The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-05-06


Cuba and the Last slave Ship.
The special HERALD despatch, via London
and the Atlantic cable, which we published
yesterday, announcing decree from Dom
Pedro, Emperor of Brazil, abolishing slavery
throughout his dominions, marks the opening
Of new chapter in the political advancement
and material prosperity OF that vast and mag
nificent empire Of the mighty Amazon. From
and after the eighth day Of April last oil the
children of slaves, al Of freemen, born In
Brazil, are free. and the existing slaves at the
end of twenty years are also to be free. We
have no doubt that within q year or two
another imperial decree will complete the
work of emancipation thus begun, and that
Brazil will thus take her place with France,
Great Britain, Russia and the United States in
the abolition Of slavery.
The population Of Brazil, in round numbers,
is eight millions, of which two millions are
whites, one million one hundred twenty five
thousand free people, blacks and mixed races;
eight hundred thousand civilized Indians, six
hundred thousand mixed slave population, and
over two millions African slaves. The laws
of the empire have rendered manumissien
calling and every Office In the State as fully
open to him as to the white man. And in
society, as in politics, color is no barrier to sue
cess The work, therefore, of negro emanci-
patton in Brazil Is an easy matter, civil, politi
cal and social equality being already estab-
lished among freedmen of all races and colors.
With us African emancipation has been pur-
chased at the cost Of . stupendous four years.
civil war, involving, North and South included,
the sacrifice Of six hundred thousand able
bodied men; the impoverishment of extensive
communities, and heavy taxations to meet the
demands OF three thousand millions Of debt
And whyf Because of our late broad distinc-
tions between whites and blacks, because of q
decree from the Supreme Court Of the United
States in 1856, declaring that under the federal
constitution the negro, bond or free, is not q
citizen, and "has no rights which white man
is bound to respects" and because this decree,
while it soNdiied the North against slavery,
rallied the South 10 rebellion in its defence.
Even in the midst of the war, as late as De-
cember, 1862, when the door was open. Presi-
dent Lincoln, casting about for way to uni
versal emancipation, could find no plan Of
safely reaching it before the year 1900.
The Emperor Of Brazil, then, has done as
much as could be reasonably expected, in
giving slavery . margin Of twenty years in
which to die out But we repeat, that having
broken ground upon it, he will soon End, -
Abraham Lincoln found, that .psbiic opinion II
ready for much shorter term Of grace. In
measures Of progress the people in this ago Of
Advancement sre 'evsgyS6see ahead e thsir
ralera -Thismay bssaid even sf ther Bragilians
and f0sm fsdso, saiisttsasd, intsatigeas sad
progressive ruler q he y 1nivsgsally known
70 be. Meantime. emigration iron osr Southern
staaes 70, Brasil, 10 regaia. tAs4blessinss Of
negro slavery, will be stopped, and the moral
effects Of the Emperor's decree, from Virginia
10 Texas, will contribute to tho work Of recon-
struction under the new dispensation OF uni
versal liberty and political equality.
Spain will also be made to feel the moral ef-
fects Of emancipation In Brazil saperadded to
emancipation in the United States, and there
will be work of reconstruction before long
in the islands Of Cuba and Porto Rico, the last
remaining places Of refuge in Christendom Of
African slavery and the African slave trade.
With regard to this trafnc the Emperor of
Brazil has for years past actively co-operated
with England and the United States 10 sup
press it Always cultivating the most friend
ly reciprocities with our government and
people, Dom Pedro, in this matter Of emancipa-
ton, will bring the two countries into still
closer rapport Our imports from Brazil, with
the opening Of the Amazon to free navigation
and with the abolition Of slavery, will be
rapidly swelled from twenty-five to fifty mil
lions year, and our exchanges will be cor
respondingly increased. The valley Of the
Amazon, which Is in Brazil, is equal to the
bountiful support Of hundred millions Of
people What limits, then, are we TO Ok 10 our
trade with that valley under this new epoch oil
emancipation and commercial reciprocities
Meantime we may expect some important man
ifestations in Spain and Cuba of the moral ef.
feet Of this decree Of emancipation in Brazil
Steam engines and telegraphs are bringing
all the nations Of Christendom SO close together
that q great event in one pulsates through
them all.
Iaternal Reveaue Receipts.
From the comparative table, published by
the Treasury Department, of the receipts from
internal revenue from July to April % Of the
last and present fiscal years, we notice falling
Off of over thirty-three millions Some have
supposed that this reduced income from in.