Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-09-18

litical issue in the world. A notable eNcep-
ton. however, is found in the case of Bra |
zil. that vast empire of South America, |
with an area Of three and quarter millions
of square miles, and its population OF /.
eleven millions, including one million abo-
rhymes and more than million slaves. At
the last regular census US12I the African
slaves were estimated at l.5l0, 500. Slaves
continued to be imported into Brazil until
1854. when il was forbidden by interna-
tonal laws, for the suppression of the
Save trade; and in September of the year
1871. a law for the gradual emancipation of
slaves was passed, in which it was enacted
that from that date the children born of
slave women should be considered ''Of free
condition." but bound t2 the owners of
their mothers. for the IN of twenty-One
years. as apprentices.
To accelerate this great work of social
and political reform, large fund has been
raised by subscriptions from private citizens
including many shareholders themselves.
for tine purpose of assisting in the more rap
id emancipation of slaves by purchase. Bv
the natural effect of the general law, supple
msnted by these extra philanthropic efforts,
nearly half a million have been set free
within the last fifteen years.
The present state of the slave question i'll
this sole monarchy of America, and lone
black star of the world, might not be a mat
ter without interest to the general reader
The Brazilian government is quite limited
monarchy, and this has given the conscien-
tiouS opponents of the institution of slavery
in that otherwise grand empire, fair chance
to express their wishes and enforce their
wills in furtherance of universal freedom.
Tie present constitution was adopted March
-. 1924. and establishes four powers or de-
partmentS in the state; namely, the legiSia-
tive, the executive, the judicial and the
royal prerogative. The legislative depart
ment consists of a senate and house of dele
gates or representatives. There are fifty
eight senatorial districts in the empire. The
senators are elected for life, and when va
cancy occurs from any one or more of these
districts. the people elect three men for
each vacancy, and from these three, thus
! elected. the emperor selects one, who is duly
| installed as senator. The congress is made
up of firry-eight senators and one hundred
and twenty-five members of the lower house
OF popular branch.
/ Among the senators in the Legislative de-
partment of the Brazilian government. there
1 have been. and are now, several men of the
John Quincy Adams and Charles Sumner
! type: men who were not only Instrumental
in carrying through their congress the mea
sure of gradual emancipation by the act of
| September. 1871. but who are constantly on
the lookout to see whether its provisions
are faithfully executed, and mduStriOuSly
seeking, if possible, 10 cut short the work
by ali act of complete abolition.
An old friend of mine has just sent me
the late Rio Janeiro papers. from which
learn that some recent acts Of barbarity, on
the part of Shareholders, have had the ten
dency, if possible, to hasten the ultimate
reign of universal freedom in
Brazil. Ii seeuls that few weeks
since. near one OF the provin-
cial towns. four slaves, in punishment fol
some crime against AN oyerseer, were given
three hundred laShes each. This sentence
was so vigorously carried out that when the
Door wretches were sent to their plantations
Immediately after the whipping, two died on
the way. and the other two became inSensl-
bic. and had to be hauled the rest of the
Journey on an OK cart. NJ. LamoreuN. one OF
their public men, exclaimed that although
language was powerful enough to express
almost any and every shade Of feeling, il
was " hNNh t4'N "
uuirements of this case. and that the I'M
feeling savage brutality of this act beggar'
all denunciation. 1t puts to the lie the pre-
posterous claim that slavery. as an institu
ton, cOnfers any benefits on the barbarOu'
African, to give him food and protection, tC
shield him from his enemies, and at the
same time contribute to the prosperity and
refinement of the dominant race.
The Brazilian slaves are made free a
times i'm quite a ccrcmonious way. About
the first Of August just passed sixty-on'
slaves had their letters of freedom publicly
!. conferred upon them. The emperor:
speech Oh that occasion seems to have beer
intensely conservative. And just here i
the trouble in regard TO the fastening of tn,
) work of emancipation. Dom Pedro III, al
though an intelligent and liberal-mindeC
ruler. is al the same time an eXceedingl!
cautious and s!rewd politician. l thinl
: that it is justly charged against the emper
, or that were it not for his vaScilating ant
a., time serving policy, and were il not that h
, so persistent'y withholds his weight.
influence from the cause of immedi
, ate emancipation, il would not b
long until his otherwise great and fai
empire would be completely washed from
the stain of human slavery. which now s.
so careful to avoid positive expression o
. opinion. and so skilltul in preserving bal
: ance between the two contending forces o
slavery and abolition. that both sides CLAIM
him and both sides censure him. His majeS
" is strongly in favor OF such measures 0
I emancipation aS 10 not emancipate, and h
! is equally in favor of retaining the kind q
n slavery that does not appear to enslave. L
the abOlitOniStS he says that he longs AM
Q hopes to see the day when the last slay
D shall be liberated in Brazil, and at the sam
time he assures the Shareholders that "a
vested rights" must be protected, whic
u means that the manacles shall be made a
T strong as the law allows. His majesty
!, late ministry were all pledged to do some
. thing definite and positive towards hasten
ing emancipation, but he turned his bac
upon them at the very time when his sup
n port was most needed. Soon after its &c
currence the case of murderOus flagellatio
OF the four slaves just mentioned wa
brought up in the Brazilian senate. by
y talented aud philanthrOpic member, pantas
who called upon the minister of justice I
know whether that department of the gov
: ernment was doing its duty by way Of set
O ing that the civil rights provision
q of the Gradual Emancipation AZ
of 1871, werel properly executed
The ministers only answer was that thes
2 punished slaves had been properly handle
! over to the planters agent, CaetOnO Nallt
. This. as everyone knew. involved still tul
N tier i'll treatment. Senator Dantas remarke
that the explanation was not satisfactory
The minister Of justice further claimed tn;
II the slaves had died of pulmonary conges
o ton (?): that Dantas, or some of his ant
slavery cOmpeers, ought to present som
project for regulating the punishment {
slaves. The senator said that it was ii
y prime object of his life to abolish slavery
and not merely te regulate it. The mini
ter lost his temper, especially when Senator
" Lima Duarte and Meira Nauconcelles ha
= Joined in the debate against him. HO
much this reminds us OF the scenes {
thirty years in our own American congress
81 And it is a matter OF thankfuneSs tn;
e there are a number of natures own trr
noblemen down there, to fight the evil eau:
of human oppression TO the bitter en'
Is Whilst conscience makes towards of II