LATEST ASPECTS OF THE BRAZILIAN REBEL-
LION.
BY HIS EXCELLENCY THE BRAZILIAN MINISTER AT WASHING-
TON, SALVADOR DE MENDONÇA.
The unexpected proclamation of the Brazilian Republic on the
fifteenth of November, 1889, by a movement supported by the his-
torical republican party and the land and naval forces of the nation,
was followed at once by the establishment of a revolutionary dic-
tatorship. There was no opposition worthy of the name. At the
very moment when the last imperial cabinet was planning to in-
augurate the third reign, preparing to dissolve the army and exter-
minate the democratic idea, which was already coextensive with
the country, the last American monarchy was in its death throes.
In all Brazil but one man was found to risk his life in defence of
the decrepit institutions; and this man was a republican whom
circumstances had made minister of marine and who resisted
solely from a sense of duty to the dignity of his office. Even the
husband of the prospective empress, the Count d’Eu, did not
hesitate to surrender the right of succession in consideration of
the offer of a round sum of money, and sent his sword as mar-
shal of the army to the new minister of war, accompanied by a
letter as memorable as despicable, in which he expressed his sor-
row that circumstances did not permit him to serve Brazil under
her new institutions—a sorrow inspired not so much by the loss
of his sword and the honors of his high office as by that of its
handsome salary. If he failed to receive the price of this sacri-
fice of his dignity to hie well-known avarice, it was because the
aged emperor refused to sacrifice his own, which would not allow
him to consent to any pecuniary transaction.
In forty-eight hours the revolutionary flood swept away all that
