Year: 1876

We print an interesting letter from Rio
Janeiro in reference to the proposed visit of
the Emperor of Brazil to the United States.
Our correspondent has been received in
audience by the Emperor who treated him
with royal courtesy. His Majesty will
leave Brazil on the 26th of March, and should
be with us in time to take part in the open
ing of the Centennial Exhibition. AS this
announcement comes from His Majesty's own
lips it may be accepted as official.


We need not say that the Emperor will be
welcome. The sovereign of great nation,
he comes from an illustrious lineage He
represents in his blood the houses of Bra
ganza, Bourbon and Hapsburg BY his father
he descends in direct line from that great
house of Braganza which began with the
reign of John the Fortunate, and goes
back to the Burgundian princes who
once ruled in the Peninsula. His mother
was an Austrian archduchess. He is
near relative of the Bourbons, with whom
his family is still more closely connected by
marriage. In addition to these advantages
of birth the Emperor of Brazil is one of the





speaks and writes with fuency the principal
languages of modern Europe, he has trav-
elled wide and far and is a man of wisdom
and genius Although in the ffty-second
year of his age he has been on the throne OF
Brazil thirty-six years. He has had a happy
and prosperous reign. He has no title to
glory more enduring than that which will


Al. A.
which took place in 1871 in the promulga-
ton ofan edict for the gradual but total abo-
lition of slavery in the Brazils. This act,
the noblest that can fall to any sovereign,
will rank the Emperor with the liberators of
history-the highest rank that even SOW
ereigns can hold.


The Empire of Brazil is the fifth in terri
torial extent of all the nations of the world
1t ranks next to the United States, is three
fourths as large as the British Empire, and,
if we omit Alaska, it is larger than our Repub-
lie. In population it is thirteenth in rank,
having over ten millions of people 1t has a
small but efficient army and navy. It's nat
ural resources are vast. Buckle speaks of it
as one of the countries where nature is so
lavish that mans energy is exhausted in
struggling against the variety and plenitude
of the riches showered upon him. The
main staples are coffee and sugar, and the
importance of the Empire commercially may
be understood when we say that we receive
one-fourth of the Brazilian exports COM
pared with one-third which goes to Great
Britain. The result of the imperial visit in
strengthening these relations will be bene-
fetal.


We need not say that while all the royal
and distinguished guests who choose to visit
us during the centennial year will be well
come, none will be more so than Dom Pedro
H., Emperor of Brazil. AS IN American
sovereign our interest in his coming will be
almost fraternal. He will find many things
to learn in this land-like his own among
the youngest of nations. There are, no
doubt, many, many things we could learn.
from him if he chose to give us the results
of his experience. His visit will be among
the most interesting events of the year, and
he will be met everywhere with the respect
due to a prince of ancient rank and rare
attainments and the chief of free and great
empire