Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1891-12-07

Prayed for Brazil's Prosperity.
The ex-emperor, Dom Pedro, was
conscious until few minutes before his
death. He prayed for the prosperity of
Brazil. The body will be inferred in
the family vault at Lisbon.
Biographical.
Dom Pedro de Alcantara ii was born in
Rio Janeiro in December, 1925. He was
a son of Dom Pedro emperor of Brazil
and king of Portugal who became regent
of Brazil in 1921, and who was proclaimed
emperor of Brazil in 1929, after the colony
revolted from Portugal and declared its
independence of the mother country.
Dom Pedro's father was a rare bird in
royalist circl ), for when he inherited the
throne of his father, who ruled Portugal
with an iron hand, he very promptly
abdicated in favor of his mild-mannered
sister, and devoted himself to the govern
ment of Brazil In Brazil things became
so warm that in 1881 he abdicated in favor
of his son, Dom Pedro. When the father
of the dead Pedro returned to Portugal
he usurped tie throne and ruled until he
died in 1884 The second Dom Pedro was
a much different man from his autocratic
father. When he became emperor Of
majority, he exhibited such fine traits of
character that his subjects fell in love
with him. and from that time until the
date of his expulsion by the republicans,
two years ago, he was held in the highest
esteem by his people.
In 1913 Dom Pedro married daughter
of the king of the Two Sicilies, woman
of lovabIe character, and with whom he
lived in harmony until her death in Portu-
gal some months ago Dom Pedro was
not u man of great force. His subjects
used to call him "lovable old humbug
but nevertheless they always regarded
him with feelings of reverence. He was a
great traveller and sor!, ,.ing of a dillet-
tante He cultivated the luxurious side
of life, and allowed the sterner cares Of
the government of his country and people
to rest upon the shoulders of his lieuten-
ants, with the result as readers of this
paper know that he was ultimately eX-
lied and deprived of his monarchical privi-
leges.
Dom Pedro was a great deal of phil
antropist, and was constantly engaged in
some work for the amelioration Of the
condition of his fellow-men, but as his
ideas were usually impractical, it is to be
said with regret that his efforts were
wasted His people always held it against
him that he spent vast sums of their
money upon chimeriCal projects, which
might have been otherwise and more
prolitably employed at home. Dom Pedro
was very trustful man, and entertained
all sorts of visitors with all sorts of
schemes 1t was this trait in his character
that resulted, eventually in his deposi-
ton from the throne, for the leaders of
the people grew tired ofyhis habits of en-
tertainng fakirs and impostors, and
finally rebelled
Dom Pedro was never manager, a'-
though he had seen great deal of the
world and something of America As a
student of our government, he made sew
eral visits to the United States, but his
country, it is to be said with sorrow,
profited little by it. The emperor up to
the time of his expulsion, was out of touch
with his people He rarely left his luxuri-
Gus palace at Petropolis, near by Rio Jan
eiro, and the only way he could be induced
to attend the meetings of the Brazilian
congress was to get up debate on the
slavery question. Dom Pedro was very
much interested in the abolition of slavery.
He had been impressed with the story of
Iincoln's life, and when philanthropio
Scotchman, Dr. Cunning, came to BraZi
Dom Pedro showed great solicitude for
the proposition DIR. Cunning submitted,
which was for the emancipation of the ma
tives of Brazil Dom Pedro was too i'm
practical, however, and never got the op-
portunity to emulate Lincoln.
1t is to be said in any sketch of Dom
Pedro's career, and said in truth and with
full appreciation of his good qualities as
a man, that his power as emperor was
extremely limited. In fact, he had less
power than the presidents of the South
American republics whose countries ad-
Joined Brazil. He had the right to veto
acts of the n"tional legislation of Brazil,
but as it required only "A majority vote to
override his veto, this power practically
availed nothing With the recent revolI-
ton in Brazil, which resulted in the ex-
pulsion Of the emperor, all newspaper
readers are familiar 1t was destined
that the Republicans of Brazil should
sooner or later overthrow the nominal
monarchy, and the announcement of the
fact did not create great deal of surprise.
The regret is that Dom Pedro was not
able to maintain the throne half doz' n
months longer than he did for then the
cooler heads among the republicans
would have been able to forestall the in
stallment of a representative of either the
army or navy as president pro tenn. Dom
Pcdro's death is interesting in that il
marks the end of direct mOnarchical rule
on the continents of North and South
America.
Dom Pedro VIGOROUSLY waged two
outside wars against the dictators-Rosas,
OF Huenos Ayres. ls5l-52, and Lopez III,
Of Paraguay ls64-50. Among the great
reforms which he affected were the
laws Of 1871 and 1856, for the gradual
abolition OF slavery, snd these led to
its absolute extinction by the parliament