Mr. Thompson to Mr.
Gresham.
Legation of
the United States,
Petropolis, February 6, 1894.
(Received March 19.)
No. 156.]
Sir: Since the transmission of my No. 141, January
26, 1894, news has reached here of dissensions in the Provisional Government
of the insurgents at Desterro, and the retirement of Senhor Annibal Cardoso
from the cabinet. Senhor Cardoso was at the head of the four principal
departments—war, inland affairs, finance, and foreign relations—and resigned
on account of misunderstandings with his colleagues.
Upon leaving the Government, Senhor Cardoso is reported to have said: “To-day
the heads of the revolutionary movement are enveloped in a mesh of cabals
and far from seeing in them the energy needed to overcome these intrigues, I
see these friends to be in great difficulties. I deem it a crime to remain
working for the revolution, putting in danger both lives and interests, to
serve a policy that, instead of having done away with the hindrances put in
our way by the enemy, builds up new obstacles through questions of
representation, forgetting for days together that one hour’s delay in a war
measure may be the loss of a fight, and thus of all that has been done. I
part, therefore, from the revolutionists, sorry to see remain among them so
many that will be sacrificed to personal ambitions.” Senhor João Carlos
Monrão do Santos succeeded to the positions made vacant by the resignation
of Senhor Cardoso.
The newspapers on the 16th ultimo published long accounts of a Government
victory at Itajahy. Itajahy, a small town in the State of Santa Catharina,
held by 800 men with 21 cannon and assisted by two of the insurgent vessels,
was captured by the Government forces on the 10th of December with but
little loss of life to either side.
It was reported about the 25th of last month that the Vice President had in
contemplation or had informed the presidents of the several States that if
he should succeed in suppressing the revolution, he would immediately resign
and turn the presidency over to his legal successor, Dr. Prudente Moraes,
the president of the senate, and was heartily in favor of the election of a
civilian to the presidency. This has not, however, materialized in a
definite form; nor have I been able to trace it to a reliable source, but,
notwithstanding, I am aware that there is a strong feeling against again
intrusting the affairs of the Government to a military president, and
believe that a civilian will assuredly succeed Peixoto. The governor of the
State of Minas Geraes, Dr. Alfonzo Penna, whose manifesto was transmitted in
my No. 138 January 20, is favorably spoken of as a possible candidate and it
is not unlikely that he will become an aspirant. He is spoken of in the
highest terms and his manifesto is broad and sensible. The legal term of
Peixoto will expire in March.
Further action of the commanders to avoid a bombardment was terminated when
the Government insisted upon placing fortifications upon the available
positions and apparently preparing to attack. Notwithstanding he and the
Government agreed to give forty-eight hours’ notice, Admiral Saldanha da
Gama has made several threats to commence a general bombardment at any time,
but Admiral Benham will require a notice of at least two days, in order that
our citizens may be warned to seek places of safety. I inclose copy of a
communication Admiral Saldanha da Gama made to Admiral Benham on this
subject, dated the 28th ultimo.
Consul Burke informs me by letter, January 16, that there is no
[Page 124]
disturbance in Pernambuco, and the
Vice-President in the decree continuing the state of siege (martial law)
excepts this State but continues the capital under its operation. Mr. Burke
also complains of the misconduct of the American crews of the Nictheroy and America, who
have proven to be of a drunken and disorderly class. He also states that
Sergeant Silvino, who came to Pernambuco in the disguise of a law student
was executed by the military authorities shortly after his arrival. Silvino
led the mutiny in Fort Santa Cruz during April, 1891, and has been in
command of the Jupiter, insurgent cruiser, since the
commencement of the revolution. This action seems to indicate that the
Government intends to deal summarily with the insurgents when captured.
The Brazilian warships are still holding aloof from actual hostilities and
nothing new has been heard from them. It is reported now that the Riachuela and Benjamin
Constant, two of the best vessels in the navy, will shortly leave
Toulon, where they have been for repairs, and join the ships at Pernambuco
to operate against the insurgents.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure 1 in No.
156.—Translation.]
Rear-Admiral da
Gama to Rear-Admiral Benham.
On
Board the Cruiser Liberdade,
Rio
de Janeiro, January 28,
1894.
To their Excellencies the Senior
Commanders of the Foreign Naval Forces in the Harbor of Rio de
Janeiro:
At the beginning of the present revolution, when the city of Rio de
Janeiro, barely defended by some few field pieces placed on its front or
principal hills, was at the mercy of the guns of the squadron, the
chiefs of the foreign navies, represented in this port in a collective
and unanimous note addressed to his excellency Rear-Admiral Custodio
José de Mello, declared that they would oppose, even by force, any
attempt at bombardment of the city, unless previous provocation came
from the land.
Taking advantage of this resolution of the chiefs of the foreign vessels,
the Government of Marshal Floriano Peixoto hastened to cause the
withdrawal from the hills and the front of this city his six small field
pieces, not assuredly to safeguard the innumerable lives and high
commercial interests which the city contains, but as a stratagem to arm
those same points anew and again with a large and numerous
artillery.
Commenced hypocritically and with deceit, this work displays itself
to-day, without any concealment, in all its completeness.
All the adjacent hills and front of the city are observed to be covered
by batteries; even the sacred and historic monasteries of San Benton and
the Capuchins in the Castello are converted into fortresses; the
manufactories established along the shore have received orders to cease
their respective works and to withdraw their personnel in order that
they could be transformed into so many more fortified points;” there
have been dug trenches in all the public streets and even in front of
the hospital Santa Casa Misericordia. In a word, it is currently
reported that the Government as soon as it considers this work completed
will hasten at a given moment to open fire from all these fortifications
upon the squadron. Your excellencies, chiefs of the foreign vessels,
have certainly not to oppose themselves, even by force, to the squadron
replying to this foul aggression of the batteries of the city, or even
that it should be anticipated. Nevertheless, would it be permissible for
me to ask your excellencies, men of war, conspicuous as you all are, if
the conditions of the struggle for the squadron are to-day the same as
in September, October, November, and December of last year, and were not
your excellencies to blame for this unfavorable situation of the
squadron by their intimation that they had only been pleased to
safeguard the commercial interests of the city and the lives and
property of its population, in a great part foreign? The same reason on
which your excellencies supported yourselves to prevent on the part of
the squadron an attack by force
[Page 125]
upon the city of Rio de Janeiro should at the same time cause the
Government of Marshal Floriano Peixoto, even by force, to respect a
compact which that Government has broken in bad faith. In behalf of the
squadron under my command, I must declare to your excellencies that I
deplore, for the city of Rio de Janeiro and for its inhabitants, the
rupture of this beneficial compact, respected on our part with all
strictness up to the present time, but assuredly a contingency in which
the intervention of your excellencies has placed that city. The task may
prove for us of the squadron more arduous, more dangerous, more bloody,
nevertheless, nothing of this kind will cause us to falter.
The squadron under my command will respect the compact until the last
moment; realizing, nevertheless, that if there be any aggression on the
part of the batteries of the city, I reserve to myself the right of
replying when and how I deem to be suitable, without further notice.
In this case there will be fixed upon your excellencies, in the history
of this revolution the responsibility of the inevitable occurrences
which your intervention, far from impeding, on the contrary will have
aggravated.
Nothing of this prevents me, in the meanwhile, to avail myself, etc.
Luiz Ph. de Saldanha da
Gama,
Commander-in-Chief of the Naval
Forces of the Revolution against the Government of Marshal
Floriano Peixoto, in the Harbor of Rio de
Janeiro.
[Inclosure 2 in No. 156 ]
Mr. Burke to Mr.
Thompson.
Consulate of the United States,
Pernambuco, January 16,
1894.
Sir: I have the honor to say that, since my
last dispatch, dated January 4, nothing of importance has occurred in
this city touching the revolutionary affairs at Rio. The city has been
and is quiet. There has been no disturbance more than under ordinary
circumstances excepting the disorders and scandalous proceedings on the
streets caused by the large number of drunken seamen dumped on these
shores from the steam ship America on the 3rd
instant.
The America arrived on the 31st ultimo. I have
written a strong article to the Department setting forth the facts
relating to the drunken and disorderly conduct of a large part of the
crew landed from the America, and expressing the
hope that the Government will not allow any other expedition of a like
nature under such an irresponsible management, especially on the part of
the crew of the America, to come to this country,
a shame, a scandal, and a disgrace to our flag, our country, and to
American citizens residing here. I have had no end of trouble with these
men since they landed, now nearly four weeks since the first ones came
on shore from the Nictheroy.
I have no official rights in the matter, as they are not American seamen.
Yet I have done scarcely anything else during the past four weeks
excepting listen to complaints and endeavor to adjust matters between
Brazilian officials and these men, though the Brazilian officials have
been very courteous in the dealings and treatment of the men, their
great fault being a lack of doing the right thing at the right time. The
Nictheroy is still here, with the America. About 170 of the men and officers that
brought out the Nictheroy have been engaged in
the Brazilian service for three months.
The crew receive, I am informed, a bounty of $500, and $100 per month for
three months. The officers receive $5,000 for the three months’ service.
They are drawing their pay, rolling in the trough of the sea outside the
reef. It is said the Nictheroy, America, and Aurora, a torpedo boat, will proceed to Rio in
five or six days. If these ships are in anywise effective it is a little
strange they should continue at anchor in this port when there is so
much need of fighting material at Rio.
A man who arrived here on Saturday by the Wordsworth, named Silvino (a sergeant), and who was suspected
of being an emissary from Admiral de Mello, was taken out on Sunday
morning from Fort Brim and shot, together with a companion of his. This
Silvino was engaged in the conspiracy of Fort Santa Cruz in April, 1891,
and later was in the employ of De Mello at Rio. Martial law, as I think
I wrote in my last dispatch, is extended to January 31.
On departure of these ships, Nictheroy and America, will notify you. Suppose Admiral Benham
is now in at Rio. I like him very much.
I am, etc.,
