SLAVERY. 293 



some are most anxious to hasten its disappearance, and are even prepared 

 to vote for its immediate abolition ; whereas others, notably the great 

 planters, are perhaps naturally adverse to any sudden dislocation or dis- 

 turbance of the existing order of things, being on the whole satisfied with 

 the results of the free-birth law. The Conservatives, almost to a man, are 

 advocates of gradual emancipation ; while the Liberals take opposite 

 ground, maintaining that slavery ought not to be simply permitted to die 

 of old age. They call for legislation for the earlier removal of this offence 

 from their midst. But they are not unanimous. Vested interests have 

 driven in a wedge and destroyed the unity of the party of action. Pocket 

 is urging its old war against principle, with an advocacy that makes many 

 political perverts. It is not, therefore, surprising to the students of human 

 nature to know that the recent elections in Brazil have accentuated this 

 fact, and that an appreciable number of Liberal deputies have been 

 returned to vote against the policy of the Dantas Cabinet, upon which 

 appeal was made to the sense of the country. " 



It was not, therefore, expected that the Dantas Cabinet would 

 remain long in power, and, as was the case soon afterwards with 

 the Gladstone Cabinet in England, it was overthrown by a trifling 

 matter upon a vote of censure and want of confidence proposed 

 in consequence of some individual grievance. The vote was 

 passed by fifty-two votes against fifty. The South American 

 Journal* in an article in which it shows the similarity between 

 the two defeats, says 



"In both instances, however, it is evident that the real causes of defeat must 

 be recognized in the existence of profound dissatisfaction on the part of 

 the majority of the members of the respective Parliaments of Brazil and 

 the United Kingdom." 



As regards Brazil 



"The vote at Rio de Janeiro really meant that the representatives of the 

 Brazilian people are not prepared to endorse the energetic emancipation 

 policy of the Dantas Ministry." 



Here the parallelism closed, as the Liberal Government of 

 Dantas was succeeded by another Liberal Government, with 

 Senator Saraiva as Premier. The Conservatives held a meeting 

 on May 6, and decided to receive proposals of the Saraiva 

 Government com moderafao with moderation. 



On May 12, the new Ministry presented their bill for the 



* June 13, 1885. 



