New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-12-29

offices of State under the Empire If ne had peen
willing TO sacrifice his republican ideas. ihis nc
,yould not do but retired from the CHAMBER Oh
Denpties N await the revolution which mas
bropcbt him TO the front as Minister Of Finance
Similar in character is the Minister of Justice
Camnos Sales a distinguished lawyer OF San faulo
whose pcrsonal authority in that most pro-
cressive Province is very great. AS an eApeii
enced iurst he is destined TO take cohspio"'u,
mart in the reform of the judiciary, ana Is wen
eouipped for the work. Like Barpola anu
sales the new Secretary of Foreign Affairs
Bocayura, is an editor PrematureV oiu IA "p
neorance. but with the energy of youth ana
Tho fire OF enthusiasm flashing from his dark
eyes. he is at once the tribune of the democ-
racv the chief organizer of the republican
movement. ans the most popular wrlter al
Brazil. His capacity for the practical WORK VI
n great administrative department has YET "
be demonstrated, but so pre-eminent was hi'
poltical authority among Republicans thal 'ne
Provisional Government could not have peeh es-
tablished without his active co-operatoh' OO
slant Minister of War, has been one Oh h'
Underwriters on the Paix,' and is also one
of President Fonseca's intimate frienos' houo'
Minister of the Interior, is another lourhan''
from San Pauo-a close associate OF oalles' iHe
Minister Of Marine is Admiral Vanderholtz, an
elderly man ON the retired list of the Navy,
who is highly spoken of by Brazllians as an
authority in marine matters. TIE Ministry 40
whole is most capable and innuentlal oouS
of men sincerely attached to rpuohcan piih-
ciples and conversant with the various phases
of national feeling. II II is recruited nalh9
with working journalists that may DC an eieneh'
Of strength, for its most responsible uuty III INC
Alright. and mat is ordinarily supposed to be the
chief business Of influential editors ana pup
neists.
THE NEW GOVERNMENTS CHIEF WEAKNESS.
Perhaps the main source of weakness III this
Government is its sectional character. Presi-
dent and Ministers represent almost exclusively
The older and more populous group of Southern
Provinces. The great northern and western
holt COMPRISING two-thirds of the national do
main is not represented in the Government by
ANY; conspicuous leader or statesman. This is
unfortunate because one of the standing grew
ances of the Northern Provinces has been the
supremacy of the South in the government OF
tie Empire. sConsummate tact Will be required
on tie part of the new Ministry TO avert Une
concentration of national feeling on sectlonal
lines This is perhaps one OF the cnleI dangers
confronting the Republic in the immediate 1u'uIe'
for although slavery was an institution common
10 both sections, there is an imminent prooaoIIity
OF the creation of solid North and sohd
South in National politics. Then TOO, there ID
another cause of embarrassment which is ALREADY
folt Not only have all the Institutions ana
laws of Brazil to he recast ana adapted 10 new
conditions but political parties Will nave 10 De
reorranized. The Liberal and Conservative OF,
carnations will inevitably fall To the gro9nu
With the collapse of the Imperial system but
their leaders and partisan oihce-hOlders VIII
naturally be unwilling to reure from pupuc
life. The elections for Deputies Will nave 10 De
ordered and conducted under anomalous con-
ditions more favorable for the pro-
motion of faction strife than for the
deyelopment of homogeneous parties. III is
probable that the Ministers, in promulgating uni
yersal suffrage counted upon the immediate adhe-
sion of all the liberated slaves to the GoVernment
of the day, TO which they would owe thelr pilVi.
leges of citizenship. If this their motive, 1t
was perhaps a shrewd and timely political stroke
but i'm its practical operation the armlng OF
masses of ignorance with the ballot is ATTENDED
with formidable risks, as the history OF American
holitics has demonstrated. If the emanclpated
(blaclls are found voting III solid mass, there
is every reason TO fear that there Will be before
long a white mans party in nearly every froN-
incc of Brazil: and If the Provisional HoVeTn-
ment receives in the approaching elections the
unanimous support of the freedmen the KepuD-
liean party now to be created may be seriously
embarrassed by counter coalitions headed py the
retired Liberal and Conservative leaders
DELIBERATIoY AND CAUTION NECESSARY.
With these grave questions of constitutional
revision and party organization confronting them.
the Ministers Of the day have urgent need
10 proceed with delbcratOn and caution, and to
avoid premature prccpitatc action. 30 far as
they have gone they appear TO have made no
mista kes, and 10 lave inspired pubic conl-
dencP They have succeeded in maintaining the
financial credit of the nation under circumstances
of extraordinary difficulty: and that OF 1'selt
has been great achievement. Brazilian finance
has baflcd the comprehension of the worlds po-
Utica economists With an apparently unend-
ing series of annual deficits and with an lncon-
vertiblc paper currency contrary TO all systems
of scientific finance, the Government within a
few wears has been able to convert . heavy debt
into issues of a lower rate, and the Engllshlnan
or the American at Rio is astOnished to iind IRE
deemable treasury notes commanding premium
and his own gold coin at a heavy discount APP
parently there has been sufficient mismanagemcnt
and extravaganza in Brazilian hnance 10 Dahk-
rupt the country n dozen times. but the sltua;
ton instead Of growing worse has steadily anu
even rapidly improved during recent wears !. !
DO moi know that any better reason for this
anomaly can he assigned than the vastness OF
the National domain and the wealth oil us re-
sources A farmer who has ten acres can be
starved out in bad year: but landowner
who cultivates 900 acres is bound TO make q
good living under any conditions, for If one crop
fails there will he another to take It's place
Brazil with its great staples conees; sugar: run
Der. and with territory empraceI Wlth VIM -, 90
degrees Of latitude is not country that can ever
no ruined even by the most lnc0mpetenI ana
reckless fnanciers. Fortunately. the revolution
occurred at time when the hnanclal cohultlons
were exceedingly favorable, as SHOWN by the
rates of exchange and the new Government
Inv nromptly forestaling panic in Rio now has
the striking advantage Of a buoyant money mar
Eet and unmpaired confidence In Natlonai Sc
euritics. l. ~ +
au.TC t.