Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-12-25
WAsHrycroN. Dec "a

hln DE Janelro. giving brief history of the
emancipation movement in Brazil and state
ments OF the work accomplished and of the
present aspect of the slavery question A
law was passed in 1881 which declared to free
all negroes and their children who should be
imported into the Empire after that date, but
II was never executed and in spite of it the
slave trade increased, reaching prior to 1885
enormous proportions. Fifty thousand negro
slaves were imported in a single year when
trade was at its height. The effective inter-
vention of the British government in 1851
broke up the foreign trade and from that time
the friends of the slave in Brazil were able to
make some headway against their opponents
In 1871 they secured the passage of a law
declaring that children born of slave moth
ers after that date should be free.
1t provided for the reimbursement of masters
at certain scale and also that there shall be
annually freed in every province Of the EN-.
pre- as many slaves as shall correspond to
the quota allotted to each province out of the
fund destined for that purpose. The eman-
cipation fund is derived from the tax on
slaves, subscriptions, legacies, six annual
lotteries, fines from the violation of this law,
etc The judges of the orphans court of
each province have control of the funds 1t
was hoped that the slave holders would quiet
ly acquiesce, but the hope was fallcious
The register of slaves, W hich 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 Justification of the records. In other re-
spects the provisions of the law were success
fully evaded. In 1882 it was estimated that
every sixth person in the empire was a slave.
The abolitionsts continued to gain in num-
bers after the passage of the law in 1871, and
few years ago they directed their efforts to
the enfranchisement of single parish in the
province of Ceara, which was accomplished
without difficulty. Parish after parish in
this province was attacked and conquered,
and on the Path Of March, 1884, the enfran-
chisement of the last parish was publicly
celebrated. When the work began in 1873
the province contained 33 900 slaves. In 81
the number had been reduced to 2O, 900. The
plan Of operations of the abolitionists is not
JULY explained in Mr.. Trails despatch, but
it seems to have been first to depreciate the
value of slave property by system of mild
boycotting and then to purchase and manumit
slave. Funds for the purpose besides those fur
nished by the government we're raised by pri-
vate contribution, by lotteries and to some
extent by the slaves themselves. Boycotting
Sctme W nave Dceu successful III attainment
of its purpose as the prices first paid by the
abolition societies were 437 mitres and IF the
last installment only S5 mitres (S37,) Ceara.
however, grazing province, was much more
easily susceptible to abolition influences than
the coffee producing provinces which still re-
main to be conquered The slave popula.
lation of Ceara was about to 20 of its free
men. In Rio there is $50, 900 freeman while in
Paula slaves out number whites four to one.
The ab0litionists are now demanding uncon-
ditional and immediate freedom of slaves
Trail says in conclusion "His Majesty, the
Emperor SAID on opening the present Par
lament The government bill asking you to
pass the measure in regard to the slave ele-
ment is awaiting your decision. This is
grave matter but one whose final solution
will be arrived at by solution of the system
of the law of September %, 1871, and the
government is sure that for its Developments
you will adopt measures suggested by your
wisdom, that is to say, the government ad-
vises the execution of the law of 1871, now
twelve years after its passage, as means of
extricating itself from this grave matter, and
it is indeed grave matter for this country.
The assassination OF masters and overseers by
slaves, followed by the most terrible revenge,
are becoming more and more frequent. Brazil
derful resources, but immigrants are not to
be found who are willing to offer their labor
in competition with that of slaves. Her finan-
ces are a source of increasing uneasiness. but
every one knows that the worst has not been
reached as yet, which will come on that day
when the country finds her industries totally
paralyZed through want of labor, her slaves
having acquired their freedom either by some
legal enactment or as the result of servile in
surrecton. After that, freed of this terrible
incubus, starting anew with principles that
uuderlie all civilized nations, she ought to
soon attain that rank among the powers of the
globe for which nature has evidently destined
her,"
The Evening Star has the following: Con-
sui General Mueller, whose report upon the
feeling of the German government towards
the United States is likely to lead to diplo-
matte correspondence between the two coun-
tries and probable to demand on the part of
Germany for Mueller's recall, is from the
same town with Representative Foran of
Ohio, who knows him very we'll. Foran says
the report is characteristic OF the writer who
he asserts is a man of very advanced liberal
views and believer in the republican form
of gov ernment. He is what is known as
forty -eighter, having been obliged to leave
GeTudty, MS uatNC VII uCCouut VI
participation in the revolution of ls4S, when
the liberal Germans strove for constitutional
form of government In this country his
republican ideas have had full growth well
as his opposition to monsrchial government
When he went back to his native land as a
representative of this country he carried with
him American ideas. Foran SAYS further he
could not have been received by the German
government, when appointed by President
Cleveland, but for the fact that during the
Franco Russian war he visited his fatherlanj.
Though an ardent republican his sympathie 8
in that struggle were with his own people
and he rendered the German soldiers valus-
Bile service in the hospitals and elsewhere.
Gu account of this the German government
extended him pardon for his previous often
ses against the government, so that when ap-
pointed consul general TO represent the
United States there was no objection raised
against him. 1t is felt pretty certain, says
the Star, that Germany will demand Muel-
ler's recall and this government will have to
comply, but Bayard will not do so without
making it pretty plain that we do not rec
ognize the right of any nation to restrict lib
erty of speech of American citizens and it is
not held by the United States to be an Of
fence to entertain republican ideas. 1t is
thought that this little episode will render
our relations with Germany still more strained
and she will be placed on our list with
Austria.
The following 10 the reply of Secretary
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