Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-12-04

The arbitrary right to shut one Of the citizens
this nation from the public highways not b.
any of our And if his neighbors must ALLOW
him free passage through their own lands to the
msrketwsy with how much more force does this humans
principle Of right apply to nations and their right to fol
low, through neighboring territory the great thorough
fares which nature has to lead from the nte
Of the land out upon the broad ocean, the great high
way of the world? e r
Brazil has no more right, in consequence OF her two
thousand miles Of Amazon between these people and the
sea, shut them up and out from the highways Of
than she would in the supposed case Of two miles
The policy Of the United States is the policy Of com
and do not wish ever to be on any terms with
Brazil but those Of peace and goodwill We buy now
half OF all her coffee, and coffee is her great staple She
is good customer Of too and we vsue highly our
present friendly relations with her but as highly as we
value them value still the everlasting principles
Of right.
We want nothing exclusive up the Amazon but we are
to the Amazon rather to the mouth of IL than
any other nation not excepting Brazil herself if we
count the distance in time and measure from Rio de ia
metro, and from New York New Orleans as the centres
Of the two countries. And therefore, it may well be
imagined that this miserable policy by which Brazil has
kept shut up and continuing to keep shut up from
man's-from Christian, civilized, enlightened mans-use
considered
the American people nuisance say an outrage
China wants to trade with u.s. but Japan stands by the
waysde and shuts herself up and out Of the world She
is not in the fellowship Of nations and we send feet
there to remind her that she be in this world and
live out of it at and the time God has put the
land she occupies this EARTH and she cannot take it
away by her policy
The five Spanish-Amercan republics want to trade up
and down the Amazon but Brazil worse than Japan on
the waysde stands right in the doorway and says ssNay
viii neither use the Amazon myself permit others
to use it, That great up-counry shall remain social
and commercial blank
Is it the policy of the great commercial nations to per
NIT that No; it is their policy than state of
war; and not of peace, is their policy.
In fine, the people of this country cannot look with
indifference at the policy Brazil has pursued and seems
disposed to continue to pursue with regard the Amazon
She and her rulers have had it for three years.
and the first practical step towards subdung it and de-
veloping its resources has yet to be taken
Under these circumstances appears to me that Brazil
if she persist in her dog policy with regard
to the Amazon and the countries drained by it. runs
some risk of getting up discussion among the enghten
ed and commercial nations to what her rights are to
the Amazon, and whether they not in danger of being
forfeited by non-usage.
This certainly is the question Of the day. The pro-
blem Of the age is that of the free navigation of the Anna
zon and the settlement of the Atlantic slopes of South
America
1t to stand out in after times and among all the great
things which this generation has already accomplished
as the achievement in its way of the nineteenth century
But it is not to be worked by the hand of violence or
the strong arm of power 1t is for science with its lights
diplomacy, with its skill commerce. with its influences
and peace with its blessings to bring such great
"a he al
the settlement and cultivation of the great Atlantic slopes
of South America.
With many thanks, Messrs. Editors, for lending so
many columns of your valuable journal to me and this
subject, conclude.
Very truly, yours INCA