The Sun.
London, England, 1865-06-15 00:00:00

War in South America.

PARANA RIVER, April 26.
Passing events in this part of the world are oi
such a nature as to make one believe that the Vir•

gilian stave of " Arma virumque cano" might be
chanted here :in perpetuity, for no sooner has the
civil war in the Uruguayan Republic been put a
stop to by the success of Flores, aided by the Bra-
zilians, than the battle trumpet is sounded in the
upper part of our river. _ .

- -
Gen. Lopez, the President in name, but in reality
the Emperor and Dictator of Paraguay, has invaded
the Brazilian territory in his neighbourhood, taken
possession of Coimbra, Albuquerque, Curamba, San
Lorenzo, Dorados, Miranda, andVivac, andfinished
these achievements by laying hold of the diamond
mine territory of Matto Grasso.
On the 13th of last month an extraordinary ses-
sion of senators and deputies was summoned at
Asuncion, the capital of Paraguay, to hear the Pre-
sident's address. This message, which is a compo-
sition of very chaste and dignified style, although
regarded by many persons as somewhat tinctured
with special pleading, sets forth the recent sanguin-
ary events in the Uruguay and violation of equili-
brium in the River Plate as causes of rupture with
Brazil and coolness with the Argentine Republic.
It charges Brazil with having violated the treaty of
1850, for the maintenance of nationalities in this
part of South America, by allying itself with the
rebel band of Flores. It alludes to the Paraguayan
Government having offered to join with the Argen-
tine in mediating between Brazil and Uruguay, at
the same time complaining that the Brazilians still
carried on the war without condescending to take
notice of the offer made by President Lopez. This,
of course, as the message says, outraged the national
honour and dignity, as well as compromised the
security and integrity of the Paraguayan republic.
It further states that the territory of Matto Grosso,
of which Lopez has now taken possession, had been
usurped by Brazil, although belonging to Paraguay
by virtue of discovery, possession, and treaties, and
that an additional justification for taking it, if such
were needed,existed in the fact of Brazil having col-
lected these great military resources to prepare new
inroads on Paraguay.

Another point, which is touched upon with much
apparent sensitiveness in the message, is that the
Paraguayan Government, foreseeing that a conflict
with Brazil might take place on the eastern frontier
of the former country, solicited permission from th e
Argentine Cabinet to cross the territory of Corrien-
tes when events might so oblige. The Argentine
Government, however, not only refuses this permis-
sion (while granting a free permission by river to
the Brazilian squadron, bound for Paraguay), but
protests against the Paraguayan crossing the terri-
tory of Missiones, which is behind Corrientes, and
over which Lopez proposed to pass in order to invade
Brazil on its own soil.

In two days after thismessage had been delivered
the Paraguayan Senate conferred on President
Lopez the dignity of a field marshal. The salary
proposed to be attached to the post—viz., 60,000
silver dollars per annum—he peremptorily refused,
but accepted a sword of honour, and agreed to the
proposal made by Senator Riveros, that he should
lead the army in person.

Meanwhile everyplace up and down the river was
alive with rumours andconjectures. It was said that
Lopez could raise an army of 60,000 men ; that he
had been for many years amassing the most exten-
sive and most perfect collection of European arma-
ments ; that the fort of Humayita (which must be
passed on ascending the Paraguay river to arrive at
Asuncion) was furnished with 120 guns of large
calibre, many of thembeingLancasters, and manned
by 8,000 troops; that the river at the southern side
of Hamayita was spiked after the Chinese fashion,
so as to obstruct the ascent of the Brazilian squa-
dron that Lopez, despite the objections raised by
the Argentine Government, had determined to cross
over Corrientes or Missiones into Brazil.

The truth of some of these opinions has been al-

ready realized. Exactly a month had passed away

after the reading of the before-mentioned message
—i.e., on the 13th of the present month—when a

fleet of five Paraguayan war steamers came down
from Asuncion, and captured the Argentine war
steamer 25th de Mayo, as well as the Government
hulk Gualeguaya, both of which were at anchor in
the harbour of Corrientes. The attack was so sud-
den and unexpected, having been made at a quar-
ter past 7 o'clock in the morning, that no prepara-
tions could be adopted for defence against such an

unequal force, and the 25th de Mayo was taken.
Some of the Argentine newspapers describe the cap-
ture of this ship as having been effected by treachery,
and that 30 of its crew were killed in cold blood.
This may be set down as an account to be taken

cum grano sails.
Coincident with the arrival of the war steamers,
the city being perfectly prepared for such an inva-
sion,was occupied by 5,000 Paraguyan infantry and
a like number of cavalry. These troops had come
overland from Paraguay. The Argentine Governor
Senor Lagrana, at once issued two decrees,—the
first ordering that all Argentines of Corrientes, from
the age of 17 to GO, should present themselves on
horseback at the general encampment ; and the
second declaring every man to be a traitor to his
country who would, in the slightest degree, give
1 assistance to the Provisional Government set up by
the invaders in the province of Corrientes.
The steamer which brought down this intelligence
carried likewise
20,0001ikis men, einformation of Lopez being at the
advancing down the bank of
the Parana, simultaneously with the advance of his
fleet. But this last piece of news seems to me to
need confirmation.
On the very day succeeding the arrival at Buenos
Ayres of a despatch from Governor Lagrana, of the

province of Corrientes, President Mitre issued the

following :

PROCLAMATION OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC
TO HIS FELLOW COUNTRYMEN.
" Fellow countrymen,—At a time of perfect peace, and
in violation of the faith of nations, the Government of

Paraguay has declared war against us by invading our
territory with an armed band, treacherously seizing two

steamers of the Argentine squadron and firing on our de-

fenceless people.

" The gauntlet having been thrown down to us without
our seeking it, even after we had done as much as pro-
priety would permit to avoid the strife by preserving that
neutrality which has been the rule of our politics, we shall
now answer war with war ; and we shall do this with all
the energy and power which is befitting the glorious ante-

-- -
cedents of the Argentine nation, now so grievously

wounded in its honour and attacked in its stability.
" Fellow citizens ! Relying opportunely on the manliness
of the Argentine people, and on your invincible decision,
the country has until now strictly kept itself in peace, faith-
fully preserving its neutrality, because it was certain that
when the moment of danger arrived all, without exception,
would come forward to occupy their posts round the na-
tional banner, resolved to comply with their sacred duties.
" Argentines ! The moment has arrived. In the name of
the country and by the authority of the law I call upon you
to take your places as citizens and soldiers of a free State
whose banner has been always accompanied by justice and
victory. _

"Fellow countrymen, I can safely assure you of victory,
because I feel a confidence in the powerful elements that
the nation can raise up, under the help of Providence, with
your courage and patriotism.
"After this noble effort peace will be more solid, more
glorious, and more productive, and you will be able to con-
tinue with greater energy the work of progress in which
you have been interrupted by an aggression as barbarous
as it is traitorous.

"For my part, it is unnecessary to tell you that I shall
discharge the important duties which the country and tho
Constitution in these circumstances impose upon me, and
trusting in that Heaven which protects the justice of our
cause, as well as in your generous patriotism, I shall not
rest until I restore to you the peace which has been trea-
cherously torn from you—until I see vindicated as is befit-
ting the honour of the Argentine nation.—Your
fellow-
countryman and friend,
" Buenos Ayres, April 16." "lirrnE.

Besides the foregoing, President Mitre and his
Cabinet have proclaimed the Republic in a state of
siege, in conformity with the 86th article of the Con-
stitution. They have likewise called out the National
Guard over the whole Republic—ordering the Mi-
nister of War to see that each province furnishes its
contingent. Another decree is published, simul-
taneously with the preceding, which enjoins imme-
diate enrolment in the province of Buenos Ayres of
eight battalions of the National Guard Infantry,
with 500 stand of arms to each battalion. Of these,
four battalions are to be for defence in the country
districts, and four in the city. Following this is
another notification by the President and Minister
of War, declaring the National Army of cavalry and
infantry belonging to Buenos Ayres province to be at
once officially organised. Concurrent with the pub-
lication of these documents the Minister of Finance
has handed over to the War Department the sum of
10,000,000 paper dollars (130 of these may be con-
sidered as equal to a pound sterling) for the purpose
of carrying on the campaign.
The National Government has therefore not lost

a moment in setting forward active preparations for
a war that has been forced on it—not by civil or social
disunion within its boundaries, but by what every
impartial person considers the unjustifiable aggres-
sion of a neighbouring State.

While I an. writing this letter there •is a fleet of
10 Brazilian war steamers, with 2000 men on board,
on their way up this river to Paraguay. In a few
days the Brazilian admiral, with five steamers more
and an additional 1,000 men, is expected to follow,
unless, indeed, the new alliance of Brazilians and
Argentines should change the programme. From
the fact of Lopez being on his way down the river
to meet his enemies, I have no doubt we shall soon
hear of a brush.
To explain the 1 ationale of South American poli-
tics is as much out of my own power as it has been
of every person with whom I have conversed during
my some years' residence in this part of the world.
Speculation and prophecy on political matters are as
rife here as they are with you in England, if not
more so ; and, although I do not pretend to be an
expert in either, I shall give you a few items that
are freely discussed among us.
Some predict that the joined forces of Brazilians

and Argentines will soon " whip" Lopez and the

Paraguayans, as foreshadowed in General Mitre's
proclamation, while others surmise it as extremely
probable that Lopez would not have attempted a de-
scent into Argentine territory unless he had an under-
standing with General Urquiza, Governor of Entre
Rios, and former President of the Argentine Repub-
lic. A few wiseacres who assume to be in the confi-
dence of the Argentine Cabinet aver that a very pal-
pable difference of opinion existed between Mitre and
Urquiza on the subject of the recent war in Uruguay,
and this, too, while Urquiza professes before all the
world to give his loyalty to the Argentines. The
geographical fact of Uruguay, Entre Rios, Cor-
rientes, and Paraguay being on the same side of our
river might lead to an inference that the leaguing of
all these—should such a thing come to pass—may
result in very serious damage to the opposite side of
the Argentine Republic.
For reasons which I do not at present deem ex-
pedient to record, although disclaiming any status
among the soothsayers of whom I have just written,
I am afraid that this war will not terminate as
speedily or as satisfactorily as General Mitre in his
proclamation anticipates ; but, the present scene
of martial operations being at a distant corner
of this vast Republic, they are not likely to interfere
materially with the progress of the Centro-Argentine
Railway or the Etcheguray colonisation scheme in
Cordoba. When the civil war between the Argen-
tine National Government, under General Urquiza,
and the Buenos Ayreans, under Mitre (which ex-
isted from 1858 to the end of 1861), was at its
fullest height, the colonies of foreigners at Baradero,
San Jose, Esperanza, San Carlos, and San Geronimo
were never more peaceable, prosperous, and flourish-
ing than in these troublesome times. It would be
wrong, however, to infer that trade and commerce
do not suffer enormously from the wars that seem
as if they were indigenous to South America. The
export and import returns supplied by the Custom-
house iu all the Argentine Republic prove how ma-
terially the blessings of peace augment the revenue.
Of this we find a very striking example in an extract
which I subjoin from a recent number of our Eng-
lish newspaper, the Buenos Ayres Standard:—
" From 1861 to 1864 there was a steady annual increase
of about 20 per cent., or 731 per cent. difference between-
the first and last-mentioned years which would show that
we double our commerce in four years. The import and
export duties average 15 per cent. ad valorem, and the fol-
lowing returns are given in Buenos Ayrean paper-money,
of which $l3O may be taken as par value of the pound
sterling :-1861, $90,863,878 ; 1862, $118,019,302 ; 1863,
$136,935,392 ; 1864, $156,004,853. It will be observed
that the greatest increase was in 1862, being the first year
of peace after the battle of Pavon (September 17, 1861) ;
but the flattering change was not a mere temporary re-
action, as we see it well maintained up to the present.
Some idea of the wealth of the country may be formed when
we see the Customs' revenue of Buenos Ayres alone for last
year amount to £1,200,037 sterling, about equivalent to £1
per head of the population of the Republic. Although the
Customs' report for 1864 is not yet published, we may con-
clude from the aboverevenue returns for the same year that
the total value of imported and exported goods exceeds
eight millions sterling, their relative proportion being—im-
ports, five ; exports, three. France, England, and Belgium
make up more than half of our trade, England being first in
imports, Belgium in exports, but France exceeding either
in the aggregate. Our exports are gradually resolving them-
selves into ono item of wool and sheepskins, which now re-
present 60 per cent. of the total."

APRIL 28.

The Argentine National Government is following
up the acts emanating from its Cabinet by sending
to the seat of war the steamersPavon, Buenos Ayres,
and Pampero, in convoy of a number of small ships,
having about 1,000 men on board. But of what use
can these be, even with the ten steamers, and, 2,000
Brazilian troops, against the force of Lopez.
General Urquiza has declared his concordance
with the Argentine National Governmenl, and has
announced that he is collecting all the troops of his
province to aid them. This step has caused much
satisfaction to those parties who up to the present
having been in doubt of his policy.
Another event has given great pleasure to all
people who know the necessity of immediate action
on the part of the Argentines in this war. As soon
as the news had arrived in Buenos Ayres, noisy
crowds, with bands of music, paraded the city, and
one of these groups came to General Mitre's house.