The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-12-01
GIRO UMsTANCEs LEADING W q"
THE BRAzILIAN WAR.
Peixoto and the Coustitution-Ihe 0ues-
tion of the Reelection OF the rre''
dsnt-Ihe Vetoed Biii'
RIO. october 7, 1893.

give the bit"'~
| credit for the success Of the reVoiuuon.
The provisional government at once
commenced the task by ordering general
election for deputies and senators TO the
first Congress, who were duly elected ny
all the States. lately cailed provinces
under the monarchy. IN Que lttue oon-
| gress assembled i'm number 10, fully rep
| resenting all Brazil, and aIter Ions
debate, and minute consideration OF every
article, adopted a federal cohst lulioh
on the 2lth Of February, loJl' WIN GER
tain temporary articles attached, inns
CONSTITUTION is paodeled principally on
those Of the United States Oh amer 10 Ia
Switzerland, and Chile and IS very I'D
eral. -,
As soon as the constitution was adopted
in obedience to one OF the temporary ~
ticles. which declares that the hrst presi,
dent and yice-presdent should be electeu
by Congress, an election was helL ~, ~
Deodoro Fonseca was chosen presluenl,
and Floriano Peixoto vice-preSluent, Aot
the first term, which ends Oh 'ie i'-
November, 1894.
Fon.eca's dictatorship
After continued squabbles win On
gress. President Deodoro, Dy a cup
d,etot ON the 81 of November, 1891 DIS
ship. and ordered a new eiecuoh 40,
March of the following year. On the ~'d
of the same month, after only twenty
days the army and navy ana ldIse
majority Of the expelled congressman
combined and forced the aDdlcatloh Vi
President Deodoro, in order, as they de-
clared. SO yindieate the law and the Con
stituton, and Floriano PeiXoto, the wee
president, succeeded, as a 'matter Vi
course, and according 10 the constitution
DeOdoro was compelled 10 accede 10 the
wishes of the revolution, AS ne was
backed by neither people, army or navy
and was ia a wretched state Of health.
and died soon afterward. During all this
time the States each had adopted their
own constitution and elected their state
governors or presidents, as they are sew
orally called: and during the twenty days
of the dictatorship almost all, II not all
these elected governors had sent IN thelr
approval and adherence TO the dictator
for which cause, as soon as Floriano was
firmly seated, by the aid. assistance and
advice Of his Cabinet. the most active OF
which was his minister Of marine, Admi-
raj Jose Custodio de Mello, the present
chief Of the naval revolt, cabals were
organized by agents of the central gov
eminent. who melted the people Of the
States TO depose their governors with the
aid Of the Federal military forces sta
toned in each State; and, with the aid
Of newly-appointed local officers, they
elected new governors, who appointed
new officers, ali supposed 10 be favorable
to Florianos ideas. Now, one Of the prin-
cipal charges against Floriano used by
Mello IS the act Of interfering in State
governments.
The Failure of the Gerae- Company
III. A. 4 cfr n q e
fairs in a very low condition, and took
means, more or less assured, TO remedy 1t;
among others the General Company OF
Railways (Companhia GeraD had issued
an immense number Of shares in excess
OF the legal number. and it's officers. so
says everybody had falsihed more shares,
amounting 70 millions of money far be-
yond the legal issue. DeOdora was about
20 extend the protection Of the government
to this gigantic swindie. but Floriano put
down his foot and refused 10 have any
thing 10 do with it. The company suffered
a fraudulent bankruptcy, and every man,
woman. and child Counted by hundreds
thousands) as usual in Latin countries,
who suffered losses by the failure OF the
Geraes Company, at once became a vim
dctive enemy OF the government and es-
pecially Of its president, Floriano.
From this source commenced the oppO-
sitlon TO Floriano, until q do not remem-
Der the date thirteen Of the highest army
and navy officers backed by certain men
Of politics and third-rate newspaper edi-
tors. addressed and published a letter 10
Floriano, asking, or rather, ordering the
President 10 call an election Of the people
TO choose a President. according TO Art
~ OF the Constitution, which says: "In
the case of the presidential office be-
coming vacant from any cause. If two
years OF the term in which this takes
place should not have elapsed, then there
must be held a new election 90 fiji the
vacancy" But the President FlOriano
taking as his authority the transitory pro-
visions Of the Constitution. made express
~ for the first presidential term. Art. l.
Par. 2, which reads: THE President and
| Nice-President. elected under the form OF
| this article GsO. Will occupy the Presi-
dency and Nice-Presldency OF the republic
during the first presidential term" re-
fused 20 call an election.
II was openly declared al the time that
the object of the transitory provisions OF
the Constitution was TO prevent a proper
election for President until after the first
presidential term. or until Qn other words
the people should be able through expe-
Renee, TO make a fair choice. The Presi-
dent ordered these generals and officers
10 be put upon the retired list. on the
10Th Of April 1S2 some OF these retired
officers, assisted by certain disconnected
elements Of Brazilian political society. at
tempted a revolution In a most ridicu-
lousy absurd manner, which was stran-
gled IN its birth. and the chiefs exiled TO
the wilds Of AmazOnas on the head
waters Of the river Amazon. In June OF
this same year Congress met again. and
~ a large majority approved every act
OF Floriano's government in respect 10
the quasi-revolt. and then voted a bill OF
amnesty for the exiies. who We're thus
aeain let loose 10 commence new in
trigues.
i, should have been stated above that
Congress confirmed Floriano's interpreta-
ton Of the transitory provisions.
Veto
one Of the articles Of the Constitution
declares that an elected president cannot
be reelected for the next term. and that
In case Of a vice-president has served as
president for the last two years Of the
term, he cannot be a candidate at the
next election. Though this is meant for
the permanent organization after the first
term. the opposition took the question 10
Congress where they succeeded In get
| ting law passed which states that a
Vice-presldent can under no circum-
stances be reelected. although the Con-
,lot he l..