St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-11-19
ADEATH-BLoW TO MELLo.


In obedience to the suggestion of the
GLOBE, the commanders of the foreign
SquadronS at the mouth of the Amazon
have united in a formal demand that
Admiral Mello cease his farcical bonn
bardment of the city of Rio de Janeiro.
Naval representatives of eight nations,
including our own. have come to the
conclusion that the only effect of the
Commandment will be the injury of legit-
innate commerce; and as the firing has
thus Tar, though long protracted, been
barren Of political results. it must cease
The wisdom of this course cannot be
questioned. Ii Admiral Mello's re-
bellion had developed into a popular
moyement-even into an Instruction
of respectable proportions-he might
with some show of reason expect the
rights commonly accorded to bellIger-
ents. But the rebellion is little short Of
piracy. The admiral stole the vessels
he commands and turned their guns
npon their rIghtful owners in order to
accomplish his own ambitions. 1t is
probable that under a Strict construc-
ton of maritime law his acts would be
pronounced as piracy, and he and his
sailors would pay the penalty of their
crime at the yard arm. But there las
been tendency of late years to con-
strue all these laws in such manner
as to lean towards liberality, or, at any
rate, mercy. In fact, it has been neces-
sary to be liberal in this regard in order
to save the populations of Central and
South America from determination, for
the instructions in those countries are
i'll perennial bloom. The nation in those
regions that cannot boast a revolution
at least with each change in the seasons
is of small account. If each band of
freebooterS, therefore, were to be ac-
corded belllgerent rights by the nations
of the world. there would be no end to
the international complications that
would arise, and the relations of the
powers towards each other would be so
complex as to defy adjudication.
The GLOBES Judgment is also vindi-
Gated by the announcement that comes
from Paris to the effect that the Spanish
foreign Office has received news that Ad-
miral Mello has proclaimed the son of
the Count d'Eu president of Brazil.
The youth, scarcely in his teens, is the
grandson of the late emperor. Dom
Pedro. But even this proclamation
does not give the insurgent force any
standing as to belligerent. Had the
boy been proclaimed the emperor in
stead of president, the case might have
been different. AS emperor he would
have legal status, but as president h e
has none, for In a republic such as
Brazil pretends to be the president is
elected, not proclaimed. and he who
is proclaimed president is simply
usurper, nothing more.
1t seems probable that the Mello in
surrection has seen its best days. None
of its days have been very bright, for it
never had ghost of chance of sue
cess. 1t never had the countenance of
any foreign power; now that the ma
lions have pronounced it practical
piracy, it will soon cease to exist at all.
Before another month shall have passed,
Mello will have taken refuge in some
asylum for broken-down revolutionists.
and his followers will have been aban-
doned to their fate. He may cut a swell
in New DIRK society for a brief time,
but will soon be forgotten unless he has
taken the precaution to line his pockets
we'll with gold, as BarricS did.
The ways of South American revoln-
tionists are devious, and their careers
are almost invariably short. Mello will
find the truth of this to his sorrow.