New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-03-04
OF PLANTERS.
Pr srArr coRREsroXDENr OF rnE rnlnuNrl

4
Emancipation is generally conceded to have
been one of the causes of the revolution. 1t
created widespread dissatisfaction among the
planters and landowners, and weakened the au-
thority of the Imperial Government. The Prin-
cess Regent when she signed the Emancipation
decree left the slaveowners shift for themselves
in the crisis of the revolution the crippled and
ruined planters left the Imperial family to shit
for themselves. The battalions surrounded the
Government Offices: the army proclaimed the he
public, and popular apathy supervcned Ihere
were no signs of resistance In the agricultural
provinces Of Rio dc Janeiro, San Paulo ana Mlnas
Gcraes, where more than one-haIf OF the slaves
In Brazil were owned at the time OF EMANCIPATION.
The planters who had controlled and directed the
government of the Empire for hall century, VIII
messed with a feeling of cynical indifference tie
establishment of republic by military cabal.
The Imperial dynasty had abandoned them to
their fate. II was game at which two could
play.
There is characteristic Brazilian phrase that
sums I'D nearly sixty years of ant-Slavery legs-
l,tion in Brazil 1t is Para Inglcz yer" THAT
the English may see 1t. There was appear
nnce of reform without the substance. As far
back as 1926 n treaty was negotiated between
Great Britain and Brazil for the abolition Of the
slave trade For five years nothing was done, and
then a decree issued prohibiting the slave
trade and declaring all negroes who Should he
snugced into the Empire to be entitled TO liberty.
For twenty years that law was openly disiesarded.
The magistrates and officials who should have
enforced it either were owners OF slave-shlps or
had a financial interest in the smuggling trade.
Negroes were brought into Brazil by the thousand
as late as 1851. The law not enforced until
the British Government, wcaried out with pre-
texts and dcceptons compelled the authorizes To
take decisive action. When the purchaser, a.
well as the smugsler, was rcnGcIcd Liable 10
punishment the illicit trade was broken up.
But here came in a characteristic stroke Ol lor'u-
nurse craft The laws were amended ana made
more stringent as blind for the English. but
all negroes smuggcd into tie country
since 1881 nOminally declared 10
be emancipados who should be sent back TO their
homes at their masters expense after working
fourteen years for their board. In this way the
slavery of thousands of negroes who had been I'M
ported and sold in violation of law was lcgalzcd
Tor a LONG term of wears The emancpadOs were
nverworked and itreated on nearly AL the planta-
lions The fact that they would be entitled 10
their freedom in sG4 quickcncd the owner I'M
pulse to get as much work as possible out oil them
while they were slaves By the terms Of the
law their masters were to send them back 10
Africa. This was never done. The wretchcd
cmalcipados attained their liberty after fourteen
wears but remained. in large part on the estates
where they had been slaves and their condition was
not materially different from that of the negroes
still in bondage The treatment OF plantation slaves
was very bad before the Illicit trade was broken
up With negroes constantly imported the sup
ply exceeded the demand and slaves were cheap.
When the smuggling trade was suppressed slaves
,-aIu ma
care of them than before. reducing the hours of
labor. keeping physicians the plantations.
and feeding the negroes well. On the largest
fazendas schools opened. and negro children
taught to read and write. ON the smaller conrc
and sugar farms slaves were treated with greater
rigor. and often punished with marked severity.
In The coffee harvest they were expected to work
from fifteen TO seventeen hours day under
the ewes Of overseers vino were frequently brutal
and cruel.
The suierings Of the oVerworkcd cmanclpados
created in Brazil a strong anti-slavcTy feeling.
which received tremendous impulse from the
Emancipation Proclamation in America. Inc
Empcror headed movement for the gradual
abolition of slavery. with compensation to owners
for their losses a broad measure, known as
the Zacharias scheme. introduced in the
Chambers 1t provided for the freedom Of all
children to be born of slave parentage, service
being rendered until they were twenty-one II they
were brought up at the expense OF slave-owncr;
for the creation Of various emancipation funds
for assisting slaves TO purchase their
liberty: and for the abolition Of slavery
in 1900 with indemnifcation OF owners.
If the planters had been wise IN their genera
ton they would have accepted this measure, ana
secured themselves against losses. They opposed IL
because they regarded slave labor as Indispensable
10 the successful operation of coffee and sugar
plantations They protested 10 he theoretical
abolitionists. but practically they did everything
in their power to obstruct the passage of emanci-
nation laws and TO nullify their enforcement.
The Zacbarias scheme was thrown out, and IN
1871 The Rio Brancho law was substituted for If
This AMIN was a reform 10 be looked at superb
cially by foreigners and employed for tie Indeh-
mite prolongation of slavery in Brazil WIN Inc
exception of Government slaves, who were einahcl
pated its benefits were confined TO the UNBORN
and these were virtually condemned 10 slavery
from the age of eight 10 tweniy-one y PROVIDED
machinery for raising Liberation funds, Dat sc'
10 date for universal and final emancipation. II
left the child born the day before the passage ol
tie act TO live in bondage 10 the age oi seventy
or ninety Ii secured for Brazil credit ABROAD
for introducing a system Of gradual enamel
patton. but il accomplished only the
most ueagrc results. IN attempt made
in 1850 10 modify the Rio BranchO law 50 rs 10
nut an end 10 slavery in 1890 was ancrlly re-,
sisted by the Southern planters and Their political
representatives. Their leader. MdrtiunV Camp :,
declared that abOlluOnistr were robbers VINO
,uult 10 be SHOT VITA the revolver, amt bOasi"d
thai If slaves were taxed in the interest OIL cman
cpatOn they would be worked an hour or two
more day IL order that their masters might not
slucr any loss. Planters unions were formed in
The three coffee provinces u defend the nights OF
slaveowners. \ special force VI police va, hired
under the orders OF the managing comm cc,. ana
MANI outra.cs were committed. When the
courts sought 10 enforce the RIGHTS OF liberated
slaves the magistrates were expelled from the
nr,,vlnccs by self-organizcd tribunals lawyers
ileading the cause Of the negro were hunted Odt
OF lie districts, and prisoners were taken on OF
iaiI iv lynch law and put 10 death with waDtOn
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