New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-10-12
THE REVOLT IN BRAZIL.
1 COMPLETE ACCOUNT OF IlS okl"lN
AND PROGRESS
prrs,rrxr rrlxoTo AND REAR\pMlEAL
MELLO-WHT THEY SlNNo wv" "
WHO ARE STANDING By THEM.

WHO ARE STANDING BY IhEM'
To the Editor OF The Tribune .-,
Sir: feel that it is due to my p'aN'"'" i'e" w..
and to myself that ! should corrcc' SUM u 'e
wild sensational statements now So"s inc 'o''''
OF the newspapers and purporuhs " nav "
,n.de b, mo concerning the present revolution III
RraziI This can best be Accomplished perhaps
not by contradictng them IN ue'""' Dut D' ~
ing as briefly az possible what may Do ''
safely at present the subject IL "ou'u Se''e
no purpose to attempt to go Hi'o wv
which have led up to the present revolt OF 'he
~ rpdor Rear-Admiral Custodio Jose de
N.llo. II would take us into the lntricacles ana
into the complex system Of plots anu couh'elPo''
which characterize the partisan PohtoS VI '"e
Latin races and which the Brazilian hepupi'c III
herted from the Empire. 1t Is necessary now
ever TO mention some facts quite remote from
presont occurrences in order to clear statement
of the
There has been for many years jealousy, or
rather a rivalry between the Army and Navy
and upon this the Monarchy counted TO prevent
any serious political disturbance From the De-
ginning of things in Brazil, the Army ana Navy
have been important factors In politics. Inc TWO
branches OF service. however. MADE common
cause against the last Imperial Ministry under
.Ouro Preto" and joined hands to overthrow II.
II NAV be safely stated that their object was the
overthrow OF the Ministry instead oil the EMPIRE
and the proclaimng of the Republic was an after
thought In the new Republic the Navy was rep
resented in the Provisional Government by Adj
miral Edwardo Wandenkolk and the Army by
Field Marshal Deodoro Fonseca as President. The
Renublic was declared in the name of the Army
and Navy for the people. The people mad not,
however. been consulted. The old jealousy very
soon showed itself again. and things did not go
very smoothly between Wandenkolk and his col
leagues Of the Provisional Government. He with
drew however. without an open rupture. He was
cted IN he
ton ever since lie connected with the
"Seabrs' conspiracy and deported with the others
Your readers are all familiar with the coup
detat' Of President Fonseca and his secretary Luz
cena supported by the Army, dssolving Congress
and proclalmng himself temporary Dictator. in
November 1891 At this period the two rival leaders
I'm the present trouble came into prominence. Rear
Admiral Mello obtained possession of the war YES
sells in Rio hsrbor deposed Fonseca and placed
the Nice-Presdent. Floriano Piexoto. AT the mead
OF affairs Meo was called by PeiXoto TO the
portfolio Of the Navy and was temporarily Secre-
,ary Of Foreign Affairs He was supposed to be
the ruling spirit in the Cabinet. and was credited
with having caused the deportation Of Wanden
kok whom he defends. Again the Army
and Navy were united. After n while Melo with
drew from the Cabinet and published letter In
which he severely criticised Pexotos financial pol
lev and his Interference I'm the affairs OF Rio Grande
do Sui. This "manifesto' supposed to be
polltical nanoeuvre and really "A bid for the Pres
idency OF the Republic.
Now II would be we'll to remember that neither
President Peixoto nor Rear-Admiral Melo was
Republican at the fall Of the Monarchy; on the
contrary. both high In the confidence OF
the Emperor and held important offices OF trust.
Pcixoto being Adjutant-Genera.. in charge Of the
troops upon whom the Prime Minister depended
to "squclch" the rebels under Fonseca. After the
Republlc they both adhered" BY strange COM
bination Of circumstances. Pelxoto. who was never
a Republican. represents the utra-historical Re-
publicans while Mello. who. though a Monarchst.
was always OF a liberal turn of mind, represents
all OF the reactionary monarchcal clements
few months ago Admiral Wandenkolk made
trip to the River Plate and Rio Grande do Sui.
ostensibly 10 report in the Senate upon the real
condition OF affairs In that State. but really TO
join the rebels. and cooperate with the Taavares-
Martins faction to overthrow Castillo. He seized
the merchant steamer Jupiter and attempted to
capture Rio Grandc. evidently expecting support
from the rebel forces on land. Tho whole affair
WAS nl-timed. badly planned and proved COM
plete "nssco." The Jupiter came out of Rio
Grande and steamed north toward Santa Gather
ina where II captured by tho Government
cruiser Rcpublca sent out by Peixoto for the pur
pose and taken to Rio where Admiral Wanden-
kolk was shut up in the fortress OF Santa cruz.
President Poixoto claimed that. having been taken
in Aagrantc" Wandenkolk should b. tried by
court martial Tn, senate interfcred In his behalf
and succeeded by small majority, In carrying
the matter into the civil courts Wandcnkoik had
been chosen president Of the Naval club after
the real nature his mission to Rio GrPnde do SUI
was well known. thus widening the breach be-
tween the Government supported by the Army
and the Navy In the habras corpus proceedings
in the Wandenkolk cas-" the Navy cxasper-
aicd what II considered an indignity put upon
Wandenkolk by President PeiXoto. who treated
him with less consideration than his rank In the
Navy and his character Senator demanded
just at this iunctur" the President vetoed "A hhl
which provided chat Vice President who had acted
as President could not be- elected President. II was
also publicly stated that he had intImiated the
Supreme Court Ia Wandcnkoks case. and pre-
vented his release bail The Opposition was
evidently growing. and party tension WAS 50 great
| that every one felt there mast be break soon.
, considerable number Of the so-called Historic
Republicans. embracing some members or the
I Old Provisional Government. are opposed To the
Presidents policy of interfering with the Internal
affairs of the States. They consider that in the
States where there is strife, disorder and ciVl
war the Government is the real revolutionary
party. Tn" church party are. naturally. in the
/ Opposition Monarchists are interchangeable In their
schemes to cmbarrass and overthrow the Govern
mcnt and disgruntlci politicians generally, with
ont distinction Of party are in the Opposition The
safety OF the Government has been in the fact that
these heterogeneous elements could not combine
In the present trouble however. all these elements
| make common cause with the insurgent neet.
| President Peixoio Is supported by large ma
| iority OF both houses of Congress by the leaders
| and strong men of the old Republican party and
many of the old Conservatives. The great Cen
trail and Southern States, which correspond to our
/ Middle and Northern States, "A majority of the
/ Army a part OF the Navy and the friends of
order of all parties support him In his present
attempt TO restore order. Many prominent poll
ticans who do not approve OF PeiNotos policy
! and fear his dcspotc tendencies feel bound to
support him In the present emergency.
| II can readily be that the political at
mosphere was overcharged early In september.
that the Navy exasperated and only needed
! a leader to revolt. on the night OF September D.,
Rear Admiral Mello with friend or two, left the
opera and went board the ironclad Aquidaban.
and thence to the different war vessels In port
whose commanders all on shore. Everything
v,s done In pursuance Of plan previously con-