Year: 1871

|
themselves.


Emperor-It is my wish and as far as


| can at present say my intention, to


show my gratitude for that feeling by


making a visit to the United States the


concluding stage Of my tour. But


cannot speak with certainty on that


point-for there is no plan so difficult to


carry out as a plan Of travel.


Correspondent-Your Majesty has


shown due sense of the value Of con-


trasts in making England your first i'm
portant restihg-place. In soil, climate,


and nearly all material circumstances


the differences between the two coun-


tries must appear very striking to the
traveller.


E.-Everything l have witnessed since


| left my country has impressed me with


this sense of newness and strangeness to


which you refer. You are doubtless


aware that this is the first occasion of


my leaving my own dominions for any
foreign country whatever.


CT envy your Majesty the pleasure


which you must derive from travelling


under such circumstances.


E.-You might also envy me the


profit. 1t is impossible to exaggerate


the advantages which promise myself


in the experience / am storingup during


this hurried trip. have long had my


curiosity awakened by what | have heard


of the leading foreign countries and the


distinct aim have set before myself is


to see what could best borrow from
those countries for the development of


Brazil. The conditions of life are so
curiously reversed here as compared with
my own country. We have boundless
extent of land, but a want of men. In
England, more perhaps than any other
country except Belgium, the population
has altogether outgrown the territorial
limits Your own country and Russia
have neither kind of embarrassment to
contend with. 1t would crafty me be-
yond measure if | could attract to our
shores the emigrants that come so spon-
taneously to yours in the United States.
But we have much to do before that can
take place. In Europe land | doubt
not it would be the same in the United
States) am struck with the multitude
of fats dccOmpHs in affairs which with
us are as yet only projected reforms.
Emancipation is the question Of the
hour in Brazil, and national education
is in its infancy, while with you it has
already attained its matured growth


C.-Your Majesty is fortunate in ar
irving here at time when this country
is for the first time in its history at
tempting to establish something like an
adequate system of national education.


E.--Undoubtedly, but the experiment
is deprived of much of its interest from
the fact that it seems likely to degenerate
into war of sects. But when talk of
education do not refer to book-learning
only There is certain training of
every citizen in the daily life of busy
nation which nothing else can give. One
of your American or English newspa
pers is whole system of teaching in
itself And those who are not yet able
to read it cannot fail to be largely in
huenced by the immense national activ-
ity of which it is the mirror. See more
clearly than ever that side by side with
the schoolmaster and his book must be
the quickening influence of prosperous
manufacturers and extended commerce.
The clergy may safely be trusted to pro-
vide the theoretic parts Of education but
the merchant and mechanic alone can
supply the living interests on which the
trained mind is to exercise its powers.
In many communities these interests, so
to speak, watch over themselves; in Bra
zil they still require State aid. | have
given much attention lately to the ques
ton of national workshops for the en-
couragement of particular manufac-
lures. / was strongly dissuaded against |
the project by some persons / met in |
France, and / have heard still more |
against it here, but am still of opinion
that we must help industry on its legs
before it can gain the strength to walk
alone. The past history of England
confirms me in this, though of course
protection is no longer required in that
coantry any more than in your own. |
sometimes amuse myself by specializing
on what an active race like the one | see
around me here would make of Brazil.


C.-Your Majesty has no doubt re-
marked the extent to which the national
power is multiplied by the use of ma
chinery2


Eyes; and have been particularly
in what | have seen of ma
chinery for agricultural purposes. You
are no doubt aware that we have made
some progress in that respect ourselves.
Brazil, although / wish to give it a
greater impulse toward manufactures,
must yet remain for some time mainly
agricultural in its activity. As conse-
quence we are to be seen at our best in
our fields and plantations, and our
Of agriculture may compare
favorably with that Of States far more
advanced in other respects. We offer
ready market for improving farming inn
plements, as your inventors have al
ready found out.


C.-Your Majesty has no doubt no
iced the influence of climate in de-
.ermiDg the character OF peoples2


Eyes, and of this people above all.
One can perfectly well understand that [
/ is impossible 10 be idle here; and to
say the truth the English pay heavy
price for the blessings which industry
las brought them. can hardly con-
,eive what the country must be like in :
he winter after my experience Of what
S called the fine season.


C.-England is always more or less
to foreigners on that ac-
,Ount.


Eyes; while l find much here
hat commends itself TO my reason.
,ther faculties are left unsatished. If l
we're required to describe England in
. word, 1 should call it the gray country.
There is a want Of warm color every
the skies, the vegetation, the
lresses Of men and women, the houses
md streets. / have seen st. Pauls, a
plendid pile, but mass Of cold, color
ess stone, rendered still more unsightly
" contrast with the rainbow tints of its
L.. 4 L !