The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-01-31
HOW THE WAR BEGAN.
The Empire Fell Too Easily for the
Good of the Nation.

oOOA vi TIC lNdllODs
There were two main causes operating
10 bring about the revolution which ended
In the fall of the empire in Brazil. The
rich planters had become alienated from
the throne by Dom Pedro's degree abolish
Ing slavery. and, as the sons of many of
these men were officers in the army, that
body only awaited a good pretext 10 turn
against him. Such pretext was furnished
when he issued his fatal order directing
the troops 10 retire into the interior. a
council was Immediately assembled, at
which it was resolved to dsobey the
order, and from that act of disobedience
1T was an easy and natural step to the
deposition of the Emperor.
The other cause was the popular hatred
of the Jesuits. Donna Isabel, Dom
Pedro's daughter, had excited contempt
and Indignation by submitting to a penalty
imposed upon her by an Italian priest to
whom she had confessed some venial sin.
He required her 10 scrub the floor of the
church known as the Campanhia. The
probability of her succession, il the
empire lasted, stimulated the spirit of
rebellion and was potent factor in pre-
cipitatng the final catastrophe.
The republic. so called, which sue
ceedel, was republic In name only. 1t
was established by men who not onlv
lacked any true conception of what
constitutes republican government,
but who were deficient IN the
wisdom, patriotism and integrity neces-
sary TO establish one. 1t brought
into popular parlance the maxim,
Every body for himself" ard that maxim
has been the guiding prin ciple of the lead
ers in Brazilian affairs ever since the de-
parture of Dom Pedro. The republic is
in reality a dictatorship, since the most
important laws and ordinances have no
higher sanction than the decree of the
President.
One of the first acts of Fonseca. as head
OF the Provisional Government, had the
effect of arousing an animosity which. in
conjunction with other causes, at last cul-
minated in the Mello rebellion. He
doubled the numerical strength of the
army and increased the pay of its officers.
The Brazilian army is and always has
been mere mob of armed negroes. While
the sons of the planters hold the most i'm
portant commands the majority of the Off
GERS are half-breeds. This increase of the
army of blacks wounded the pride OF the
oh'ouo VI wv LII
was regarded as an evidence of
the partiality Of the administration
for the army, and as a proof of
its desire 10 discriminate against the
navy. The Executive could have done
nothing better calculated to pave the way
for the ambition of man like De MelIo
An era of unparalleled corruption sue
ceeded the fall of the empire and at last
Fonseca was forced from The Presidency
and the succession descended TO Flavius
Peixoto, who had been Vice President. He
was no more popular with the royalists in
the navy than Tonseca had been, and when
be vetoed bill which had passed both
houses OF Congress, providing that nobody
who had been Vice-President could be eli
gIble to the Presidency, the animosity TO-
ward him eliminated. Peixoto meant t.
be candidate for President in the election
next March, and if he had signed the bill
he would thereby have made himself ipeli-
gible to the Presidency.
WThe Brazilian feet in the port of Rio de
Janeiro revolted on the night of Septemb Der
g. captured a number of merchant vessels
and armed them. Admiral Custodio Jose
de Mello was cOmmander-in-chief The
warsh ips was provided with vast stores of
arms, ammunition. provisions and coal.
One object in view was to have absolute
control Of the bays of Guansbara and Mic
theroy and the roadstead. The artillery