The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-05-02
ADMIRAL DE MEILO,

pletely. The military forces or President
Peixoto have driven the Insurgents out Of
the State of Bio Grande do Sui, and the de-
feated and discomfted Admiral de Mello has
disemberked 1900 insurgent troops on the
frontier OF Uruguay and surrendered
himself and his command to the Uru-
guayan authorities, who have disarmed
them. Though the state Of siege at Rio de
Janeiro has been extended to June IL, It, Is
believed that Mello's surrender will enable
the Brazilian Government to :aise the siege
within much shorter time. The Uruguay
an Government, after having been no
titled by Mello of his desire TO sur
render, sent out battalion Of infantry to
receive his submission. The commanding Of
ficer, after comforting with Mello, accepted
his sword and placed him and his followers
formally under arrest. Mello landed his men
from the Republica. Admiral da CANA has
caused the publication of protest against tbs
treatment he received at the hands of the
commander Of the Portuguese war ship Min
dello. He declares that the Portuguese Cap
tain, after offering him an asylum on board
his vessel, detained him and the other Bra
zilians, refusing to permit them to land. in
spite Of the fact, the Admiral alleges, that
the Argentine authorities had signihed their
willingness 10 receive them.
A d!spatch from Rio de Janeiro, says
TIE naval revolution in Brazil came to an
inglorious end March f3. Its finale was as
farcial as its succession OF incidents (scarce-
ly worthy the name of events) were grotesque
in the eyes of the foreigners who looked upon
them with impartial interest.
President Peixoto brought nine craft, un-
worthy of respectable consideration as men,
of-war, into the bay. At the same time Ad-
miral Saldanha da Cana and his insurgent
fellow-oficers fed from their worse than use
less craft, abandoned Villegagnon, Ihla das
Cobras and Mocangue Islands without firing
shot, and huddled like fugitive sheep un-
der the white Geneva cross, on Euchadas
Island.
or the number Of men who surrendered
no Trustworthy account can be obtained. The
stories vary from 900 to 100, but it is now
proved beyond doubt, as was often asserted
by the United Press, that fewer than 500 ef-
fective fighting men remained under Da
Gama's command.
OF ths number killed on each side no ac-
count has been or will be made. But rea-
sonable estimate shows that Da Cana and
Mello together carried out about 1000 men
and cadets. This number was increased by
volunteers who managed to reach the
ships singly and in groups Of two
and three, until perhaps 500 men
were added. There remain all told,
sick, wounded. unframed laborers, and
marines, from 1900 to 1900. while Mello may
have carried out Of port, when he ostensibly
went south for recruits. as many as 800. Il
is therefore guessed that the rebels lost In
killed not far from 500 men.
It is still more difficult to make an esti-
mate Of Government losses, but 1t Is &C.
knowledged on all sides that the Govern.
1A1x fhan fhn inc parNd n
every fight during the raids made along
shore by the insurgent tugs. The Norden-
felt and Hotchkiss guns often worked
great destruction to the soldiers guard
ing the piers, when the rebels rarely lost
O man. Indeed, so bad were the marksmen
On shore that the tug Captains used to sit on
stools outside the pilot houses, smoking
cigarettes while raiding the shore line under
what the Government called ''the heated
persecution by the valorous and invincible
defenders Of the Republic"
According to Baron Cabo Frio, OF the For
eign Office, 1t was because so many soldiers
had been killed that Peixoto refused to offer
Da Cana any terms worth considering at
the time the rebel Admiral applied to Ad-
miral Benham for arbitration. On the whole,
from 1000 to 1909 soldiers were killed about
the bay inthe skirmishes that occurred dur
ing the six months Of warfare.
While Da Gsma's fight does not end the
war, 1t ends the present danger of the repub-
lican form of Government and in that every
American can properly congratulate Brazil.
A war Is still on in the south, but It Is not Tor
the cause which Da Cana represented. The
people of Rio Grande do Sui and OF
SaSta Gatharina have been fighting for
about two years to resist such repressiye and
unconstitutional acts as the removal OF their
Governors by the central authority. PeiAo-
to did that. and was aided and advised In 1t
by Meilo until Mello saw his own aspir-
ations to become President blocked by
his chief. Then he deserted Peixoto, as he
had previously deserted the Emperor and
the first President. He took advantage OF
the war In the south and OF the discomfort
In the navy. which was grumbling because
the army had the cheese and the knife
both" and created revolt In the bay.
The rebellion in the south was justified.
Mello's revolt was an infamous attempt to
crafty personal ambition at the expense OF
the lives and prosperity OF Brazilians. Al
though he had complete control OF the bay and
a dozen Tell-armed ships, Mello failed totake
the city or arouse an insurrection there.
There was a widespread passive sympathy
for him, due solely to hatred OF Peixoto's
domineering policy. But Mello's fight had
failed by the end of November.
Then came Da Cana, who, as head OF the
naval school on Enchados and Cobras ISLANDS,
had proclaimed himself neutral. Da CANA
was a monarchist. He took charge OF the IN
surrent forces in the bay and issued a procla-
nation which meant that he intended to re-
established monarchy. Mello, with the rnen-of-
war Anuidaban snd Republica left the harbor
ostensibiy ste to 60 South to organize helping
forces there and to 90 north to intercept the
Government feet coming from New iorS.
Both these objects could have been easily 9e-
Cana as he had turned traitor to all the rest
who had befrieaded him.
Hope deferred made Da Gama's heart SICK
before January had ended. but he was
nagSed into holding on by the English,
royalist and church sympathizers on shore.
The Aeuidaban came back for brief inter
val ami several small Islands were taken
M