honesty and general worth; but he is not man
OF any intellectual prepoence, and 1t Is supposed
That he is only appointed for the nonce, until some
oftier "illusratation" can be obtained. The whole
CABINET, in fact, is deemed ps-atier affair,
which will he "of few days and full Of trouble"
II can boast Of no man Of commanding mind and
influence; and although it will probably be supported
oy the late Minister'S and their friends as it has in
scrbed their motto of ustice and Cancellation" on
its banner, it will be an administration on mere
sufierance, liable to be be blown "devious into the
transverse air" by the ighest wind that is unpro-
piuons Sr. Cavalcanti, its creator, is it's most
powerful member; but he can scarcely be considered
sdequae to sustain the medocrity of his colleagues.
some idea may be formed Of his notions of ver-
aeity, from his assertion IN the Senate, that had
AZ not been for the speech of Sr. Torres, in
which he was roughly handled, he should have de-
CARED that the sole cause Of the breaking up Of the
cabinet was the fact Of its having lived twenty-sev-
en- months longevity so unprecedented in Brazil
as 70 De quite sufficient to explain its dissolution
by mere old age. The venerable individual whose
exit was hymned by our great poet, in the lines
"Of no misfortune, Of no grief he died .
q But fell like autumn fruit that mellows long,
might have been deemed the prototype Of "the adj
mnistraton Of the 23d Of February" if Sr. C. had
not been compelled to speak the truth instead of
protesting that it expired from its funess of honors
and Of months. Not the smallest comment was
ventured by any Of the lustrious senators on this
open ayowal Of an intention to tell a falsehood
which, peradventure, he would have credit for as
quite master-stroke Of craftsmanship. ....
The chambers were opened on the LIST Of May by
the emperor with the customary formaties. The
speech from the throne is Of the usual shorness and
sweetness Of royal harangues. In the lower house,
the debates have been unusually interesting and an
imsted from the outset The ivote Of thanks fur
nished at once an occasion to the opponents Of the
late cabinet to review its conduct which was done
with acrimonious vehemence, especially as TO the
gary which il enacted in the affairs Of the river Plate
The share which il had 10 causing the Intervention
was subject Of sharp attack, and IL may also be
said Of successful defence. The mission Of the
Vscount d'Abrontes was generally believed TO have