On his way to New York to defend Brazil's rights, Baron of Rio Branco reflects on his mission as a diplomat.
- Two old letters from Baron of Rio Branco, nicknamed Juca, to an unknown recipient (Avelino).
- Two sheets, four written pages, for each letter.
- In Portuguese.
- 20.2 cm x 25.4 cm.
- On board the ship RMS Teutonic, on a trip to New York.
- May 22, 1893.
- Paper yellowed and weakened by time.
- Single set.
Excerpts from the first letter
We would like to thank the UFMG paleography team for the work of transcribing these two letters.
I have not had a moment's rest since your departure (...) that appointment to Washington came to me.
In your letter you say that I now find myself in the career that suits me best. We have spoken of this subject a few times, and you will remember that I always tell you that I do not want to have anything to do with a diplomatic career. I am not suited to it, my dear friend, for many reasons. I will suffice to give you two: I do not have the fortune to support the position of minister, and I should not give up the work I have in preparation for a life of dinners, receptions, etiquette and parties. I am no longer a man of the world.
I accepted this mission because it is temporary and solely for the defense of a territory that is incontestably ours. It is a matter of history and geography that I know perfectly well, a matter dealt with by my Father in 1857. I do not know from whom the Government learned that I was in possession of new documents and intended to write about the subject: they appealed to me, and I had no right to excuse myself, alleging reasons of convenience or personal convenience.
Having settled the matter, I shall return to my own corner until I can find a way to acquire some property in São Paulo. I do not care about eminences and grandeurs, and this abstention, as you know, has a long history. In times when such things seemed more lasting and solid, I had already become accustomed to desiring only obscure positions. I must not change this purpose in the turbulent days we are living through (...).
Excerpts from the second letter
This life on board is so boring! I'm writing this paper without really knowing what it's for. what I write. On board I can only sleep and eat: the rocking of the ship makes me lazy and incapable of even having a romance. I am on the 5th day of the trip. The day after tomorrow we should arrive in New York (...). Juca
In 2012, Brazil celebrated the end of the administration of Baron Rio Branco (1845 - 1912) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, valuing the legacy of the patron of Brazilian diplomacy, especially regarding the United States and Argentina. Rio Branco closed the borders of the national territory and established the foundations of the tradition of Brazilian diplomacy, always seeking to differentiate Brazil from other nations in the southern segment of the hemisphere, characterized by great political and financial difficulties.
In this set of two letters, Baron Rio Branco writes from the ship taking him to Washington in 1893 to, according to the Brazilian Academy of Letters, "(...) defend Brazil's rights to the territories of the Missions. The issue was submitted to arbitration by President Grover Cleveland of the United States, and claimed by Argentina. Rio Branco, advocating the Brazilian point of view, presented President Cleveland with an exposition and valuable documentation in six volumes. The arbitration award of February 5, 1895 was entirely favorable to Brazilian claims."
This set of two letters is valuable for Baron Rio Branco's detailed thoughts on the sometimes tedious work of a Brazilian diplomat (" dinners, receptions, etiquette and parties" ), his goals for this particular mission ( "the defense of a territory that is incontestably ours" ), and his aspirations for the future (" I don't want to know about eminences and greatness" ).
