Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-12-30
SLAVERY IN BRAZIL.
Unconditional Freedom OF the slAYss
Demanded.
.F'rons ne WasA NATION Posi-.

Demanded.
From the Washington Post.
Among the diplomatic dispatches re-
Gently sent TO Congress by the President
was one from Mir. Charles b. Trail, Score
tary of Legation at Rio de Janeiro, giving
brief history of the emancipation move
mentin Brazil and a statement OF the work
accomplished and OF the present aspect OF
the slavery question.
A law was passed in 1881 which de-
clared free all negroes and their children
who should be imported into the empire
after that date, but il was never executed,
and. in spite OF IL, the slave trade in
creased, reaching, prior to 1851. enormous
proportions. Fifty thousand negro slaves
were imported in single year when the
trade was at its height.
The effective intervention OF the British
government in 1851, broke up the foreign
trade, and from that time the friends of
the slave in Brazil were able 10 make
some Roadway against their opponents.
In 1871 they secured the passage OF a law
declaring that children born OF slave
mothers after that date should be free.
1t provided for the reimbursement OF the
masters at a certain rate, and also that
there shall be annually freed in every
province OF the empire rs many slaves
as shall correspond to the quota allotted
to each province out OF the fund destined
for that purpose"
The emancipation fund is derived nom
'the tax on slaves, subscriptions, legacies,
ETC., six annual lotteries, lines from the
violation of this law, etc.'
The judges OF the Orphans Court In
each province have control OF the fund.
1t was hoped the slave owners would
quietly acquiesce, but the hope was falla-
cious,
The registry OF slaves, which the law
required, showed that very few children
were born to slave mothers Immediately
after the passage of the law, while the
record of births for the preceding year
was enormous. This proved the extern
sive, almost universal, Justification OF the
records. In other respects the provisions
OF the law were successfully evaded. In
1882 1t was estimated that every sixth
person throughout the empire was a
slave. The abolitiOnists continued to gam
IN numbers after the passage of the law
of 1871, and for few years they directed
their efforts TO the acknowledgment OF a
single parish in the province of Ceara,
which was accomplished without difficult
ty. Parish after parish In this province
was attacked and conquered, and, on
March %, 1884, the Acknowledgement OF the
last parish in this province was pub
licly celebrated. When the work
was begun In 1873 the province contained
$1,000 slaves. In 1881 the number had
been reduced to 20,0OO The plan of oper-
atoms of the abolitionists is not fully
explained in Mr.. Trails dispatch, but
seems to have been first TO appreciate the
value OF slave property by system OF
mild boycOtting and then to purchase
and manumit the slaves. Funds for the
purpose, besides those furnished by the
government, was raised by private con-
tIibutiOn, by lotteries, and to some extent
by the slaves themselves. The boYcOtting
seems TO have been very successful in the
attainment OF Its purposes, as the prices
fret paid by the abolition societies were
437 milreis and OF the last installment on
ly So mIlreis ($37).
Ceara WAS, however, a grazing prov
ince, and was much more easily suscepti-
BILE to abolition inhut noes than the coffee
producing provinces, which still remain
to be conquered. The slave population OF
Ceara was about one 10 twenty of its
freedmen. In Rio there are 400. 900
slaves to 100000 freedmen, while in Sas
Paulo the slaves Outnumber the whites
four TO one.
The abolitionists are now demanding
the unconditional and immediate freedom
Of the slaves. Mr.. Trail says, in cOnclu-
sion: His Majesty the Emperor said on
opening the present Parliament: "a gov
eminent bill asking you TO pass measures
in regard to the slave element IS awaiting
your decision. This is a grave matter,
but one whose solution will be arrived at
by the execution of the system OF the law
Of Sept. %, 1871. and the government is
sure that for it's development you will
adopt the measures suggested by your
wisdom" That is to say, the government
advises the execution OF the law OF 1871,
now twelve years after its passage,
as a means OF extricating itself from
this "grave matter" And it is, indeed,
a grave matter for this country. Assas-
sinations Of masters and oVerseers by
slaves, followed by the most terrible re-
venge, are becoming more and more fire.
quent.
brazil is bidding for immigrants to
open up her wonderful resources; but
immigrants are not TO be found who are
willing to offer their labor in competition
with that OF slaves. Her finances are a
source OF increasing uneasiness, but
everyone who knows that the worst has
not been reached yet, which will come on
that day when the country finds her in
dustries totally paralyZed through the
want OF labor, her slaves having acquired
their freedom either by some legal enact
ment or as the result Of a servIle insur-
rection. After that, freed Of this terrible
incubus, starting anew with the princi-
pies that underlie all civilized nations,
she ought soon 20 attain that rank among
the powers OF the globe for which nature
has evidently destined her."