Mr. Thompson to Mr.
Gresham.
Legation of
the United States,
Petropolis, December 31, 1893.
(Received February 3, 1804.)
No. 120.]
Sir: I have the honor to inclose copies of two
notes from Admiral Saldanha da Gama to the commander of our naval forces in
these waters, the first asking for recognition as a belligerent; the second
threatening, in certain events, to bombard the city, and copy of a note from
the foreign commanders in reply to the second of the above notes.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure 1 in No.
120.—Translation.]
Rear-Admiral da
Gama to Capt. Picking.
Rio de
Janeiro, December 24,
1893.
To his excellency, the commanding
officer of the naval force of the Republic of the United States of
North America:
As your excellency will have occasion to verify for yourself to-morrow or
later, the Government of Marshal Floriano Peixoto for the fifth time
will decree the state of siege for this capital and six States included
within the most important zone of
[Page 91]
the country. That is to say, that in four months of struggle the
Government not only has not succeeded in putting down the revolution/hut
that it continues its progress with the head each time higher advancing
towards the capital. Besides the army corps which master the States of
Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catharina, Parana, and Sao Paulo, an important
part of the squadron operates in the waters of the south, while another
part, which I have the honor to command, continues in the port of this
capital, opposing all the plans of action of the Government at its own
headquarters. In view of what I have just presented to your excellency,
and of the manifest public sympathy with the cause of the revolution,
you can no longer have any hesitation on the ground of neutrality, which
might hinder or delay our recognition as belligerents on the part of the
nations, like that which your excellency represents, more directly
interested in the affairs of Brazil.
It is recognition then that I ask, requesting that your excellency may be
pleased to advise the diplomatic representative of the United States of
North America in this country of the contents of this note, that he in
his turn may transmit it to his Government.
I avail, etc.,
Luiz Philippe de Saldanha da
Gama,
Commander-in-chief of the naval
forces of the revolution against the Government of Marshal
Floriano Peixoto in the port of Rio de Janeiro. On hoard the
cruiser Liberdade.
[Inclosure 2 in No.
120.—Translation.]
Rear-Admiral da
Gama to the Naval
Commandants.
Rio de
Janeiro, December 23,
1893.
To his excellency, rear-admiral,
commander of the naval force of the Italian Royal Marine, stationed
in the Port of Rio de Janeiro:
In view of the measures and attitude lately adopted by the Government of
Marshal Floriano Peixoto, the squadron under my command, on its part,
can not fail to put into practice corresponding measures, though of a
character and nature repugnant to me. It is notorious that all the
heights around the city are fortified with batteries of cannon. Even
holy places, and those set apart for the benefit of suffering humanity
have not been respected. Morro do Castello, which dominates the Hospital
Santa Casa da Misericordia, as well as the hills of San Bento and
Conceicão—the first with its secular and historic Benedictine convent,
the second the Episcopal palace; finally, the hill of Bom Jesus, at
whose side is erected the hospital of our own disabled of land and
sea.
In these conditions your excellency will doubtless understand that the
squadron with difficulty can maintain until the end of the contest the
promised respect for the city of Rio de Janeiro, which has ceased to be
an open city and becomes a stronghold of war in the strictest sense of
the term.
From the first cannon shot from any of these points, including Bom Jesus,
the squadron will reply to the attack with its heavy artillery.
Asking that your excellency will kindly inform the chiefs of the foreign
naval forces also stationed in this port of the contents of this
communication, I avail myself of the opportunity to renew, etc.
Luiz Philippe de Saldanha da
Gama,
Commander-in-chief of the naval
forces of the revolt against the Government of Marshal Floriano
Peixoto in the port of Rio de Janeiro. On board of the cruiser
Liberdade.
[Inclosure 3 in
120.—Translation.]
Naval Commandants to
Rear-Admiral da Gama.
Rio de
Janeiro,
On board the Italian
cruiser Etna, December 25,
1893.
The commanding officers of the naval forces of Italy, England, France,
the United States, and Portugal, present in the bay of Rio de Janeiro,
having taken cognizance of the note of Admiral Saldanha, dated the 23d
of December, are of the opinion that the facts enumerated in that note
could not constitute a provocation of a kind to justify the threat of a
bombardment of the city announced by Admiral Saldanha.
They find, especially, that the firing from Bom Jesus, which is an island
completely outside of and distant from the city, can not be considered
one of the war measures from which Marshal Peixoto bound himself to the
commanding officers of the foreign naval forces to abstain.
[Page 92]
In consequence the above-mentioned commanders have the honor to announce
to Admiral Saldanha that for the moment they intend to hold to the
attitude which they took with regard to Admiral de Mello in the note of
the 1st of October, of which a copy is hereunto attached.
The commanding officer of the Portuguese naval
forces,
De
Castilho,
The commanding officer of the naval
forces of the United States of America,
Picking,
The commanding officer of the French
naval forces,
De
Barbeyrac
,
The commander of the English naval
forces,
Lang
,
The rear-admiral commanding Italian naval
forces,
G. B.
Magnaghi.
