Mr. Thompson to Mr.
Gresham.
Legation of
the United States,
Petropolis, October 13, 1893.
(Received November 24.)
No. 44.]
Sir: I have the honor to report that the cruiser
Charleston arrived at Rio de Janeiro September
26. On the 27th I received Capt. H. F. Picking, her commander, at the
American consulate-general, and informed him of the situation, advising that
everything possible within
[Page 56]
the scope
of international law should be done through the instrumentality of his force
to foster American commerce and protect American interests. Capt. Picking
concurred in my views, and I immediately directed the publication of a
notice to cover our conclusions.
On the 1st of October, by invitation of the British minister, I conferred
with the representatives of England, Portugal, Italy, and France with regard
to taking some action to prevent a bombardment of the city, when it was
agreed that we should consult the commanders of the warships of our
respective governments in the harbor, and we accordingly met them the same
day on the French flagship Aréthuse, Admiral Libran
commanding. At this conference it was stated by the French admiral that
Rear-Admiral Custodio José de Mello, of the insurgent fleet, had informed
him of his intention to bombard Rio de Janeiro. Based upon this threat it
was advised that Admiral Libran protest against the execution of the
threatened bombardment, and that the diplomatic representatives make a
request through the foreign minister that the marshal vice-president deprive
Rear-Admiral de Mello of every pretext for hostile action against the city
of Rio de Janeiro. On the following day a note was prepared and presented to
the minister of foreign affairs (inclosure 1), to which a response was in
due time received (inclosure 2.)
On the 4th instant the commander of the foreign naval forces complained that
measures had not been taken in the spirit of the reply of the minister for
foreign affairs to deprive Rear-Admiral de Mello of every pretext for
hostile action, and accordingly another note (inclosure 3) was submitted, to
which a reply (inclosure 4) was returned. I also submit the response
(inclosure 5) of the representatives to the note of the minister for foreign
affairs (inclosure 4) of October 5.
These several notes explain themselves. In conclusion I am happy to inform
you that through this action the safety of Rio de Janeiro from bombardment
has been secured.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure 1 in No.
44—Translation.]
Diplomatic Corps to
Senhor Pereira.
Rio de
Janeiro, October 2,
1893.
The commanders of the English, Italian, American, Portuguese, and French
naval forces before Rio de Janeiro have informed Rear-Admiral de Mello
that they will oppose, by force if necessary, all his attacks upon the
city of Rio de Janeiro.
The representatives of England, Portugal, Italy, the United States of
North America, and France, continuing in the line of conduct followed up
to this time, not to interfere in the internal affairs of Brazil, but to
assure the protection and safety of their fellow-countrymen and the
higher interests of humanity, have the honor, in view of the
above-mentioned declaration of the foreign commanders, urgently to
request the Government of the United States of Brazil to deprive
Rear-Admiral de Mello of all pretext for hostile action against the city
of Rio de Janeiro.
The representatives of the same powers, in the event of the federal
Government not acceding to this request, will communicate their reply to
their respective governments, asking for instructions.
[Page 57]
[Inclosure 2 in No.
44—Translation.]
Senhor Pereira to
the Diplomatic Corps.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Rio
de Janeiro, October 8,
1893.
The Vice-President of the Republic of the United States of Brazil saw
with satisfaction that the commanders of the English, Italian,
Portuguese, American, and French naval forces informed Rear-Admiral
Custodio José de Mello that, if necessary, they would oppose with force
all his undertakings against the city of Rio de Janeiro.
The representatives of England, Portugal, Italy, the United States of
America, and France may rest assured that this intimation will not be
prejudiced by the act of the Brazilian Government, which will deprive
the said rear-admiral of every pretext for hostility against the said
city.
[Inclosure 3 in No.
44—Translation.]
Diplomatic Corps to
Senhor Pereira.
Rio de
Janeiro, October 4,
1893.
The representatives of England, of Portugal, of Italy, of the United
States of North America, and of France have not failed to bring to the
knowledge of the commanders of the naval forces of their respective
countries, stationed in the bay of Rio Janeiro, the reply in which the
minister of foreign affairs announced to them that the federal
Government “will deprive” (hade terar) Rear-Admiral de Mello of every
pretext for hostile action against the city of Rio Janeiro.
The commanders of the naval forces of the before-mentioned powers
assembled in conference this morning, expressed great surprise that no
measure had been taken in the spirit of that reply, but, on the
contrary, they were equally surprised to observe that the Government was
actively employed not only in increasing the armament of the existing
batteries but also in constructing new ones.
The commanders of the naval forces, in bringing these facts to the
knowledge of the representatives of their respective governments, have
asked them to intervene with the federal Government in order that it
shall give the necessary orders for the removal of the cannons
comprising the batteries actually in the city, otherwise the commanders
might find themselves obliged to withdraw the intimation which they
addressed to Rear-Admiral de Mello to abstain from every act of
hostility against the city of Rio de Janeiro.
The representatives of England, of Portugal, of Italy, of the United
States of North America, and of France have the honor to bring the
present communication to the knowledge of your excellency in asking
urgently for the reply of the federal Government, which they will hasten
to transmit to the commanders and, if necessary, to their respective
governments in asking for instructions.
[Inclosure 4 in No.
44–Translation.]
Senhor Pereira to
the Diplomatic Corps.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Rio
de Janeiro, October 5,
1893.
In conference on the 14th of the past month the representatives of
England, Italy, Portugal, and France requested the Government of the
Republic to withdraw the batteries established on the heights of this
city in order that its character as an open city might be preserved. On
the following day I communicated to them the reply of the Vice-President
of the Republic. His excellency declared that he had only placed the
batteries on the 12th because he concluded from the inaction of the
foreign squadron, in view of the bombardment of Nictheroy and many
points of Rio de Janeiro that it considered the two cities as fortified,
and he declared further that he could not accede to that request for the
reasons shown, but he promised to order that the batteries should not
provoke hostilities on the part of the revolted squadron, and this
resolution was accepted as sufficient.
On the 25th the same representatives, and in addition that of Germany,
honored me with a conference in which they advised me that they saw with
pleasure the abstention
[Page 58]
of the
said batteries and promised to declare to Rear-Admiral Custodio José de
Mello that he must not fire upon the custom-house. Notwithstanding this
he did it on that same day without the least provocation and with the
pretext that torpedoes were manufactured there which was entirely
untrue. A few days afterwards, on the second of this month, the same
representatives, except that of Germany, and in company with that of the
United States of America, delivered me a note which had for its purpose
to announce that the commanders of the respective foreign ships had
informed Rear-Admiral de Mello that if it should be necessary they would
oppose with force all his undertakings against the city of Rio de
Janeiro, and to request the Government of the Republic to deprive him of
every pretext for hostility against this capital, (qu’il enlève a M. le Contre Amiral de Mello tout prètexte
d’hostilite contre la villa de Bio de Janeiro.)
I replied on the following day that Marshal Floriano Peixoto saw with
satisfaction that such an intimation had been made to the rear-admiral
and that he would remove every pretext. Finally, last night the
representatives of England, Portugal, Italy, and France delivered me a
new note, in which, though absent, is also mentioned that of the United
States of America. From this it appears that the commanders of the naval
forces saw with great surprise that no measure had been taken in the
spirit of that reply and, that, on the contrary, the Government was
actively employed in strengthening the existing batteries and in
constructing new ones. The commanders had asked the representatives that
they should intervene with the federal Government in order that it
should remove the cannons from the said batteries, and if it were not
done they would be obliged to withdraw the intimation made to the
rear-admiral. The Vice-President, to whom I communicated this note
without delay, was painfully surprised at the imputation which it
contained, and at the interpretation which was given in it to the words,
enlever tout pretexte, and to those others of
my reply, “that every pretext should be taken away from the said
rear-admiral.”
It now appears that in the mind of the representatives and commanders,
the first word signified the withdrawal of the cannons from the
batteries, and that the others were interpreted by them as
cumulative.
The Vice-President of the Republic did not understand nor could he
understand that he was requested to withdraw the cannons; first, because
in so important a matter the greatest clearness is indispensable, and
secondly, because he considered as in force the agreement which I
mentioned. The commanders of the naval forces are not well informed. The
existing batteries were not strengthened, and no other was constructed.
The Vice-President of the Republic does not understand the reason of so
sudden a change in resolutions which appeared well agreed upon and sees
with regret that this change may be interpreted, against the wish of the
commanders and representatives, as moral aid given to the chief of the
revolt who thus is put almost into the position of a belligerent. Still,
leaving to these gentlemen the responsibility of the consequences of
their new position, he will order that the cannons be withdrawn from the
said batteries.
To the representatives of England, Italy, Portugal,
United States of America, and France.
Diplomatic Corps to
Senhor Pereira.
[Inclosure 5 in No.
44.—Translation.]
Rio de
Janeiro, October 6,
1893.
The representatives of England, Portugal, Italy, the United States of
America, and the chargé d’affaires of France have the honor to
acknowledge the receipt of the note of the 5th instant from the minister
of foreign affairs of the Federal Government, by which he informs them
that orders will be given to remove the cannons from the batteries
established in city.
The representatives of the above-named powers in expressing their
satisfaction in this regard thank the minister of foreign affairs of the
Federal Government for his communication. They have not failed to bring
it to the knowledge of the commanders of the naval forces of their
respective countries who on their side hastened to inform Rear-Admiral
de Mello.
His excellency the minister of foreign affairs having observed that the
President of the Republic “had not understood and could not understand
that the removal of the cannons was in question,” the representatives of
the above-mentioned powders think it necessary to call his attention to
the fact that in the belief of the commanders the presence of improvised
batteries in the city of Rio de Janeiro has always been
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the pretext given for a bombardment. They
had the honor to call his attention to this point at the time of their
first action on the afternoon of the 14th of September, action in which
the minister of the United States of America did not join as there was
no war vessel of his country in the bay of Rio de Janeiro.
With regard to the remark of his excellency the minister of foreign
affairs that, contrary to the information which had come to the
knowledge of the commanders of the foreign naval forces, “the batteries
already established had not been strengthened and that no new ones had
been established,” the commanders of the said forces, relying upon
direct observations and upon facts of public notoriety, hold to their
opinion.
As to the attack on the custom-house in the afternoon of the 25th of
September, and which has had assuredly regrettable consequences, the
representatives of the before-mentioned powers have the honor to call
the attention of his excellency the minister of foreign affairs to the
fact that this attack was made before it was possible to communicate the
reply of Mr. Joao Felippe Pereira to the commanders, who would have
hastened to bring it immediately to the knowledge of Rear-Admiral de
Mello.
The representatives of England, Portugal, Italy, the United States of
America, and the chargé d’affaires of France, persevering in the line of
conduct from which they have never deviated up to this day, not to
interfere in the internal affairs of Brazil, have the honor to declare
to the minister of foreign affairs that they can not accept any other
responsibility than that which may result from the necessity of
protecting the general interests of humanity and the lives and property
of their countrymen.
