The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-10-22

to the anterior interference of Commodore Purvis,
in preventing him from taking possession Of the said
island when il WINS defencecss; and, in the opinion
ofthe writer, the prolongation Of the may be
ributed to that Interference inasmuch as had Brown
been allowed to possess himself of said island, which
commands the hsrbor of Montevideo, he would have
had, after fortfyng it, complete control Of the ship
ping in the place, and would have been enabled TO
cut of all the supplies Of provisions and munitions
Of war from his enemy on the opposite shore, the
city Of Montevideo, and which would, in limited
period, have compelled the garrison to succumb;
and thus this barbarous war would have quickly
terminated. But we must now observe, that when
there has been no interruption whatever to the
blockade, 1t has only existed nominally -vesses Of
different nations entering the port Of Montevideo
Tested by the Argentine blockading squadron, which
has been seldom seen near enough the port "to make
the entry of vessels dangerous" consequently, the
so-styled blockade has proved inefficient and unwor-
| thy the respect of nations.
| The modification of the blockade as agreed upon
by the British, French, and Brazilian minister's and
the Argentine government, expressed that the COM
mandcrs Of the respective ships of in the river
Plate should their means in preventing their
merchant vessels from introducing the prohibited
provisions, by boarding them when near said port,
instead Of their being boarded and examined by the
Argentine blockadng squadron; thus assisting to
blockade the besieged city Of Montevideo. But
Commodore Purvis, after receiving the notification
of this modified blockade, refused to comply with
its terms and arrangement; stating, as reason that
her Britannia Maestys ships were not stationed in
the river Plate for the purpose of assisting to block
AIDE its ports, and therefore he left the Argentine
squadron to perform that duty; and the decision Of
| the commodore was subsequently approved by his
government. It would be well here 10 remark, that
the agent Of the United States at Buenos Ayres
M tai al:
cedented affair Of modification 10 the blockade; he
was merely notified Of its existence a matter Of
course
Commodore Turner arrived on the 3lst of Octo-
Der, 1874, in the "Raritan frigate from Rio de ia
metro, with the Honorable VIM. Brent, ir, charge
dafaires Of the United States accredited to Buenos
Ayres; and on the Sd November following, the COM
modore deemed it expedent to notify the Argentine
commander "that he recognised the blockade, and
that he would respect so long az il was observed
and respected by all other nations having ships-of-
war on this statiOn;' when the blockade was again
notified, and once more In operation. Nothing fur
Their Of an interesting nature tanspred during the
remainder Of the year 1874.
We now extend our notes of passing events for
the year l645-when, on the 18th day Of January,
the commanders Of the foreign ships-oEwar were no
tilted by Admiral Brown, who had resumed the
command Of the squadron, that the ports of Monte
video and Maldonado were decreed by the Argen-
tine government under rigorous blockade The
French Admiral Laine, prior to giving answer, ,
despatched vessel forthwith 10 Buenos Ayres; and,
on her return, having ascertained that the French
charge d'affaires had no instructions in regard TO
blockade, he (the admiral) informed Brown that
he would not recognise the right in the Argentine
government to make any alteration to the original
modified BLOCKADE, until he received other instruc-
lions from his government Consequently, the
sbtocado rigorosO" was postponed the non-recogni-
ton of which by Admiral Laine determined the
Argentine government to issue the following decree
under date February 18th, viz:
(TRANsLATIoN.
"The government of Buenos Ayres, encharged
with the foreign affairs and Of those Of peace and
war of the Argentine confederation, has ordered and
decreed: NIX
"ARr. i. From the LIST Of March next ensuing,
all communication with the city of Montevideo shall
he closed.
"ARr 2. The captain Of the port shall not allow
to be entered inwards, any vessel proceeding from
the port of Montevideo, whether direct, from hav-
ing called touched there, Whatever be the motive.
"ART g. Neither shall those vessels be allowed
entry, which, in order to evade the provisions Of the
preceding article, leave the port Of Montevideo for
other south Of the line, 10 reform their papers,
and by this deception seek 10 enter Argentine
ports
"Aar. 4. fist Britannia Majesty's packets from
Europe, and the vesselsof-wat Of friendly nations,
are alone excepted.
"ARr. S. The present decree shall have full effect
while the city of Montevideo is under the dominion
Of the ruthless Unitarians' and shall the
aent the army Of operations, under the command of
his excellency the legal Preadent Of the Oriental re-
Oribe, shall enter that city.
"ARr. 6. Let this be published.
| "FEIlPA ARANA.n
| The foregoing decree was evidently intended by
Rosas as realiatory measure on his part, for the
non-recogntion Of the blockade by the French ad-
miral, and subsequently proved as destructive to
the commerce of the river Plate (and indeed more
SOY than would have been strict blockade Of Monte
video. Several vessels, French and English, with
valuable cargoes destined for Buenos Ayrcs, hav-
ing merely touched this port for pilots, after
the decree was published, have been refused en-
trance at the former port. Some 1. vessel. arrived
bills oflading, at Montevideo and Buenos Ayres,
were placed in a most embarrassing situation; and,
in such cases. the masters were left TO exercise their
own judgment and discretion. Some landed the por.
ton Of the goods destined for Montevideo, and pro-
ceeded onward 10 Buenos Ayres, where they met with
the interdicton to their entry a. per decree. Some
others, with cargo for Montevideo and Buenos Ayrcs
proceeded to the latter port dfect, and made them
selves liable in damages for the nonTulRlmcnt Of
their bills of lading. Under these circumstances, Il
is needless to repeat that the effects Of the afore-
mentioned decree were found to be more pernicious
to the commercial interest, than would have been
strict misunderstanding in mind that at least two
thirds of the cargoes which arrive in the river Plate
from Europe are destined for the more extensive
market of Buenos Ayres.
In the month of February new charge d'affaircs
arrived at Buenos Ayres from France, via Rio de
Janero; and after having been received by that
government, he Immediately entered upon his Off
cial functions. And his first act appears to have
been that of advising Admiral Lame 70 recognise
the strict blockade Of Montevideo, the lesser evil
to French commerce. The latter, in reply to the
charge, stated, that if the latter would take upon
himself tho entire responsibility of the recognition,
he was ready to comply. This being agreed upon,
the Argentine government instructed Admiral Brown
to notify the strict blockade second time, CATER