Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, With the Annual Message of the President, Transmitted to Congress, December 4, 1893
Mr. Thompson to Mr. Gresham.
Petropolis, November 10, 1893. (Received December 18, 1893.)
Sir: A holophote established by the Government on Gloria Hill, one of the commanding points of the city, having been fired upon by the insurgents, complaint was made that the light was being used to assist the Government forts against Villegaignon, an insurgent fort, which led to the correspondence I have the honor herewith to report, as noted below.
I have, etc.,
Senhor de Carvalho to Mr. Wyndham.
Rio de Janeiro, October 19, 1893.
Sir: The Vice-President of the Republic to whom I have just communicated the object of the conversation which, at your request, I had to-day with you, the ministers of Portugal, Italy, and the United States of America, and the chargè d’affaires of France, authorizes me to say that he agrees with you that the holophote established on Gloria Hill being destined for the service of the police of the port should not assist the fortresses of entrance against Fort Villegaignon.
Accept etc.,
Mr. Wyndham to Senhor Carvalho.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your excellency’s note of yesterday, in which you inform me by authority of His Excellency, the Vice-President of the Republic, that the holophote established on Gloria Hill, being destined for the service of the police of the port, shall not assist the fortifications of entry against the fort of Villegaignon.
I hastened to transmit copies of this communication to the ministers of Portugal, Italy, the United States of North America, to the chargé d’affaires of France, as weli as to Admiral Libran for his information and of the commanders interested.
Accept, etc.,
Senhor Carvalho to Mr. Wyndham.
Rio de Janeiro, October 23, 1893.
Sir: Acting under the authority of the Vice-President of the Republic, I declared to your excellency, in a letter dated the 19th inst., that the holophote erected on the Gloria Hill, being destined for the service of the police of the port, would not aid the fortresses at the entrance against that of Villegaignon, and it has been strictly confined to this purpose, thus avoiding all pretext for hostilities that might compromise the security of the harmless population of this city. But, nevertheless, on the night of the 20th to the 21st, the light being turned upon a part of the bay lying between the fort of Santa Cruz and Boa Viagon, the fort of Villegaignon fired three times, and again a few minutes afterward, when the light was turned upon the squadron anchored toward the end of the bay.
On the same night, about 9 p.m., a torpedo boat was seen by the light of the holophote near the quay of Flamengo which approached rapidly, followed by the said light. Upon this the fort of Villegaignon fired three shots with a quick-firing gun; these shots were accompanied by tiring from “mitrailleuses” from the said launch as far as the point of the military arsenal.
The same torpedo boat returned at 11 p.m., and having been seen by the light of the holophote when she was off the quay of Santa Lucia, she fired on the Gloria height and the shore. Again yesterday Villegaignon opened a most lively fire with cannon and mitrailleuses on the said Gloria height and on the shore.
From these attacks it results that a number of projectiles fell in the suburbs of Cattete and Sarangeiras. In informing your excellency of these occurrences I abstain from all comment, and I take this step simply to place your excellency in possession of authentic information without in any way wishing to create situations which can not be easily explained, or which can even lightly be suspected of not being the expression of the conscience of the rights and duties which nations admitted to the communion of the international law of the West must defend and observe.
I have, etc.,
Diplomatic Corps to the Naval Commanders.
The representatives of England, Portugal, Italy, the United States of North America and France have the honor to inclose herewith to Admiral de Libran and to the commanders of the naval forces of their respective countries copy of a note addressed yesterday evening by the minister of foreign affairs of the Federal Government to Mr. Wyndham.
The representatives of the same powers beg Admiral de Libran and the commanders interested to take into consideration the observations presented by the minister of foreign affairs and which appear provoked and to make to Rear-Admiral Mello such representations as they shall judge useful to prevent nocturnal attacks on the [Page 72] city of Rio de Janeiro by the insurgent forces, attacks that have for several days past endangered the lives and safety of foreigners and of all the inhabitants of the city.
Naval commanders to the Diplomatic Corps.
The commanders of the American, English, Italian, Portuguese and French naval forces stationed in the bay of Rio de Janeiro, assembled to-day, the 25th of October, on board the Arethuse in order to take cognizance of a letter from the minister of foreign affairs of the Government of the United States of Brazil, which was transmitted to them by the representatives of England, Portugal, Italy, the United States of North America, and of France.
This letter speaks of the tiring upon the city by the fort of Villegaignon and an insurgent torpedo boats discovered during the night by the holophote placed on the Gloria Hill, and the members of the diplomatic corps beg the commanders to consider what representations it would be possible to address on this suject to Rear-Admiral de Mello.
The commanders have the honor to inform the above-mentioned members of the diplomatic corps that they do not think it possible to intervene in an efficacious manner in questions of this kind.
They have, indeed, occasion to state that the failures to observe the agreements entered into to prevent these unfortunate incidents, occur as well on the side of the city as on that of the insurgents; that they are the acts of subordinates, and by consequence they think it would be very difficult to prevent a renewal of them.
- Augusto de Castillo.
- W. M. Lang.
- A. de Libero.
- O. F. Stanton.
- A. de Libran.
Diplomatic Corps to Senhor de Carvalho.
The representatives of England, Portugal, Italy, the United States of North America, and of France have not failed to communicate to the commanders of the naval forces of their respective countries the note of his excellency the minister of foreign affairs of the 23d of October, in which he calls attention to the attacks to which the shore and Gloria Hill were subjected by the insurgents on the occasion of the projection of electric light from the holophote situated on this hill.
The foreign commanders have just informed the representatives of the before-mentioned powers that they do not think it possible to intervene again in an efficacious manner in questions of this character. The commanders have in fact been in a position to state that the failures to observe the agreements entered into to prevent these unfortunate incidents come as frequently from the side of the city as from that of the insurgents that they are the deeds of subordinates and that it would be very difficult to prevent their recurrence.