The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1876-12-13
foR THE CENTRAL PREsBYTEEIAE.
THE RELIGIOUS QUESTION:
Tran,latiou of an Ari lie from Brazilian Journal


Translation Of an Arti lie from Brazilian Journal
"The actual coudIiOn of Brszilian society
announces one of those periods Of national
crisis, which demand prompt solution. AlOog
with the iucontestable Industrial progress OF
this last decennium, despite all the develop
ment of political and administrative central
ization, despite the entire deficiency of leg
islation destined to open our vast territory
to immigration, in spite of the "rOudne
agricultural processes which exhaust the
lands of the httorsl, and remove more and
more the centres of consumption from the
markets expOr,stiOr along With indus
hi4l progress aud al increase Of the public
wealth by the almost exclusive sbuCdauce Of
the fertility IF our soil, the natural aspiration
f,r the jlymens of every liberty becomes
more aud mOIe peIe plbe, although sui
undecisiVe, intermittent, ilIog Cal. We have
ole party which desires order withOu; the
exclusion OF hbsr,y, and another that d sires
liberty without che exclusion of order. lt Is
easy TO see that both desire the same ,bi 2 ::
they administer the Safe periodically, they
alternate in power, they go IN aud out With
out knowing veil Why, AID they xohangs the
chairs If ministers foc those of the opposl
tion without advancing one step towards the
coveted liberty aud order. Toe nation which
sees them In THIS elntinuAl barren cOmmO-
tiOu commences 60 f d them little serious.
We have besides these-there is no one to
deny it-s party fraukly democratic, which
wishes to exclude from the CJusti ution the
mObarchicsl element, suppOslog it the cause
of the whole embarrassment 10 the fuuc iou
of the two governmental parties; aud after
a brilliant period of &C i N iu the press, 10
clubs, and even in Provincial Congress, We
saw how it succunbed to toll aud discourage
ment What powerful cause thus discOur-
ages poliucal ,fJrt in our country? Per-
soual power !-cres the opposition ofe every
shade. Il is possible; but We must observe
that personal power is, ia it's turn, an effect,
whose cause must be studied and removed,
or it will not cease, except with the employ
ment of extraordinary means, such as reVo
luton. Why exists the "persOnsl power
which to day rules the two constitutional
parties? Evidently because it grew and
prospered 10 the inVerse ratio Of the daVel-
opment of the forces of these two PARTIES
The representative Of the mOnarchical ele-
ment did not encounter tficaciOus resistance
when he commenced to invade the sphere Of
the constitutional democratic element Il
went on substituting itself fer the other pow
ers, 10 such way that the power Of mOder'
stor. in Btszil is to day not only the key Of
all powers but the only power.
The party born with independence, and
cons, quently revolutionary in origin, the
liberal party, lived indeed to give pledges Of
its love TO order, aud never hat 80 Oppor'
tunity to erect sold barrier agains; this 10
ysslon which more than olce, for interests
of moment lt had 70 assist Toe c0nserVa
tive party, born of the fear Of democracy
which tasted its powers during the period
the regency of the minority, never feart'
this usurpation which 1t even judged sala'ary
To-day the liberals recognise that more
OF less they have always got on badly, an(
they excuse themselves by saying that the!
never were in power long enough to have
Senate of their own, which might sustain th
democratic reformers Initiated By the Cham
Der Of Deputies, To-day, the conserVstie
recognise that they have no force of thei
ogn, they absldOn the organization of Cor
poratious, redOubts where they scarcely be
took themselves during their last Opposition
campaign, and although it burdens them,
seems that they have resigned themselves I
living IN the warmth cf the throne. Toi
spectacle astonishes and pains. Is it pOss
bic tina, Br,zi whose history is fnll Of lllut
trious deeds, whose sons in the frat rig
gained an uldylpg name 10 pOliric-, IN lie
tsrs, in arts, in arms, ia it possible that Brj