The Sun.
London, England, 1853-05-18 00:00:00

SOUTH AMERICAN MAILS.

SOUTHAMPTON, TUESDAY, MAY 17.
The Royal Mail steam-ship Severn, Captain
Strutt, arrived here this morning with the usual
River Plate and Brazilian mails, in :charge of
Lieutenant La Touche, R.N., Admiralty. agent.
The latest dates are, Buenos Ayres, April 8 ;
Monte Video, April 6 ; Rio de Janeiro, April 14 ;
Bahia, April 19 ; Pernambuco, April 22 ; St. Vin-
cent's (Cape Verd), May 2 ; Teneriffe, .:Mar 8 ;
Madeira, May 9 ' • Lisbon, May 12.
After leaving the Brazil coast the Severn expe-
rienced strong head winds, and between Madeira
and Lisbon encountered a heavy gale from the
north-west ; from Lisbon the winds have been from
the north-east, with thick weather. She landed
91 passengers at Lisbon and 3 at Madeira, and
brings 79 to Sotithampton, among whom, are Cap-
tain Prolet, Governor of Senegal ; Baron V. Ker-
mann, from Madeira, Major White, C. 8., (iTc. The
freight list includes specie from Monte Video, value
2601. ; silver bars from Lisbon, value 1,650/. ; dia-
monds from the Brazils, value 100,000/. ; 128 bar-
rels tapioca, 129 serons cochineal, 11 casks wine,
11 boxes lemons, 724 half chests oranges, 222 boxes
potatoes, and 106 packages sundries.
The accounts from the River Plate are of a most
unfavourable character. The expectations enter-
tained that peace between the belligerent parties in
the province of Buenos Ayres would be preserved
are negatived by the intelligence brought by this
packet, which states that General Urquiza, having
refused to ratify the convention of the 9th of March
fora suspension of hostilities, preparatory,/WAreaty
of peace, had marched upon Buenos Ayres and
effected a junction with the rebellious forces en-
camped outside that city. All hopes of a pacific
settlement of the dispute had therefore vanished,
and both sides were preparing for active warfare.
The British Packet gives the following summary of
events during the past month
"It would be a long and difficult task to enumerate
the ever changing aspects of the past month. In the
official docuimnts, recorded in our successive numbers,
may be traced the fallacious hopes of peace, rudely dashed
from our parched lips at the moment least expected, and
by the hand of him who had proposed and initiated the
negotiations—consequently the very last quarter from
which so unkind a blow could have been anticipated.
Bearing in mind that the commissioners came invested
with full powers ; that they brought specific instructions
as to the ends to be attained and the means for their
attainment ; that one of these commissioners was the
President of what General Urquiza recognises and in-
vokes as the National Congress, and that another was
his Minister of Foreign Relations ; that they had been
met by the Government of the province of Buenos Ayres
in the most frank and conciliatory spirit ; and that every-
thing had been arranged to the entire satisfaction of the
respective commissions ; the veto of General Urquiza
places the question in a new light, that leaves much
room to doubt the sincerity of his professions and the
sanity of his intentions.

" his conduct during the negotiations and consequent
suspension of hostilities is still more flagrant and inde-
fensible. Instead of maintaining the stipulated statu quo,
we see every exertion made in the sense of a premeditated
rupture, and the sanctity of the armistice violated by an
armed invasion of the province. Nay, to add insult to
injury, the announcement of his non-ratification of the
treaty, and march to join the provincial rebellion, is
accompanied by the modest request that the capital
should still maintain the suspension of hostilities—that
is, allow him to effect his movements and concert his
measures of aggression without molestation.
"We are aware that such charges must appear fabu-
lous at a distance, but we refer to the public documents
in which they are consigned ; and, were other proofs
wanted of sinister intentions and Punic faith, we have
them in every column and syllable of the Federal Argen-
tin ), published under the eye of the Provisional Director,
and no doubt the faithful echo of his sentiments and
policy. It is needless to mince the matter. General
Urquiza is now the acknowledged head of the rebellion,
and will never propose negotiations, except to gain time
or for some sinister motive, nor respect and ratify what
may be stipulated in his name, unless compelled to do so
by the extremity of his situation.
_ _

"On the other hand the Government has taken its
stand, in the note of the 23d of March—a document
cordially responded to by public opinion, and from which
it cannot devia'6e with either safety or honour. We can
therefore see no alternative but the prosecution of the
civil war ; and the next question that presents itself is,
what direction may that probably take ? Will Urquiza
venture an assault on the capital, or content himself with
carrying out the programme of Lagos, by waging war to
the knife against the inoffensive oxen ? In either case,
and especially the last, which appears to us the more
probable, we can foresee only a gloomy prospect for
commercial interests, and that for an indefinite period,
be the immediate results of the contest what they may.
If the treaty of the 9th of March be set aside and Gene-
ral Urquiza openly espouse the cause of the rebellion,
farewell, a long farewell, to all our fondly chezished
hopes of national organisation, of peace, progress, com-
merce, and the dearest rights and interests of humanity."
The Buenos Ayreans accuse the besiegers of vio-
lating the armistice by acts of wanton barbarity,
and mention the assassination of Messrs. Itomere
and Andrade. " These gentlemen," says the
British Packet—

"Availing themselves of the suspension of hostilities,
left their families and companions on the morning of
the 4th, in all the buyaucy of youth health, and hope, to
visit certain friends in the neutral camp. Night came,
but the youths returned not. On the following morning
a bloody cravat was picked up and ideatified as the pro-
perty of Romero. The fears of their relatives instigated
every inquiry and reclamation, but in vain, and an at-
tempted search was opposed by open N:olence, and re-
pelled by a threat of armed force. This state of agoniz-
ing suspense lasted for two days, when the bodies were
discovered in the Salonero of Don Prudencio Rosas,
mangled and mutilated in a manner too horrible for
description, and ultimately, on the interposition of
Admiral De Sum, delivered up, by the order of Lagos,
to their bereaved and distracted families.

" Such is a faint outline of as dark and revolting a
tragedy as ever cannibals enacted in our pampas, or the
heathen wilds of the South Sea Islands.

" The intense excitement arising from the events al-
luded to above at one time threatened the public order
of the capital, and individuals of the besieging forces
who had entered the city were in imminent peril from
sanguinary reprisals. Fortunately the counsels of rea-
son and pi adence prevailed, and the popular resentment
was in some degree allayed and pacified, by merely de-
taining some 50 of the rebels as hostages for the good
conduct of their companions."

With regard to the movements of Urquiza the
same paper says : _

" As to the movements of T:rquiza repot Ls are con-
flicting. Some have him already at the encampment of
Lagos, others at the Villa de Lujan yesterday morning,
and others still on a countermarch for the province of
Santa F 6 to suppress an insurrection that had broken
out at the Rosario. We have no means of deciding
among these rival surmises, but in the Contcrcio del
Plata of the 18th inst. it is stated that he had levied a
contribution of $20,000 on the town of Rosalie, which
we cannot fancy a vey popular measure, however
patriotic the destination to which they were to be
applied.
"The same uncertainty prevails as to the armed force
he brings along with him, the sum total varying from
390 to 2,500. Whatever the number may be, we know
from private and reliable sources that the proportion of
Entre-Rianos is small indeed many of the militia force,
when cited, having emivated to the Oriental republic,
while others sought a temporary asylum in the forests
of Entre Rios."

The British Packet also states—
" Our news from the south of this province are far
from satisfactory. On their retreat, after the dis-
persion of the 22d January, seme serious depredations
were committed by the Indians, all along their route
to the Azul. The reclamations of Olmos and Bustos
have been disregarded ; and reports, we fear too
well founded, announce a subsequent incursion,
more towards the coast, with depredations on a much
larger scale, and all the revolting atrocities of a
savage invasion. The latest accounts represent the
garrison of Bakia Blanca as closely besieged and reduced
to the last extremity, without other means of subsistence
than a few remaining mares and horses, and their only
prospect death by starvation or the lance of Indians.
Allowing for some exaggeration in the current rumours,
there is room to apprehend the most disastrous accounts
from that important section of the province."
The arrival at Buenos Ayres of the treaty with
Paraguay is thus alluded to
" On the afternoon of Saturday last the Locust and
Flambart arrived at this port from the interior rivers,
conveying Sir Charles Hotham, Chevalier St. Georges,
and the Hon. Mr. Pendleton, bringing with them re-
spectively, it is said, a treaty of commerce and naviga-
tion with the Republic of Paraguay, thereby solemnly
recognising its national independence. As to the con-
tents of these documents nothing has transpired. They
are probably of a uniform tenor, and cast in the com-
mon reciprocity mould ;of such South American docu-

ments. -
" Since the recantation of San Nicolas we have been
in open dissidence with the march of foreign diplomacy
in the river Plate. The declaration of Urquiza, leaving
the province of Buenos Ayres to its own fatal resources,
and confining his directorship to the 13 remaining pro-
vinces, presented then an opportunity of conciliating all
interests ; by understanding with him officially as to the
foreign relations of said 13 provinces, and officially with
the Government of this province, as to what concerned
it. Taking into consideration that nearly all the exist-
ing foreign interests are centred in the province of
Buenos Ayres, this was a course of self-evident expe-
diency, and might have saved a world of painful sacri-
fices and unseemly and formidable complications. It
might have been done without any derogation to their
official dignity, without a semblance of disrespect to
General Urquiza, and with the happiest effect to the