168 



BRAZIL. 



BUFORD, JOHN. 



clared that the Government of his Majesty was 

 firmly resolved to maintain and to cause to be 

 respected, the neutrality in the terms in which 

 it was declared when assumed ; and that it was 

 not disposed to allow this neutrality to be vio- 

 lated in any way by those interested in the con- 

 test, still less by the delegates of the Govern- 

 ment itself. 



Secretary Seward acknowledged the prompt, 

 just, and friendly proceedings adopted by the 

 Brazilian Government, but reserved the ques- 

 tion, whether indemnities would be due to the 

 United States for the losses and injuries in- 

 flicted upon their citizens. 



Of the commerce between Brazil and the 

 United States some interesting statements were 

 made by the Rev. Mr. Fletcher, formerly Sec- 

 retary of Legation at Brazil, in an address to 

 the New York Board of Commerce. He said : 

 That during his connection with the Legation 

 at Brazil he was afforded an opportunity of ex- 

 amining the Government archives, and was 

 forcibly struck with the large balance of trade 

 against the United States. We had spent mil- 

 lions of dollars in opening a trade with Japan, 

 while we Had neglected the far richer field 

 opened to us at our'own doors. The trade of 

 Japan with the rest of the world was only 

 about $2,500,000 annually, while that of Brazil 

 was $183,000,000. In the year 1861 we sent 

 gold to all South America, except Brazil, $8,- 

 000,000 worth, and to Brazil $6,000,000. We 

 bought from South America (Brazil excepted) 

 $14,000,000, and from Brazil $18, 000,000. This 

 was an exceptional year, owing to the war. In 

 1859 and 1860 we bought from $21,000,000 to 

 $22,000,000 of Brazil, and sold her about $6,- 

 000,000. Mr. Fletcher then dwelt at length 

 upon the richness of Brazil; its immense re- 

 sources, present and prospective ; its fortunate 

 geographical position; its topographical and 

 geological characteristics; the salubrity of its 

 climate, and its general adaptation to all the 

 wants of mankind, all of which conspired to show 

 that it would eventually become the largest 

 producing country in the world, with perhaps 

 the exception of the United States. He also 

 spoke of the political condition of Brazil, the 

 rights guaranteed to all men there without re- 

 gard to color, and the measures in progress for 

 the speedy extinction of slavery. After exten- 

 sive travel in Brazil he was prepared to say 

 that two thirds of its territory was adapted to 

 the raising of cotton ; and he had gathered to- 

 bacco a thousand miles up the Amazon river, 

 which had been declared by good judges to 

 be equal to the best quality of Havana. In 

 concluding, he referred to the want of prop- 

 er transportation between the United States 

 and Brazil, and carefully demonstrated the 

 advantages of direct steamship communica- 

 tion. Passengers now must go in English 

 steamers by way of England to that port, 

 and trade, to some extent, takes the same cir- 

 cuitous route. The Liberals in Brazil were de- 

 sirous of establishing better means of transpor- 



tation between their country and the United 

 States; they were now in a majority, and a 

 proposition had already been made by them 

 looking to the freedom of Brazilian ports, the 

 opening of the Amazon, and the establishment 

 of direct steamship and mail communication. 

 The interests of the merchants of the United 

 States, and particularly of New York, demand- 

 ed that this subject should receive adequate at- 

 tention. 



. BRIDGEPORT, is a station on the Nashville 

 and Chattanooga railroad near the State line of 

 Tennessee. At this point the railroad crosses the 

 Tennessee river by a bridge which was partly 

 destroyed by the army of Gen. Bragg on its 

 retreat from the State it was occupied by the 

 force of Gen. Hooker at the time when com- 

 munication with Chattanooga was interrupted. 

 Several boats were built at Bridgeport to be 

 used as transports for the Federal army. 



BRONSON, Hon. GEEBNE C, a distin- 

 guished lawyer and politician, died at Sara- 

 toga, aged about 65 years. He was a native of 

 Oneida, and resided the greater portion of his 

 life at Utica, in that county, where he enjoyed 

 an extensive practice and a high reputation. 

 In April, 1819, he was chosen surrogate of 

 Oneida county; in 1822 was a member of As- 

 sembly, and in 1829 was elected attorney gen- 

 eral, which latter office he held up to January, 

 1836, at which time he was elected one of the 

 Puisne Judges of the Supreme Court of Judica- 

 ture. He was next appointed Chief Justice of 

 the Supreme Court in 1845; and, two years 

 subsequently, one of the Judges of the Court of 

 Appeals, then just organized. After leaving 

 the bench he removed to New York, and prac- 

 tised law ; but, having become involved in 

 some unfortunate speculations, he lost nearly 

 the whole of his property. In 1853 he was 

 appointed collector of the port, but was re- 

 moved in 1854. In December, 1859, he was 

 elected corporation counsel, which- office he 

 held until January, 1863. As a lawyer, he 

 ranked among the first in this country. In 

 politics he was a staunch democrat, and was 

 the leader of the Hard Shells. He was the 

 candidate for governor of that section of the 

 democratic party, in 1855. 



BRUINSFORD OR BRUINSBURG, is a small 

 village in Claiborne county, Mississippi. It is on 

 a point of land on the east bank of the Missis- 

 sippi river, and is the spot where Gen. Grant's 

 army landed when it crossed the river below 

 Vioksbnrg. 



BUFORD, JOHN, a major-general of volun- 

 teers in the United States service, born in Ken- 

 tucky in 1825, died at Washington, Dec. 16, 

 1863, of typhoid fever contracted in service 

 with the army of the Potomac. His early 

 training and education were carefully conduct- 

 ed, and his .mental and moral development.gave 

 bright promise of future usefulness. He was 

 appointed from Illinois, to the Military Acad- 

 emy at .West Point, and graduated in 1848, 

 standing well in his class, and in the estima- 



