Year: 1866

tinc'ions, essential, as ii seems to me, to Just
appreciation of the question. In this day emf
grafton Is not what it was twenty years ago.
Then the emgrant was generally political
refugee, flying, he and his from a more or less
Oppressive civil persecution. What he sought
was safe asylum and protection. His country
was still the land where he was born. To-day
emigration is more voluntary and more deliberate.
The emigrant generally leaves his home in order
20 ameliolate his lot and TO associate himself
with the destinies of anew world. What he seeks
Is anew country offering him advantages superior
to thosc he has hitherto known. To look upon


the emlerant as mercenary is generally TO do
h m an injustice. 1t is because in the United
States the value Of the individual man is fuiiv
recognized, that the tide OF emigration under ali
forms has poured towards her shores. With
this order OF things, country which establishes
dist ncto ons untavorable to the newcomer will
hope in vain to attract numerous emigration;
in my Judgment Brazil would deceive herself as
to the future if she indulges the hope of speedy
progress IN an active ard intelligent emigration,
without having previously abolished restrictions
which still weigh heavily upon the stranger who
comes to establish himself upon her soil Let
no one dclude himself in this respect; that
which the emigrant seeks is that which gene
rally Is least easily cOnce1ed absolute equality
with the inhabtant OF older date and even with
the desceno ant OF The Oldest races.


would add further that have observed in
Brazil certain administrative customs, prlnci
pally touching the acquisition of real estate and
the Intervention of authority in the affairs of
private individuals, which until they are funda-
mentally modified must remain an inVincible
obstacle TO emigration on a large scale. all ude
especially to the delays and formalities attend
ing the entrance into possession or practical
occupation of land, and which, in the eyes of
the stranger, are tantamount TO his complete
exclusion. The emigrant ought to be able to
take possession of the ground between to-day
and tomorrow, for he rarely has the means of
waiting True political wisdom should rather
stimulate him to establish himself upon any
territory not yet occupied, guaranteeing to him
right TO any improvements he may make even
upon soil which does not yet belong to him.
Another great difficulty arises from the arbitrary
manner in which subordinate officers interfere
in the affairs of individuals. / do not know
how far the Brazilian, born in the country feels
the necessity of the support and counsels,
direct or indirect, OF the public administration
in his private affairs; but do know positively
that in our days the emigrant fears nothing 50
much as all which may be considered tutelage,
still more when this tutelage takes occasionally
the form OF petty tyranny. He generally leaves
his own country to escape from this very thing
and will certainly not choose as the land of his
adoption one where it would pursue him even
into, his private transactions. The opening OF
a number of industrious and enterprislng men;
but great emigration, sucn as rapidly aug
mems population, will never gather there AS
long as the order OF things exists which have
observed IN the provinces of Para and ANA
zonas. And yet L have pleasure in repeating
that, whatever may be said TO the contrary,
even in Brazil, know no country in the world
richer. more attractive, more fertile, more salu-
brious, more fit to be the focus of numerous
population, than this magnificent valley of the
Amazonas, | am, etc., LOUIS AGAssIz.