New-York tribune., 1890-01-05

Ii is evident that the leaders were expecting the
abdication of the Emperor, and were preparing TO
proclaim. a Republic whenever that event might
occur 1t is also clear that the KepuDHcah
propagandiss had openly sympathzed with the
army officers in their conflicts with the war
Office, and had industriously concihated ana
educated military opinion in favor OF new
political order What is not plain on the surface
is their degree Of completely in the hrst revolt
of the battalions. 1t may have been con-
spiracy to which General fonseca ana Ills
Ministers were privy; or it may have peen an
unexpected revolt, of which they were quick 10
take advantage In either event they acted with
extraordinary presence of mind, boldness, ana
lucidty of intelligence Their bargain with the
Emperor. which placed him in the ATTITUDE OIL
selling out the rights of his family to the throhc'
was a masterstroe of political genius. IL maue
the Republic the only possible form OF Govern
ment in Brazil.
The army has taken an active part, hoV Only /"
overthrowipg the Imperial Government at Rlo,
but also in eilecting series OF correlated reNoiu
lions in the twenty provinces. The earliest dis
patches from the Provisional Government were
sent to army officers in the provinces who were
known 10 be in favor of the movement Al Para
private advices of the revolution were received by
officers under their command and to communicate
with the naval officers at that port. One Of the
coloncls subsequently approached the military
commander of the province, but was warned that
if he persisted in his revolutionary machlnauons
bc vould be shot This threat only stimulated
his zeal. since hc perceived that the commander
would he removed, and that the most active mill
tary leader in Para would he appointed 10 HI the
vacancy. lie at once consulted with the ponce
officials and leading members of the republican
club, and so rapid was the course OF events that
on the next day he found himself IN command OIL
the garrison with republican whom ne had VII
tualiy selected President of the province Ills
negotiations and achievements are described IN
cronduooueut strain in his official report TO the
idiutant-G General at Rio. which was placed
in my hands at Para by r. Somnerfeldt the
enterprisng representative of the New-l ork Life
Insurance Company. The document shows that
an ambitious army officer, who had undoubtedly
been consulted in advance by the co'erle "l
revolutionists in the Military Club at Rio, was
largely instrumental in OverthrowinG the Govern
ment of the leading Northern Province, and
thereby securing the immediate adhesion of the
scattered population of the Amazon Valley TO the
republican movement
RESIST ANCE FNCOUErERED II MARANIIAO.
northern coast similar processes were employed
Army officers received the earliest information
from President Fonseca. and acted promptly upon
ccttipo their cues Unlike the President of Para,
who abandoned his post only under compulSlon
after Intellectual efforts to retard and countcract
the progrcss of revolution, the President of Maran
hao received the military and republican dele
cations with as much cordality as urbanty, and
resigned his Office, he told them. with the
greatest pleasure. The revolution was not, now
ever accomplished without bloodshed. Resist
ance came from unexpected quarter. Maian-
hao which in area is the seventh ana IN popun-
ton the eighth among the Provinces OF Brazil, IS
an agricultural region, where sugar and cotton
fre raised on large plantations lhefe
wcrN before emancipation many slaves
i'm the Province: and some of the planters
foreseeinC what would inevitably happen, made
shrewd eHert to dispose Of their property by
selling their negroes In the Southern PROVINCES
In this way they hoped 10 avert the financial
losses which were certain TO follow emancipation
This movement wos promptly checked IN San
Paulo which was the best market for slaves, by
the impostion of a tax Of 81 900 on every nero
not enfrancbisqd VINO was brought into the Prov
ince Such sales as were made IN the South lett
in the minds of the ignorant blacks of Malannao
a deep impression; and when they heard TIE
planters and merchants suddenly shouting Tor II
republic after the 9Th Of November, many oil
them suspected that plot had been iormed lot
re-enslavinc the blacks. They gathered in groups
On the streets Of NaranhaO a city with q pOpula-
ton Of 10000 and cried ont against the change
OF government The groups became dsorderly
mob and a platoon Of soldiers guarding a news
paper Office was called upon 10 dispersc tnem
The soldiers fired upon the negroes, killing four
or five and WOundng twenty. This account oI
almost the only scene Of blOodShcd witnessed IN
the course of the most peaceable revolution ever
enacted is given 10 me by Portuguese merchant
residing in PcrnambuCe, and confirmed by the
American consular agent. 1t is certainly a sinsu-
lar fact that the only armed resistance 70 the new
institutions on the part Of the mass Of the popula-
ton should have been offered by enfIanchiscd
blacks. who apprehended the restoration Of slavery
under the Republic.
INFLUENCE OF ARMY AND NAVY OFFICERS.
The influence of the military and naval officers
was felt wherever the tidings Of the revolution at
Rio were received. There was smaller Fonseca
in nearly every Provincial capital, ready 10 act
PROMPTLY and 10 take the initiative in transferring
mower from the Imperial authorities 10 new
hands precisely as the greater Fonseca had done
in Rio The provincial republican clubs FURNISHED
allies and supplied enthusiasm, but direction vas
given to the movement in the first instance by the
military officers The Imperial administration,
with its highly centralized system, provi'ci means
for its own speedy downfall soon as the evHllng
process began. II only necessary 10 supplant
the twenty Provincial Presidents and 10 secure
control Of the military and naval forces IN order
10 complete the work. The Military Club estab-
lshed by General Tonseca had been in existence
long enough TO bring all the leading army Of
ficers into cordial relations and TO impress them
with consciousness Of their power. His own
popularity among them unrvalled. The
prestige Of leading the way IN a momentous
revolution was recognized to be highly crcditablc
10 the army. 1t impaired a patriotic aspect 10
the military profession, the utility of which had
disna m God largp of the lion