St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-04-28
Brazilian Newspapers Slash
Away at the New Repub-
lican Government,
And Gen. Fonseca Concludes
It Is Time to Apply the
Brakes.
Editors Must Hereafter Fight
Shy of Personalities and
Defamation.
Excerpts From Some Of the
Most Recent Attacks on
the Government.

Rio DE JANEIRo. March 31.-The pro-
visional government has issued the fol-
lowing decree:
Whereas, To the detriment of public
order and tranquility, false reports and
alarming rumors have been circulated
with the manifest and unpatriotic OBJ
ject of favoring censurable speculations.
Whereas, Such reports and rumoIs
are highly injurious to the foreign
credit of Brazil, weakening confidence
in the stability of our institutions and
in the security of the obligations con-
tracted by the nation.
Whereas, These reports and rumors
are, moreover, intended to cause alarm
and panic among our fellow citizens.
who, with thorough confidence and
perfect tranquility, have throughout
the length and breadth of the land ac-
cepted the new order of things.
Whereas, 1t is the duty of those
clothed with authority to prevent and
remove all causes of social disturbance.
assuring and guaranteeing order, which
is Indispensable to the free and lawful
exercise of every species of activity,
and to the development of national
progress.
Whereas. The prevalence of personal
and slanderOus reports is intende ed
rather to bring the government into dis
repute. and by weakening the conf
dence OF the people in their rulers to
favor subversive plots, than to inform
and guide public opinion in regard to
the acts of the said government.
Whereas, the government, while not
desiring to prevent or hinder the eX-
ercise of the acknowledged right to dis
cuSs it's acts, cannot view with indif-
ference the pertinacious and criminal
conduct of those who seek in every way
to create anarchy and promote disorder;
and.
Whereas, Such conduct, in it's very
conception, in an abnormal state of af-
fairs such as still exists in Brazil. de-
mands measures of an exceptional char
acter for their efficient and thorough re-
preston, and for the maintenance Of
order.
Therefore. Marshal Marvel Deodoro
da Fonesca, chief of the provisional
government, instituted by the army
and navy, in the name of the nation,
hereby DEGREES:
Article l. To the provisions of the de-
cree of December %, 1889, are subject
all persons who originate or aid In cir
culating, by means of the papers or tel
egraph. or in any other way, In Brazil
or in foreign countries. false reports
and alarming rumors. such as refer. for
instance, to the discipline of the troops,
to the stability of the institutions of the
country and to public order.
Art. 2. From this provision Is ex-
cluded written or verbal criticism, how
ever severe it may be, of the govern
ment's acts, for the purpose of expos
ing, correcting and preventing admin
istrative errors. provided it be free
from personalities and defamation.
Art. 8. When the Offense shall be
committed in any place beyond the
limits of the federal capital the offender
shall be arrested and conveyed to the
said capital for the purpose of being
the said decree.
Art. 4. All provisions to the contrary
are hereby repealed.
The minister and secretary of state
for the department of justice will cause
this decree to be executed.
Hall of the provisional government Of
the United States of Brazil, on the 29th
dav of March, second year of the re-
public.
MANoEL DEODORA DA FONsECA.
MANoEL FARRAZ DE CAMPos SALES.
The decree of Dec. %, 1889, to which
the present decree refers, was issued, it
will be remembered, shortly after the
mutiny in the Second regiment of artil-
lery. By that decree persons commit
ting offenses therein specified are con-
sidered guilty of military seditiOn and
must suffer the penalties with which
this crime is punishable. The trial is ac-
curding to military forms, before mil
itary tribunal instituted by the govern
ment. The offenses specified in that de-
cree are as follows:
First-Conspiring against the repub-
lie and its government.
Second-Advising aiding or abetting,
by word, writing or deed, civil revolt or
military lnsubordiation.
Third-Attemptlng by any species of
instigation to lead officers or soldiers
into acts contrary to their duty to their
superiors or hostile to the republican
form of government.
Fourth-Circulating in the army and
navy false and subversiVe ideas in such
a manner as to excite unfriendly feel
ings toward the republic.
Seventh - Promoting intoXicatiOn
among the soldiers for the purpose of
leading them into acts of insubordina-
ton.
When the decree of Dec. % was issued
the editor of the Tribuna Liberal (organ
of the last monarchical ministry, alleg-
ing that its provisions were destructive
to the freedom of the press, discontinued
the publication of his paper. His ene-
mes, however, say that the reason al
legged was mere preteXt, and that the
paper really died from want of means.
The other papers, already very guarded
in their tone. became still more so, and
the discussion of political matters was
almost exclusively confined to private
circles. In these, however, it be-
all sorts of reports were kept in circula-
ton, many of them causing no little an
noyance to the ministers and their
friends when reaching their ears. Then
there arose a feeling favorable to the
press. One of the first persons to give
open expression to this feeling was the
minister of agriculture, who. in an ad
dress made before an association in this
city, took occasion to say that no one
aspiring to govern a free people could
interfere with the liberty of the press,
and that the only corrective for the
abuse of this liberty is to be found in
public opinion. Although this minister
shortly afterwards went out of office,
the idea remained. On Feb. Is, at dim
ner given to the eX-minister, the minister
of war spoke to the same effect,
and few days afterwards the official
paper published declaration of the
provisional government that the decree
of Dec. % was not intended to restrict
the liberty of the press. Since then the
tone of the press have become much
bolder. and some very violent articles