Mr. Thompson to Mr.
Gresham.
Legation of
the United States,
Petropolis, February 6, 1894.
(Received March 19.)
No. 160.]
Sir: I have the honor to transmit copy of a note
from Admiral Benham, with inclosure copy of a translation of a communication
from Admiral Saldanha da Gama, requesting recognition of the insurgents as
belligerents and setting forth the reasons upon which the application is
based.
The substance of this communication was made known by my telegram to you of
February 3, with observations on the subject, and in further confirmation of
them I beg to state that the insurgents’ claim of territory seems to be
exaggerated. They have possession of several towns, including the capital of
Parana, in the south, but have no absolute control over any State that I am
advised of. The latest reports show that they have in their possession
Desterro, Paranagua, Curitiba, and a few minor places. Their Provisional
Government is not intact, owing to dissensions among its officers, and they
appear to have made no headway in perfecting its organization nor in
carrying out its purposes.
There are now rumors of armies advancing from the south, but these can not be
verified. The Government, however, is sending additional troops in that
direction, and it looks as if a decisive battle may be fought south of the
line of Sao Paulo.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure 1 in No. 160.]
Rear-Admiral Benham
to Mr. Thompson.
U. S.
Flagship San Francisco,
Rio de
Janeiro Brazil, February 2,
1894.
Sir: Inclosed you will find a translation of a
communication from Rear-Admiral da Gama, which I forward to you at his
request.
Very respectfully,
A. E. K. Benham,
Rear-Admiral, U. S. Navy,
Commanding U. S.
Naval Forces on South Atlantic Station.
[Inclosure 2 to No.
160.—Translation.]
Rear-Admiral da
Gama to Rear-Admiral Benham.
On
board the cruiser Liberdade,
Rio
de Janeiro, January 31,
1894.
In my capacity as commander-in-chief of the naval forces of the
revolution against the Government of Marshal Floriano Peixoto, I have
the honor to call the attention of your excellency to the circumstance
that to-day has terminated the time allowed by the seventh decree of the
states of siege and of martial law, and to-morrow will be issued for
publication the eighth decree for the continuance of this abnormal and
oppressive state of the entire country.
This fact expresses and signifies that the Government of Marshal Floriano
Peixoto deceived itself and endeavored to deceive Brazil and foreign
nations from the beginning of the present revolution as to its forces
and extent. In no other way can be explained what it declared in a
public document of the month of September, that it did not require more
than eight days to bring the matter to a crisis. Already it has
[Page 127]
had to use increasingly seven
times this extraordinary faculty of the suspension of guarantees,
without result.
To this evident demonstration of the want of power of the Government to
dominate the revolution, even in this port the forces of the revolution
have secured advantages. They control to-day most of Rio Grande do Sul
and also the States of Santa Catharina and Parana, where they find
fervent adherents, and already they possess parts of San Paulo, which
seems to show they are progressing towards a state and condition which
all powers are accustomed to consider indispensable in civil struggles,
in order that the revolutionary forces may be recognized as
belligerents. This is the reason for which anew I ask your excellency to
inform his excellency the United States minister in this country of this
note, in order that it may be duly considered.
Permit me, etc.
Luiz Phillippe de Saldanha da
Gama,
Commander-in-Chief of the
forces in Revolution against the Government of Marshal Floriano
Peixoto, in the port of Rio de Janeiro.
