Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-11-23
GERMANS IN BRAZIL.

IL IS evident that germany is Shaping
her course so as to fortify demand that
South Brazil shall be her prize. The next
startling news from Brazil may be the
declaration of the south section that it
recognizes Germany only, and desires a
protectorate extended over it by the
"Fatherland." In that case there will be
serious trouble, and England and the
United States will find it difficult avoiding
the demand that they resist the attempt to
plant the German flag in Brazil.
In his admirable work on Brazil, by ex-
Consul-G General Andrews, issued in 1887,
he describes the German colonies of Blu
manau, Brusque and D'Francisca. They
are distant eight days by steamer from Rio
de Janeiro. Blumenau was founded in
1919, and occupies mountainous land near
the navigable waters of the Itajahy river.
The colonists bought their land at the rate
of two mills a square braca, and hold on an
average about six hundred acres each.
About half of them have fully paid for
their land, the Brazilian Government fur
nishing the money to build the roads Of
the colony. The colonists are principally
Protestants from the North of Germany.
Few of them have become Brazilian sub
jects. They have fourished, have fine
towns, churches, theaters, schools in which
the German language rules, newspapers all
printed in German, and municipal Govern
ments in which the German tongue is the
official means of expression.
If the Germans, because of their col
onists in Brazil, and all of whom came out
by invitation of the Brazilian Govern
ment, can claim a right to territory in
Brazil, so too can the Portuguese, the Ital-
ians and the United States, all of whom
have colonies Our own colony is the
smallest and the least eligibly situated,
but these facts cannot affect the political
question, The reason why our colonies
are smaller and less prosperous is because
our own country offers such superior adj
vantages to those who wish to take up
lands, and because the class of people who
have gone from here to form colonies in
Brazil are, in the main, not skilled agri-
culturists.
But we do not apprehend that any
scheme to put portion of Brazilian soil
under foreign flag will succeed. The
right of the Brazilians to order their own
Government and to rule over their own,
will be maintained by the civilization and
intelligence of the age. The right of con-
quest, or to force on any people govern
ment obnoxious to them, will be disputed
from this time forward with vigor that
the Princes and Kings of the world cannot
withstand and which they will scarcely
dare to resist. Their own tenure of au-
thority is dependent upon too slender a
thread to risk any act that will involve
its severance. CASTELAR, is an enthusiast,
but he is right in the declaration that the
people of the world are awaking rapidly
and in all quarters to the great truth that
their countries belong to them, and that
they have the right to change their form
of government, whenever it no longer
pleases them, precisely as a man may
change his garment when he is tired Of an
old one. CASTELAR, looks far ahead, but
certainly the day will come when the peo-
pie of Europe will exercise the right to
say to their Kings and Princes, CO." and
they will depart.