The Logan County banner. [volume] (Logan, W. Va.) 1889-1903, 1890-01-23


Lafs History u Dom Psdro esgn 40 m
Emps<or % nr1xIL
Dom Pedro II, Of Brazil whose par
sonality recent events hsvs again made
interesting. was born December 2, 1875,
and was crowned Emperor and Perpet-
ual Defender Of Brazilv April =. 1881.
His father, the head Of the royal house
Of Braganxa, had achieved the independ-
ence Of Brazil from Portugal but his
leaning toward absolutism brought
about q crisis which compelled his alb
dication. and establishing his son on the
throne under q regency, he retired to
Europe to spend the remainder Of his
days in quiet 1t was peaceable revo-
lsltion, and until 1871 the infant head Of
the cncient house OF Braganza was the
subject Of his tutor and the Regent Min
lister. On July Is, 1s41, Dom Pedro III.
was crowned with due solemnities in
Rio Janeiro, being then onlysixteen
years old. The full name Of the EN-
peror is Pedro John Charles Leopold
Salvador Vivien Francis Xavier Francis
de Paul Leocardio Michael Gabriel
Raphael Gonzague d'Alcantara. All Of
these names have some historical sig
nificance, and are derived either from
family patron saints or from long line
of ancestry that extends back to sthe
twilight Of table, Pedro Segundo was
the son of Pedro Primero, Emperor OF
Brazil, and Of Leopoldina, Archduchess
Of Austria The coronation of the young
Emperor was answered by the Republic
ans Of Brazil with rebellion, which,
however, was put down after eighteen
months of turmoil. From the begin
ming Of his reign Dom Pedro has been
the friend Of liberty, and through the
efforts Of the young Emperor q Brazilian
contingent fought with the Argentines
for the independence of that country
from Spain in 1851 and 1852.
In 1s43 Dom Pedro married Theresa,
daughter of Francis l., titu1ar King Of
Naples and the two Sicilies. By her he
had two daughters, Leopoldina and Isa-
bella. The principal events Of his reign
have been the troubles with England in
1862, which were arbitrated by the King
of the Belgians; the war with Paraguay,
beginning in 1866, and ending in 1870;
and the decree providing for the gradual
emancipation Of the slaves in Brazil,
promulgated in 1871. The war with
Paraguay was long and bloody, and it
was in this war that the imperial navy,
under the great Admiral Barossa, won
its first laurels. Since that time the
Emperor has, until the outbreak of the
recent revolution" reigned in peace,
disturbed only by the intrigues of poll
ticians and the natural cares that en-
compass a throne. A more astute poll
tician never welded scepter. Never
did monarch sac such changes in the
country and the people he governed.
When in the throne-room of the old pal
ace in Rio, the fair-haired boy of six
teen first felt the pressure OF crown,
his vast empire was an unexplored will
derness, with squalid cities strung along
its coast. The capital itself reeked
with fever, and was tangle of narrow,
undrained streets Now the
smoke Of sugar refineries hangs over the
Bay Of Rio, and the noise Of the cotton
mill is heard by the walls of Maranham.
Throughout the entire length Of the
Amazon the busy steamboats, ply, and
every harbor is crowded with commerce.
A navy has been created which ranks
only after the navies Of the great Euro
pean powers. Every art and every
science has home in Brazil, and the
capital is one of the finest cities in the
world. -Harper's Weekly.