River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1902-10-16

hands, deposed the vice kings (whose
motives they began to see had all along
been self-interest and the desire to re-
main in power) and declared for lib
erty and self-government. The wave
of revolution swept over the entire
country Spain, unable to curb the up
rising, appealed for aid at the courts of
Russia, Prussia, Austria and France.
1t was at this point that President Mon
roe, as eloquent spokesman for this
government, interposedh his famous doc
trine.
In Brazil also the first acts tending
to the establishment of independence
came about as result of the seizure of
the Portuguese throne by Napoleon.
The royal family fled from Portugal
and took refuge in Brazil There they
were well received and established the
throne in their colonies. Later, when
they returned to Portugal, the colony
became again dependency. There
after the emperor of Portugal as
sumed also the title of Emperor Of
Brazil, but abdicated in favor OF his
son. Dom Pedro I. In reality Brazil,
even at this date, has become an indie
pendent representative government,
with the son of the Emperor of Portu-
gal as chief executive. Finding that he
excited the opposition by the theories
of absolutism which still chung to him,
however. Dom Pedro /. in turn abdi-
Gated in favor of his son, Dom Pedro
III. The latter being boy, regency
was appointed. Later Dom Pedro H.,
deferring to the wishes of the people,
abdicated his throne and permitted
genuine republic to be established.
At the time of the Monroe Doctrine
the only territory then on the South
American continent under European
sovereignty was that known as Guiana,
or the "Wild Coast" This land had
been a debatable tract between POrtu-
guese Brazil and the Spanish colonies,
and lay in that famed region between
the mouth of the Amazon and the won
derful delta of the Oronoco, supposed
to be the site of that tabled city Of
wealth. Eldorado. Dutch, English and
French adventurers, attracted partly
by the extravagant stories of the
wealth to be found in the interior, and
partly by the prospect of lucrative
contraband commerce on the Spanish
main, secured footholds in Guiana.
These colonies were from time to time
abandoned and re-established, passing
through the usual tribulations of new
settlements. They changed hands
among these powers several times, and
it is curious to note that the original
Dutch colonies are now British and the
original British colonies are now Dutch.
At the time of Fngland's greatest SUI
premacy, and when a great portion of
the West Indies fell into her hands,
French Guiana was taken by her but
was afterwards restored to the French.
Unable to secure much Of foothold
on the continent England, France and
Holland had contented themselves
with depriving Spain of some of her
West Indies islands; and before the
framing of the Monroe doctrine Eng
land had come into possession of the
important islands of Jamaica, Barba-
does, Trinidad, Tobago, the Leeward
islands. including Dominica, Montser-
rat, Antigua, ST. kits, Nevis. Anguel-
la, the Virgin islands, the Windward
islands, including Grenada, the Grena-
dimes, ST. Lucia. St. Vincent, the Ba-
hamas and the Bermudas.
The island Of Patos is represented by
but a dot on the largest maps; yet it
seems that England wants it.
MILTON MARKS.