The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-01-01
FROM SOUTH AMERICA.
Rio DE JANEIRo, October !. 1851
he Editor of the National Era =.

o he EdHOT OF nc NuitOflGt Era -
Since my arrival in this country, | have
heard and read 80 much that is interesting on
the subject of Slavery and the Slave Trade.
that some account Of it may not be without
value to you at home. The position of Brazil,
and the state Of public sentiment in relation TO
these questions, is tolerably well understood in
England, as shown by the tone of anti-slavery
publications there, and by recent statements of
Lord Palmerston and others in the House of
| Commons But in the United States, we have
| given but Little attention to the progress of
anti-slayery opinion and action among our
slaveholding rivals in this hemisphere. Some
knowledge of it, therefore may be as rare to
you as it has been to me.
| With about the same number of slaves that
we haye-somewhere between three and three
and a half millions-the question of the per-
petuation or the extinction of slavery is be-
coming one of paramount Importance in this
country as in ours Here, too, as there. the
real question is often disguised under false and
plausible issues and in various respects there is
| considerable likeness between the circum-
stances attending the anti-slavery movements
in Brazil and those occurring in the United
States.
From the period when lin 1924 the sepa-
ton of Brazil from Portugal and the establish
ment of liberal Constitution, first opened the
door to free thought and discussion. there have
not been wanting sagacious honest Brazilians
who have raised their voices against the Slave
Trade and Slavery. As early as 1923, a most
eloquent essay upon the subject, accompanied
by welldigested project for the gradual abo-
lition of Slavery, and for the protection of
slaves during its continuance, was prepared for
the Constituent Assembly by Jose Bonifacio de
Andrada-the so-called Patriarch of lnde-
pendence "a man whose requirements, en-
tightened views, and high character, would
have done honor to any age or nation. In this
document, 1t is curious to see, the whole system
OF Slavery is attacked with the selfsame argu-
ments and illustrations, drawn from its social
economical, and political evils and from its in
herent wickedness and injustice, which are even
now, at a distance Of twenty-eight years, most
current with us. But the humane Andrada
was too much in advance of his time; and his
countrymen, turning deaf ear to his stirring
appeal, 'Te-.. .rsa7iO s,Is =. Ticsnssnld laying
aA .~teye eslassx n sei..,s4fs -. ~
,h4resthHles f'TS. ~ '-'-'''"~A n an
~ treaty With, England - nD'-"~ ond 10 the
I3..,y ..oaJ NON and stsetry1 z; year 1881. 90
potent however, was the influence of the slave
dealers and so ayerse were the planters to any
check to their supply of hands, that the Gov
eminent was never fairly enlisted in support of
the treaty, and the laws passed in conformity
with 1t were allowed TO remain dead letter.
Thus passed long years, during which an aver
| age of some forty OF fifty thousand Africans
were annually imported, while the persevering
efforts of Great Britain to obtain from the Gov
eminent a fair compliance with the terms of
the treaty proved utterly unavailing The last
| general election, in l84S was carried by the
money and influence of the slave-dealers and
their allies, the traders of the city and the
| planters of the country, and new four years
lease OF power was thereby given to their crea-
lures and friends
AT length, in 1850, Great Britain effectually
took the staff into her own hands and while
Brazil, under one pretence and another had
tailed to stop the trade, as she had nineteen
years before agreed to do the British cruisers on
thus coast were instructed to do it for her.
Short time suflieed for this A few seizures,
burnings and sinkings, even within the waters
OF Brazil, and under the very guns of her forts,
brought the question of the traffic. as it is
called, to speedy and satisfactory solution
For the first time, the eyes of the Government
were opened to its own duties as party to the
treaty. The national flag outraged, and ma
honal property destroyed, within sight of the
capital itself, the men in power must needs dc
something and they were too we'll aware OF
the real aspect Of their cause as respects
Great Britain, not to know that, as the frs,
, step towards suspension of British aggressions
2 decisive measures must at length be taken t,
make good the plighted faith of Brazil To tn
existing Administration this had now becom
matter of life and death there was no othe
alternative for them. Their past friends-th
acknowledgements accordingly obliged to fl,
the country to escape prosecution under law
, long disregarded; and new and vigorous Law
was passed, arming the Government with full
power to ferret out seize, and confscate or pun
ish every vessel and individual implicated in any
manner in the Slave Trade. This was in Sep
TENDER of last year, and from that time to this
the Government has not relaxed its suppressive
efforts, SO that the traffic may be considered
for the time being, as entirely at an end And
strange to say, this sudden revolution in the
national policy imposing disgrace and exile,
and heavy loss of property, upon some of the
most wealthy and influential men in the coun-
try, finds not only cordial support in the ma
ton at large, but not even voice is raised
against it. The conservative party now in DOW
er seem actually strengthened by the energy of
their measures, while the liberal party, defeat
ed at the last election mainly through the in
fuence of the saye-dealers, are even more
strongly committed by all their antecedents to
hostility to the traffic.
This happy consummation would seem thus
| far to have been owing solely to the action of
| the British Government by means of its steam
| cruisers. But this cause alone would not ac-
count for the practical submission of the Gov
eminent to acts of violence not even vet dis
| continued, nor for the entire acquiescence of
ha in fha xiu al al
for the extinction of the traffic To understand
how this result has been effected it is necessa-'
| ry to take cognizance Of another agency in
ternal and national which has been diligently
| at work to this end conformity with the exter-
nal pressure Of the British. refer to the Anti
| Slavery party in Brazil, never as ! have said
entirely without voice in the land but until
very recently insignificant and seemingly with
| out influence. In the ripeness of time, how
| ever, it has come fully to light, and the " ia
naticlsm" supposed to be confined to a few in
| dividuals is found to be largely shared by ma
tive Brazilians all over the country. The num-
Der of those who are openly committed to
Emancipation is yet small but it includes some
OF the best men in the country, eminent for
their talents and character, and for their social
and official position The advocates of this
cause, more or less frank, are to be found among
the Counsellors of State, in both Houses of the
Legislature, in the legal and medical profes-
sions, among the nobility, and in various public
Offices. The events of the past year have
strengthened their hands, and the pioneers in
the cause find sympathy and support in many
quarters from which it has heretofore been
withheld. 1t is no longer popular, nor even
safe, politically qeaking, openly to assail their
persons and doc( pes nor to cite against them
The counter eran} y Of so enlightened nation
as the United States, as was triumphantly done
but few years since.
Fortunately. the planting interest. which is