Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-12-01

| meat y abandon the country, or submit to the
| ruling pswer. The peculiar situation of NJ ontc
Nideo. ON the east side of the river La Plata.
! open 10 the sea, aud strongly fortified, enabled
| the spanish naval aud military forces, AT an
| early period in the revolutions, to make a stand
there they were ultimately obliged TO sur
| Iender IL not, however, until long protract.d.
! and peraaus illN directed efforts on the part OF
tile assailants had given rise 10 many jarripg
! Incidents betNeen those who came from the
! opposite shores of the river, probably the
| effect, IN part at least, OF ancient Iea!Ousies,
! kcrt alive by the individual interest OF Iarts
/ cuar leaders these have been followed by
/ eveuis calculated 10 produce "A stll greater
! alienation aud, although several attempts
| have been made 10 bring about union, they
| have hitherto been unsucce Ssfui. The pro,m-
| ces OF tie" Banda Oriental, and the Eutre
| Rios. on the eastern side OF the riser, under
! The direction al general Aitigas, are now at
war w,Jl those M the western side, under the
government Oft the Congress at Buenos Ayres
TINS war has originaiso from combination
OF causes, in which both parties have, perhaps,
something To complain OF, and something 10
blame themselves tor.
General Ariigas aud his followers profess a
hehcf hat tits the intention OF the gov. rrment
oiSuenos Ayres TO put them down, and obiise
them To submit TO such arrangements as viii
deprive them ut the privileges ot self govern
ment, 10 which they claim To have right. They
say. however, that they are willing TO mite with
the people on The western sideof the river but
not in such way as will subject them TO what
they call the tyranny of the city Of Buenos
Ayes. On the other hand, tits stated that this
Is merely a pretext; that the real object OF
general Artigas aud some of his principal
othcerS is 10 prevent union on any terms, and
To preserve the power they have acquired, by
giving an erroneous excitement To the people
who follow them. That it is wished, aud
intended TO place these provinces on foot
ing wish the others. That the respectable por-
ton of their inhabitants aware OF this fact,
and anxious fora union but are prevented
from openly expressing their sentiments, from
tear OF general Ar;igas, whose pOweris I'M
controlled by law, or justice, and hence the
propriety OF aiding them to resist it. Armies
nave accordingly been marched within the
present year into those provinces but they
were not joined by number of the inhabi-
tants and were defeated with great loss.
lhis war is evidently asourCe of great injury
and regret, and at tue same time OF extraoidi-
naryifritation to DO Ia parties, fol, independents
ly ot other causes otreci Elimination, each accus-
es the other of having brought about that state
OF things which threatens to place a most i'm
portant and valuable portion of their country
IN me hands OF foreign power, who has iIsad-
ed II with regular aud well appointed army,
and Is gradually liking posse ssion Of command.
ing points, from which il may be difficult for
their united force hereafter to dislodge them.
mat they VIII unite is, think, to he eacuat-
Ell on, unlesS some event disastrous TO the
canse ofthe revolution itself takes place for
their mutual interest requires a union. But
more of moderation and discretion may be
necessary to Bring il about, than is at this time
TO be expected from the irritated feelings OF
some OF the principal personages on bOt! sides.
The city OF Santa Ie, and small district OF
country around IL, also refuse to acknowledge
the authority OF the government OF Buenos
Ayg.S
In Paraguay the events of the revolution
have differed from those in any other pro.
vince, as the inhabitants of that country have
uniformly resisted the efforts of the other
prnvinces 20 unite them alter having aided
the NranIgk MIA a tl,.,,,, a n
force which had been sent 10 overflow them,
The! themselves expelled from their country
these authorities, and established a govern
mem OF their own, totally ubcOnnecied with
thai OF the ether provinces, with whom they
manifest an unwiliDguess to keen up even 4
commercial intercourse. This has given rise
To suspicion in the minds of some that there
8 secret predilectIOn among them faT the
ancient order of things. But from what rs said
OF their cold and calculating characterization
the safe position oil their country and its capa-
city 10 snpplyits own wants, it is probable that
their Objects to husband their resources and
Proft hy the eXertlOns of others without Civ
Ing their own in AID OF them aud possib,S. in
case of ujtipate failure, TO place their conduct
IN less Objectionable point of view before the
government OF Spain Whatever may have
been their motives, they have hitherto con
trived to escape, i'll great measure, the evil,
of war.
Their resources, in men ana money, are said
10 he considerable, and no country is more
Their conduct furnishes "a striking contr,.,
10 that of the people of Bueuos Ayres vic
entered into the revolution with n,,hon,doS
Zeal ana energy, and have ever been RAD, I'm
meetthe uiii'cniHes OF s0greatan undertaking
mus circuNStance, connected with their local
situation. greater resources and more onnprai
iniormaiiou, ana perhaps the fact of their nav.
nS been the FIRST to get power into their hands
have had the effect 10 give them contro,Iin@
lnhuence over the revolutionary government
which had not failed 10 excite in some deoso.'
the Jealousy of the other provinces anJ
amongst themselves feeling of suoerio,;,v
ittiie calculated TO aliay their jealousy. Great
ef'.s we're, at one time, apprehe"ded from this
State OF things; but the Congress which met al
tucnman, in March, 1916, composed of denu
ties from the several provinces then united
assumed the sovereign power of the country
DG'diy deciaredits absolute independence. and
adopted provisional form OF government
which Is understood 10 have the effect of aIlav'
ing dissentions, and Of Introducing a more
regular administration of public affairs.
Ii will be seen from The documents i'm your |
possession, that this provisional co,stt,ition |
recognizes many of the principles of free |
government; bat with such drawback as are
little calculated to enforce them i'm practice |
Great allowances are doubtless to be made for |
aud difficulty Of tearing up Client institutions
or Ot adapting new principles TO them put
alter due allowance for all these onsjderaiions
u ara not appear TO me that SO much had been
zone ior ihe cause OF civil liberty as might |
have been expected, or that those i'm po,y"r
were itsSirnngest advocates. 1t is generally !
admitted, however. that some changes for The |
better have been made. Much care seems IN |
be taken 10 educate the rising generation. and |
as those who are now coming on the tbeafreof |
action, have grown MP since the Commence. |
nient OF the revolution, aud have had the |
advantage of the light thrown in by it, il is fair
TO SUPPOSE that they will he better prepareIIo |
support aud administer free government
than those whose habts we're formed under |
lie colonial government of Spain,
The commerce aud manufactures of tho |
country have grown beyond its agricnltnrs /
FariOus causes, heweVeT, have contributed Ia |
lessen some branches ofmanufactufe since the !
revolution. Dut commerce. il uudprsfo,1 - |