The DeSmet leader. (DeSmet, Kingsbury Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-05-03
MUZZLEDTHEPRESS.
Brail's Provisional Government
FOrbids the Publication OF
Certain Things. ~
Offenders Will BE Tried Before
a Military Tribunal Instituted
by the Government.
One Editor Arrested for Violat-
ing the Decree, warned and
Then Given His Liberty.
Formal Notification OF the Rec
ognitiOR OF the Republic by
the United States.

The provisional government has is
sued the following decree, dated March
20: ..s..a,.... .............. 49,. .<..
Whereas, To the detriment OF public
order and tranquility, false reports
and alarming rumors havebeen circu'
lated with the manifest and unpatri.
otto object OF favoring censurabls
speculation;
Whereas, Such reports and rumors
are highly injurious to the foreign
credit of Brazil, weakening confidence
in the stability OF your institutions
and In the security oil the obligations
contracted by the nation;
Whereas, These reports and rumors
are moreover intended 10 cause alarm
and panic among our fellow citizens
who, with thorough confidence and
perfect tranquility, have through out
the length and breadth of the land &C.
cepJed 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 &C
tivity and to the development Of ma
tional progress;
Whereas, The prevalence oi person.
al and slanderous reports is intended
rather to bring the government into
disrepute, and by weakening the con-
fidence OF the people In their rulers to
favor subversive plots, than to in
form and guide public opinion in
regard to the acts OF said government.
Whereas, The government, while
not desiring to prevent or hinder the
exercise OF the acknowledged right to
discuss Its acts, cannot view with in
difference the pertinacious and cruel
conduct OF those who seek in every
way to create anarchy and promote
disorder; and,
Whereas, Such conduct, in its very
conception, in an abnormal state of
affairs such as still exists In Brazil,
demands measures Of an exceptional
character for their efficient and thor.
ough repression and for the mainten-
ance OF order.
Therefore, Marshal Manval Dodora
Da Fonseca, chief OF the provisional
government instituted by the army
and many in the name OF the nation,
hereby DEGREES: ..t..'..
Article Ito the provisions OF the
decree OF Dec. %, 1850, are subject
all persons who originate or aid IN
circulating, by means OF the papers or
telegraph or in any other way, in
Brazil or in torpien countries, false
reports ana aler ming rumors, such as
refer, icr instGnce, to the discipline OF
the troC .ts, 20 the stability OF the In.
stitutions OF the country and to pub.
tic order.
Art. 2-From this provision is ex-
cluded written or verbal criticism,
however severe il may be, OF the gov
ernment's acts, for the purpose OF
exposing, correcting and preventing
administrative errors, provided it be
tion.s
Art.3-When the offense shall be
committed in any place beyond the
limits of the federal capital the Of.
fender shall be arrested and conveyed
TO the said capital for the purpose Of
being here tried by the tribunal insti.
tuted by the said decree.
Art. 4--All provisions to the con.
trary are hereby repealed. ~
The minister and secretary OF state
for the department OF justice will
cause this decree to be executed.
THE DECREE OF DEC. 20, 1889,
to which the present decree refers,
was issued, it will be remembered,
shortly after the mutiny in the
Second regiment oiartillery. By that
decree persons committing otfenses
therein specified are considered guilty
OF military sedition, and must suffer
the penalties with which this crime
10 punishable. The trial is according
TO military forms before o tribunal
instructed by the government. The
offenses specified in that decree are
ms- follows: .ma,... ..a
First--Conspiring against the repub.
lie and its government.
Second--Advising, aiding or abet-
ting. by word, writing or deed, civil
revolt or military insubordination.
Third--Attempting by any species
of instigation to lead officers or sol.
diers into acts ,ptrary to their duty
TO their superiors or hostile to the re-.
publican form OF government.
Fourth Circulating in the army and
navy false and suoversive ideas in
such manner as TO excite unfriendly
feelings toward the republic.
Filth--Promoting intoxication
among the soldiers for the purpose OF
leading them into acts OF insubordi-
nation.
CONFINED TO PRIVATE CIRCLES.
When the decree OF Dec. 23 was is-
sued, the editor Of the Tribuna Liber.
al torgan OF the last monarchial min.
istry) alleging that it's provisions were
destructive OF the freedom OF the
press, discontinued the publication OF
his paper. The other papers, already
very guarded in their tone. became
still more so, and the discussion OF
political matters was almost exclu.
sively confined to private circles. In
these, however, II became more and
AnUAC HNNiyt 0uu at 0OEbb VI EtUOTtH
we're Kept IN circulation, many OF them
causing no little annoyancet to the min.
listers and their friends when reaching
their ears. Then there arose feeling
favorable to the freedom of the press.
One OF the first persons TO give open
expression TO this feeling was the
minister oil agriculture. who in an
address made before an association
10 this city, took occasion TO say that
no one aspiring 70 govern q tree
people could interfere with the liberty
OF the press. and that the only cor
rective for the abuse OF this liberty 10
"a be iound In pubic opinicn.
hogxh this minister shortly alter
NA,nt out OF Office, the idea
On Feb. 15, &C dinner