West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1888-08-31
THE EMPIRE OF BRAZIL.


4
Brazil, geographically. is that
section of the earth'e surface whose
extremities touch degrees oflatitude
4 north and 33 south, and degrees
of longitude 35 and 72 west from
Greenwich.
1t is therefore broad as it is long
81 degrees, over one-tenth of the
earth's circumference, or 1920 geo.
graphical miles. being the distance
between its northern and its south
| ern limits, rs also between its east
ern and western. 1t has about 81
700 miles of seacoast on the Atlant-
ic, thousands of miles of water COM
municate internally, through the
Amazon and its continents. This
giant of the rivers of the earth, in
its course of 100 leagues from its
source to its mouth, receives the
tribute of 100 other rivers,* which
water part of Perue, Bolivia, Ecua-
dor, New Granada, Venezuela, and
the three Guineas, i. e., five repub-
lies. three colonies and an empire.
Corresponding to this river sys-
tenn in the north is the lesser one in
the south, which reaches the Atlant-
| ic through the River La Plata. The
tributaries of these two systems are
separated by watershed so slight
that it is overfowed in the rainy
season. The waters thus uniting
form an island, for the time, as
large as Australia.
The vast territory thus watered is
| equal to that Of the United States
prior TO our purchase of Alaska.
1t affords every variety of climate
except that of extreme cold. Even
its equatorial region is said by trav-
ellers to be much more agreeable for
habitation than is the same belt in
| other parts of the globe.
The admirable climate which the
empire enjoys is due to the contour
of the land, which for the most part
rises rapidly from the Atlantic
coast to the high table.lands, and
then slopes toward the great valley
which separates Brazil from the An
des. The highest point is Itatiaya,
10000 feet above the level of the
ocean.
The capacity of this vast and
varied surface for supporting popu-
lation has not been even approx
mately tested by the 100000 or
more now inhabiting it, and would
appear to be illimitable, the little
that is known oft revealing wealth
of resource, mineral and agrlcultu-
raj, unsurpassed.
The Portuguese at the time OF their
discovery of Brazil, in A. d. 1900,
were the foremost maritime power Of
the world. There keels plowed the
oceans of both hemispheres. They
planted their colonies in India, Chi
ma, and the island of the seas, bid
ding fair to extend their dominion
around the globe, and realize Mt that
earlier day the proud boast Of Brit
annia in our own--of an empire on
which the sun never sets. Their ca
pacity for great deed and daring en-
terprises cannot be doubted.
If the sun Of that glorious little
nation, of the Iberian Peninsula
reached Its zenith in the time Of Ca
NOES, and hastened TO its setting,
the causes must be looked for in
something else than a lack OF ca
pacity and character in its PEOPLE.
The government, politics and reli-
gion to which they were then SUBJ
ject were the efficient causes of de-
cay.
The government was little, if any
thing, short Of despotic; politics a.
most as exclusive as those Of Japan;
and religion but one remove from
paganism, and scarce distinguishes
BILE from it in the idolatrous prac-
tice of image worship. Put any
people, the best, in such circum-
stances, and they must conquer
them, or pass into Oblivion.
The first decisive step towards
conquering its adverse circumstanc-
es was successfully taken by young
Brazil little more than half cen
tury since, when she threw off her
allegiance to the Portuguese crown.
She then established her independ-
ence under constitutional mon
archy, netabie for the liberality of
its fundamental principles; and she
inaugurated an order OF politics
which, had it been vigorously second
ed by the people at large, would
have advanced the young giant rap
idly from swaddling clothes To the
stature of a perfect man. But the
elements of reaction existed in re-
ligion sold to do the bidding Of an
Italian priest, who, under the AFRO
CANT title OF Vicar of Christ, sub
stitutes for the free and glorious
gospe. of the blessed God another
gospel, which is not the gospel, but
the basest slavery of the human
spirit.
Liberal politics in Brazil has