Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1871-08-17
A TALK WITH DON PEDRO.

The Emperor of Brazil Speaks His
Mind to a World Corresponds mt
His Country Wants Men-Puns ;eni
J Criticism of the English 80 eial
I SyStem-A Contemplated Visi T. Il
the United states.
From the New York World.J
LONDON, July 2s.
In compliance with your wish | have
sought an interview with the Emperor
of Brazil, now in this country, and haV,
been so fortunate as to obtain it withou
any difficulty whatever. His Majesty,
believe, entertains profound respect tSoi
the United States. The name of the
journal | represent was my introduction,
and it afforded me ready access TO Hmm
without my being obliged to seek the ser.
vices of third parties. In this, as In
many similar cases, my success has go ne
far to confirm the common eXperien &C
that it is better to have to deal with a
great man than with a great mans
lackey. Try to approach an exalt I'd
parsonage through the medium of the
man at the door, and you may never get
beyond the threshold but open up direct
communication with the man himself,
and if your errand be a good one you
will not have your journey for nothing.
The only person who received me with
hduteur at Claridge's was the one in
plush, who took my card, and when he
returned with it all my difficulties on
that score were at an end freely con-
fess, however, that for the moment he
awed me. My coming seemed to give
him an indigestion of surprise, and he
allowed its effects 10 be seen so clearly
in the faltering accents with which he
repeated " the Hem-per-or of Brazil," 3"
that for the moment he cheated me into
the belief against myself that | had come
with an evil design. The footmen of
England are a splendid breed of men,
but the footmen of Claridges are even
to them what the cream-colored team
in Queen Victcria's stables are to
the rest of the royal stud. One need not
look far for the reason. Clal-dge s
Hotel, you see, receives crowned heads,
and so does Buckingham Palace, but at
the latter place they are matters of
course; at the former they do not come
often enough to relieve Jeames from a
certain sense of the unwonted when they
are under his roof. But his manner on
these occasions is characterized by a
gloomy loftiness, and there is reason to
believe that his awakened sense OF dig
nifty makes him severe even upon him
self in regard to all the niceties of foot
manlike department; and what the foot
man is his betters are also. All Cla-
ridge seems hushed in unnatural I'epose
by the fact of royal party being on
the books. 1t is never altogether free
from this kind of influence, for I'm its
lightest hours the meanest garme nts it
condescends to brush are the small
clothes Of a bishop. But still, in gen.
eral way, it can be counted on for a
moderate display of cheerfulness when
it is embarrassed by no more exalted
pressure than that Of foreign prince Of
the blood The Emperor was seated in
the drawing-roOm when / made my bow
to him. His majesty instantly rose,
and, returning my salute with formal
polleness, placed a chair for me near
his own, and courteously awaited my
statement Of the object of my visit A
glance enabled me 10 note a few partic-
ulars Of his personal appearance. His
majesty is Of middle age and middle
hight. He has by no means the spare
ness Of form of the Southern races.
His brow is broad, though not lofty; his
eyes somewhat deep set, yet scarcely
seeming so from their brightness and
quickness Of movement. Has dress was
that Of a Frenchman Of fashion, which
is as much as TO say that It wanted the
tasteful simplicity which distinguishes