Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-01-19
BRAZIL.
II. past, Its Present, and It's Future.
No. 2.

NO. x.
fleeing alluded to the present interest
a,.d critical political condition of this
nrsn ni aud beautiful country in my former
ssrt.cja and the premature and hasty hys-
t.-;csl cry In this for recognition of the
ro,ubiio OF Brazil, when in truth and in
| faet there Is not single element OF repuo-
i;canism In the. present provisional Gov
nrnnent and there Is vet no republic,
although We know and recognize that tho
omn;re has ceased 70 exist, now proceed
30 ,yrite something that will be readable,
| ho,,a. 70 the patrons of your paper, for there
ia; "a no portion Of this country, for many
GOOD reasons, that has more intimate re-
iat;ons with Brazil than this city and State
or nave or should have in its welfare, its
urssent crisis, and the future prosperity OF
| tbis unhappy country now controlled Dy
Marshal Fonseca andihis co-conspirators,
Who have abolished the Senate, usurped
the executive, legislative, and all
Of the other branches Of the Gov
eminent and called it republic,
when in reality it Is a depotism with q
military dictator. under military rule; with
nm army of blacks 10 sustain 1t. VIII now
cav something about what learned IN re-
| Iafion to the uncrowned and expelled En-
neror and his Government during my resi-
/ dence there OF more than eight years. But
before doing so wish to draw the atten-
| tion of the reader. especially II he lives IN
| Richmond, to the large and prosperous
trade between this my native CITY and MO
de ,Janeiro during that tino and which IS
now lost. ,,.
New York in the steamer Uncle sam, ana
arrived in the harbor OF Rio on the 10Th
| day of July, 1858. after having made the
/ massage in twenty days, the quickest ever
made up 10 that time from this country TO
| that mort, and where for more than SIX
vears [ was United States Consul, being
Amounted by President Pierce to succeed
NV father, who had resigned,
and | served in that Office during
mart of Pierce and hncoln's adminlstra-
/ tor, and the whole Of Buchanan's, and lett
/ for home. the Confederate States. In Au,
/ o,Ist. 1851. and thus ! had ample time and
oppOrtunity TO inform myself on the SUBJ
| iects propose to write about.
Richmond during that time was ship
ming large quantities of -four from her I'M
| mense mills. end the Richmond brand bore
a premium and had n preference in the RIO
| market over all other -four, the belief be-
| ing on the part Of bakers and consumers
| that il bore sea transportation better ihan
anv other 70 carry that -four Richmond
had merchant marine OF her own.
consisting Of feet OF half-clipper
baroues. built in Baltimore Of tho
best materials expressly to carry the
-four 70 Rio and bring back coffee
| TO Richmond Baltimore. New York.
and the other ports OF our country.
These vessels. admirably built, we'll MANN
ed, equipped. and commanded. carried
their cargOes safely and quickly. and COM
manded when mp for freight premium
over all other vessels IN port: !, as kIch-
mond man, was very proud Of her mer-
chantmen. Mr. David Currie, who BY hid
energy and great executive ability bad 20
| successfully managed the schOoners IN our
domestic aud coast trade with the North
/ admirably managed and controlled these
vessels engaged in this our foreign trnhe;;
This city Is greatly indebted to INN, az well
as many others now dead and forgotten; lot
! Invaluable services. Those engaged III
shipping the -four during this time and IN
this Rio trade were tue liberal ana
accomplished miilers and merchants
Warwick d Barksdae, the Haxalls.
the Crenshaws. Dunlop d. McCance,
and Isaac Davenport, all of whom
did so much TO advance the prosperity
Of our city. are dead. except my irlend
Mr. Davenport, who is still one OK our
most worthy citizens: ana IL IL th1 WISH VI
I'll who know him that he may live long
and prosper. Robert q. Wright. the direct
ing mind of the hou'e of Maxwell. Wright
; A. Go. at Rio. one of the largest commls-
sion houses in the world and who would
have made n good United States Secretary
of the Treasury. told me that MIR. warwick
was tho most liberal-minded anu accom-
plished merchant he ever had any dealings
with. This trade between our city and
Rio was a most natural one. and proved
prosperous 10 all engaged in 1t. and al;
yantageous to every wheat-grower and
coffee consumer in Virginia. At the
time spoken Of Brazil and the United
States we're the only two countries III the
world which had slavery recognized and
I regulated by law. Spain. then as now, had
/ IL In her colonv-the island OF Cuba. The
exchange Of flour and coffee were the pro-
ducts Of negro labor. The United States
/ did not raise pound Of coffee, and Brazil.
although settled long before the landing
of the Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock or the
settlement at jamestown, did not at tins
time have an acre of growing wheat IN tho
whole empire. and thus the mutual wants
/ of the two countries built up this prosper
Gus trade, so advantageous TO both. The
/ whent raised in Virginia Cor much OF 1T
was raised on the banks OF the James u
was carried on its bosom 70 the mllls ana
was ground by its water-power, and on IL
was carried IN one or our vessels 70 tho
ocean and then TO Rio being the cheapest
TRANSFORMATION known. Indeed il will cost
as much now to carry barrel OF flour from
Rockets TO the New reservoir as
J it did then to carry barrel OF
-four from tho Gallego Mills 70
Rio. Flour being bulkier article Of rer-
chandise than coffee, many Of the Rich
/ mond feet of vessels would load nj Rio for
! New Orleans with coffee, there take III
( load OF suyar and molasses for Richmond,
and thus making Richmond good mar
ket and distributing pOlnttor groceries, ana
carcoes of these articles were sold here at
T 70 ha f..n hot wa
| The States That war elfectuIily put an
end TO this lucrative trade. VIII it ever DO
restored? As Mr.. Richie said, Nous YER
y-ons." just here, and in this connection
with the services rendered by our accom-
| plished merchant tOwnsmen. / wish 10 call
| attention to one who long lived among us
! and died in this city; who had national
reputation, and who, as the United states
/ Minister at the Court Of Brazil, rendered
| distinguished service 30 his country. and
which, rs far as | know. has never been
/ appreciated or noticed before. l nj
! lude to General Henry A. Wise. Ho
was appointed by Mr. Tyler. At the
time of his appointment American
citizens were not treated by the Bra
| Zilian authorities as they should be or
their rights respected. Ihis brave and
/ noble Virginian soon had all that corrected.
and from that time there was no more
/ trouble on that score. He had adjusted
/ large claims against the Government Of
/ Brazil, which was subsequently, collected
and paid over to his successor, Governor
| Todd, of Ohio, who was appointed by MIR.
| Poke. lie did much enthusiastically and
/. with his whole heart in the suppression OF
4 the neiarious slave-trade. and he aided much
/ in cultyatng the moral sentiment which
. in the country finally suppressed 1t. l
heard these anecdotes of him: That on ono
occasion an officer OF our navy for some
offence was imprisoned and Governor
/ Todd demanded his release, which was re-
fused. Thereupon be armed himself, went
/ TO the prison, released tho naval officer,
! and put him aboard his ship. This WAS
/ very undiplomatic, but characteristic OF
our noble old friend, and on another oc-
cason in the streets of Rio he saw Por-
| tuguesc brute beating miserable mule:
! He tried to stop him and he could
| only do so by doing TO the Portu-
cuese what he had been doing TO the
4 mule. Aud again, our Minister, Gov
/ ernor Wise, was invited TO the chris
| tening of Princess Isabella, Countess D'Eu,
who was or is the heiress apparent 10 the
/ throne. and he declined. saying he was en-
! gagged to attend the christening on board
| az . shiD of an American sovereign, the child