The Sun.
London, England, 1867-10-05 00:00:00

THE WAR IN THE RIVER PLATE.

The R.M.S. Seine, with the mails from Brazil
and the River Plate, arrived.at Southampton on Wed-
nesday evening, 2d inst., and brings dates from the
seat of war in Paraguay up to the 15th of August,
from Buenos Ayres and Montevideo to 28th of same
month, and from Rio Janeiro of the Bth September.
The news from the seat of war states that the fleet
had passed the fortress of Curupaity and were in
front of Humaita ; in this passage the ironclads had
met with very rough treatment, the Taniandare
and Colombo being disabled, and, with two others,
had to be taken to Corrientes to be repaired. It
is stated that this had been a preconcerted plan,
and that for this advantage allowed by Marshal
Lopez to the Allies overtures of peace were to
be made, -in which the Allies relinquish the con-
quest of Paraguay, and Marshal Lopez remains in
power ; and Brazil had despatched a special envoy
on this mission to Buenos Ayres, the Conselheiro
Siminba, and to help these arrangements it was
stated that Captain Mitchell and Mr. Gould had
come to Tujuti on board her Majesty's gunboat
Dotterel, and an American man-of-war had also
gone up to the same place. The Standard's corre-
spondent at the seat of war says--" That the posi-
tion of the Allied army is far advanced, but untenable,
and, should the Paraguayans attack them, confusion
must inevitably ensue." The correspondent of the
Buenos Ay
rean Government organ ,the Nation A rgen-
tina,has no hesitation in saying that the fleet will not
pass Humaita, and that the attempt will not be the
mere loss of one or more ironclads, but the destruc-
tion of the entire fleet ; and the correspondent of
the Nacional says " that the Paraguayan lines in
front of Tugu-cue are close up to the Allied en-
campment, and that the Paraguayan raiders, as they
dashed along the lines, could be distinctly heard to
shout ' Come, take back your women and the vessel
you have left behind.'" All the foregoing clearly
proves that the Allies cannot hope for success, and
must end this long-protracted struggle with a peace
honourable to the brave Paraguayans, and if, pos-
sible, also to themselves, and totally give up the
idea of either overthrowing President Lopez, with
whom his people, having chosen him, are perfectly
content, or of the conquest of this small but brave
Republic.
The most serious feature of the fortnight is the

.11.......11

revolution that has again broken out in the province
of Cordoba and the complete overthrow of the
national power in that province, together with the
imprisonment of the Minister of War, who hap-
pened to be there on a mission from the Central
Government, which is unable to do anything in the
matter, being so fully occupied with an expensive
foreign war—a never-ending provincial war and a
ceaseless Indian frontier war, that it is difficult for
the Government to decide which way to turn first,
and it is to be feared that, when too late,
the Argentine Government and its people will
see the folly committed in attempting the conquest
of Paraguay, and in forming the unholy alliance with
slavetrading Brazil. On the 12th of this month
will expire the bill passed in 1862 making Buenos
Ayres the capital of the Argentine Confederation,
and as the Senate has rejected the bill to move
such to Rosario, the deputies refuse to pass any
other, and a grand political eclipse is predicted, the
result of which it is difficult to fortell.
From Montevideo there is no news of interest,
the Dictator Flores wisely preferring the comforts
of his capital to resuming his post at the seat of
war.

From Rio it is stated that the Chambers have
adopted the bill for the issue of paper currency to
meet the expenses of the war, and it is to be
feared that such will be extended on to an un-
limited amount, with little or no security for its re-
demption. A serious outbreak of slaves had taken
place at the establishment of Senor Brevas, south
of Rio, the slaves numbering some 5,000. A military
force had been despatched, but the result was un-
known upon the departure of the mails. It is to
be feared, from rumours that were current at Rio,
that revolt would take place at several other points
of the province, instigated by the opposition, and
by those who desire to see au end to the war with
Paraguay, in which the empire is so wantonly
wasting her resources, and her population so sparse,
and not so easily replaced, and serious fears were
expressed on this subject, as the negro or slave
population is over double that of the free in-
habitants.

The commercial intelligence is of little interest,
and little had been doing, as both in Brazil and the
Argentine Confederation trade was paralysed,
through the many heavy taxes that have been
created *since the war, and only army contractors
may be said to have been flourishing.