The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-11-23
BRAZIL.

The recent revolution in Brazil is in
many respects the most surprising po'
litical event in modern times. Es-
pecially is it astonishing that there
should he an uprising against sover'
eign like Dom Pedro to establish re-
public. Here was sovereign, wise,
liberal and statesmanlike in his adj
ministration of public affairs, and es-
pccially notable for his careful avoid
ance of ANYTHING resembling entrench-
nIent upon popular rights. Under his
moderate rule, indeed Brazil was but
an empire in name, having its national
council periodically elected by the peo-
pie and the more important minor
Offices being elective.
Yet in spite of the popularity OF the
unprecedented the warm affection
felt towards him by his people-the
land was not without serious diSc0n-
tent, growing out of the agitation of
the slavery question, eliminating IN
the adoption of the act OF emanclpa-
ton May 18th, 1888. The fault OF the
act was that it made no compensation
TO the slave owners, who were a
wealthy and influential class, and
many of whom the act nearly ruined.
Their evaporation was increased by
the act of the EmperOrs daughter, Is
abellc, who as regent during his alb
sence in Europe, issued adecree eman-
cipating the slaves several months in
advance of the act Of May 18th.
The discomfort assumed the form of
agitation for the abolition OF an EN-
pire and establishment of republic.
1t grew so warm that in May last the
conservative minister felt compelled
to resign and a liberal ministry took
it's place. This new ministry, how
ever. maintained its loyalty to the
Emperor and the empire and failed to
satisfy the republicans, so that, when
the elections occurred in September,
the liberal ministry. being opposed
both by the conservatives and the re-
publicans, were overwhelmingly de-
feated at the polls and the old conser-
vative party returned to power
II was the peculiar situation Of af-
fairs-the conservatives in power yet
the popular tide strongly in favor of
IA republic-that Senior de Fonesca
found exactly adapted to his purpose,
establishing the republic by revolu-
ton. The entire army Of Brazil con-
sists of but 10, 600 men. OF these 5000
were in Rio under the direct com
mand of Senior Fonesca; the Others
were scattered in small squads all
over the cmpirc-a territory as large
as that of the United States with
none of our facilities for concentra-
ton. For all practical purposes the
entire available military force OF the
empire was in Rio and in Senior Fon-
csca's hands.
The revolution was short work, and
effective. The emperor was at his
summer palace, % miles away. The
minority had no alternative but to
lose their heads or resign, and nat
urally they chose the latter. The new
government, with Senior Fonesca as
provisional President and Benjamin
Constant us minister of war, was i'm
mcdiately formed and proclaimed
throughout the empire. In a p0pula
ton of about 1900, 900, of whom only
20 per cent. of the adults can read and
write, and divided into nineteen pro-
vinceS each as large as the State OF
Kansas, what hope was there. even II
the people, in spite Of their strong
feelings in favor of republic were in
clined to adhere to their beloved EN-
peror, in setting up ii stand
ard against the central power at Rio:
The emperor, abhorring strife and
bloodshed, quietly surrendered, accept
ing in consideration of S2,500,000 il
cash and a permanent income of 800.
600 u year, and agreeing to take him
self OF TO his kindred in Portugal
che reigning house of Braganza, o
of which he was IA scion. And thi'
ends the revolution.
| The constitution of Brazil is, except
the feature of an emperor for life in
stead of an elective president for /;
fixed term, not unlike that of tn,
] United States. A few change,