BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF DOM PEDRO II. 191 



ing not only his own philosophical and benevolent views in this matter, 

 but also the desires of a largo portion of his people. 



As soon as the war with Paraguay was ended he called the attention 

 of the conservative minister (itaborahy,) then at the head of government- 

 al affairs, to the subject. The minister, although he did not believe in 

 the sudden and radical enfranchisement such as had taken place in 

 the United States, thought the children of slave parents should be freed, 

 but he had not the courage to take the responsibility of maintaining 

 this opinion in opposition to the numerous and wealthy planters, many 

 of whom held seats in Parliament or were electors. He preferred to send 

 his resignation to the Emperor, which was eagerly accepted. The minis- 

 ter who succeeded him was also obliged to retire at the end of four 

 mouths on account of the opposition, more and more threatening, of the 

 slaveholders. What was to be done ? Wait until the liberal party, 

 which had inscribed this reform upon their programme, came into power I 

 But how was it possible to wait ? 



Under these circumstances the Emperor offered the ministry to the 

 Viscount Rio Branco, a man well kuown on account of his political ability 

 and an especial talent for conciliating unruly spirits. The viscount 

 carried out, although not without great trouble, the views of the Em- 

 peror and the Brazilian nation, and on the 28th of September, 1871, 

 was passed by the Parliament the law known under the name of the 

 "free womb." This legislative act, which declared the children born of 

 slave-women after that day to be free, and required the owner of the 

 parents for a slight indemnity to maintain the children until the age of 

 twenty, was received with indescribable enthusiasm by all Brazil, with 

 the exception only of the slaveholders, who held their pecuniary interests 

 above those of their country and of humanity. The government received 

 from all the various corporations, political or civil, and the religious so- 

 cieties, benevolent or otherwise, the most ardent promises of support 

 and warm congratulation. In this universal feeling of contentment 

 the generous promoter of this wise law, Dom Pedro II, was not forgotten, 

 although at the time absent from the country, as we shall see. 



XI. 



Dom Pedro had for a long time wished to visit Europe, but the ac- 

 complishment of his desire had been postponed, at one time by troubles 

 at home, at another by differences with foreign nations, and when at 

 last the country was in a condition to allow this excursion, much to be 

 desired on account of relations with foreign powers, the Emperor com- 

 menced his journey by passing through the provinces of his own em- 

 pire he had not yet visited, thus showing himself true to his especial 

 maxim, Brazil first of all. 



Not only did the victory over Paraguay, which insured external peace 

 by affording sufficient proof to the turbulent neighbors of Brazil that 

 war against her could only end to their disadvantage, and the interior 



