The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1876-12-13

tY Is it not an absu dty that the lofty
Bcazllan character has succumbed to the
bill of only producing on the public scene
ssrylle menY The generations which have
passed could then firm nation, endOw II
With liberal constitution, precipitate trou
the throne the first E nperOr on the day on
which he bec4me ncompstib with the na'
tiona will Add is it impossible today TO
obtain a regular fanction IF the constituted
pOwersl
Toe liberals arose to power sf!er a long
Ostracsn aud still long,r pronieS, and a
nan such as Jo, BJnifaclo, the youth Who
proudly declared himself to be come from
The victory of arms, soon koew that this vic
cory would not lead TO aoy Capitol, and do
scended from the government, even before the
party descended, but 80 incredulOus ttat
since then be has lived 10 retirement FROM
public business. To the liberals succeed the
conservatives marshslled, concentrated, de
nominating the event itself 1.-THE aurora OF
r,fJrmaton ;" aud another man such as the
VIscOunt de Itaborahy falls soon so discour-
aged that at the last moment, giving his last
counsel TO the heirs of his throne, he has
word of animation for republicans. 1t Is
evident that sn occult cause, one not Yet
studied, inutIl E.s all Effort, threatens the ma
tiOnal existence. And this cause is not the
personal p1wer," it is an anterior aud pre-
founder vice which reaches all, government
snd governed Ii it is not 50 Why did the
republicans retire from the arena IF combat
Could the will of the sovereign influence for
this result also? Why, after struggle Of
four years, did they roll up the banner aud
command it to be withdrawn?
1t is useless to go on seeking explanations
when the reason Of this state of things is pa
tent. Brazil has no parties because 1t has
no public opinion, and it has no opinion be-
cause there is no education aud instruction.
Conservatives, Liberals and Republicans can
do nothing, because their press and clubs
have no echo in the population extremely
dispersed through the vast area of tae Z IN
tire, and extremely Ignorant. But We may
Oe asked, are We more Ignorant than We were
during the first rsigu and during the regency
of the minority, when public opinion mani
tested itself IN, quivocally2 If We are not
to-day more Ignorant, We are less interested
for the public cause, than the Brszlans Of
that time were, and for simple reason ; that
generation had an ideal, the organization OF
our ualioLality, and TO day we have no idea.
And moreover, TO real the a,pira TO- for |
independence sIuplo patriotism was fores
Efficient, while to Coz fcm the accepted in
sltuuons and coLfAe all the powers within
heir legitimate orbits, more development
aud political education is repaired, shich
IS entirely wantlI & to u. Mr. Is there 10
serest Ia tue attainment # il. E .ch cltz3u
ex uses himself, as bes, be can, from the ex
else f hi, political rights; he does not be
heve in the fh;4cy of his Intervention for
4meliorAuDg she situation IF the country;
aud from the general abstention, from the
laertis, most absolute, Il The good elements
which compose Brsz,lisu society, results the
weakness IF the parties and the direction OF
business by class professional p,llticlans,
Ahich barely explores p,wer for power and
not for the country. NV, to cJme to az
with these, to manage them,
subs ituts them, alternate them, aud slmu-
late the exercise of a representative constl-
tutional mechanism, the moderator power is
more than sufi ,ient, 80 much the more so
because is is 10 the hand of q man who is
master of the science of government by long
practice and cultivated intelligence. Toe
evil, theO, is this sbstentlou, this inertis,
which, We have already said, spring from the
absence of an ideal. This is graVer peril
60 the existence of a people, tOsn at first
sight it would be supposed. a nation with
out au ideal cannot progress. Most frequent
ly Sc e6shness develops itself in it; each 10
dlyidual labors for himself aud does nothing
for the community; he does not extend his
views beyond the bor z)n of the family, and
even so has concerning the family an erron-
eOus and niggardly idea, because he sepa-
rates it from the idea of the "patris" which
is the family of people, and from the idea
Of humanity, which is the great family of
peoples. Tnis condition is an inconteStsble
proof If lack of religious sentiments, because
only these inspire love for human comuuu-
ion. The evil, then, 10 Brsz |, is, on 6lal
analysis, the absence # religion. Among
US there is indlfersntism or fanaticism. Toe
ignorant classes are fanatical. Three tle
ments ac,uated and sctuste to this Afri
can fetchism, scattered by slaves 10 the bosom
f the Brazilian family, inOoulated in the
mind Of infancy from the cradle by nurses
and domestics indigenous fetichism, on o
smaller scale than the preceding, but not
less diffused in the northern Provinces; aud
6ually the Romisn idolatry Of our most ig-
ncrsnt Catholic clergy.
The less ignorant classes barely deliver
themselves from this first state by the light
of education, aud with reason disdain suct
superstitions, bat do not interest themselves
about substituting superstition by faith they
do not study the great question of all society,
aud remain satisfied when they know them
selves emaucipated, that is inf3eL Now a