The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-08-25

GEN. RosAs AND HIS ENEMIEs-No. c.

Il aPpccto0 anu wei unuefbthnn the character
of Gen Rosas IL Is necessary compare the former
state Of the province of Buenos Ayres previous TO
has elevation 10 the post Of chief magstrale with its
condition since he has been at the head of affairs in
| that country. Let Us hear what the accomplished
| and wel,nformed writer of some letters on South
America, published in La Presse at Paris, in I643,
says on that subject vi .H. $3.50.
at is scarcely fifteen years since, under the admin
lstranon of the ioiSs Riyadavia, that not
common 10 the Indians mingle in the public
ieas's which were celebrated in the city, and when
| they were asked what they came TO do, they auda
clously answered, toearTy OF SOD'sn. You Will be-
lieye, perhaps that these women, carried off IN this
| manner, would with difficulty become reconciled To
| this savage life. Good God no. You would see
them, few days after, happy in being free, hap
pier still In being naked, aeeosng the traders, who
ventured into the interior TO traffic with the Indians
by their names. This instinct, which carried the
| society Of Buenos Ayres towards the savage state
was then general. No one resisted It, neither men
| nor women; this was the manner Of escaping the
| persecution Of creditor, the punishment Of the
law, domestic disagreements, and private vengeance.
behold, then, what was taking place whilst Ri
yadayia, by the statements in Europe, was making
civilization flourish in South America.
During Ihls period Rosas had become the most
able eStancero (proprietor) OF the province. His
proby, intelligence, courage, and interchangeable ac-
tivty had given him an unlimited influence over the
country; the gauchos (shepherds Of the country Of
Buenos Ayres) had acknowledged him their
| chief, and placed themselves at his disposal He
organized them for common defence; and il was in
this manner that he repealed the indians towards their
deserts, and freed the Argentine territory from their
| deyastations and plumbers But very soon the gov
errors, who could not maintain themselves even in
the cities, had recourse 10 him for putting down the
factions continually springing up, and TO interfere
in the civil war, which had not esased To deSolats
the provinces.
| Certainly, If Rosas as il has been said had only
acted through ambition, IL would have been easy
then for him to have turned to account this state OF
things. Nevertheless, nothing Of this was done; he
was satisfied with sustaining public order wherever
It was menaeed, and protecting the established
power without distinction Of party or persons. He
was not yet the man Of politics; he was only the
man Of authority; but this he wished to be strong,
energetic, dominating, and ackno wledged by all, be-
cause Il alone could secure the peace OF the repuo-
llc restraining all disorder, and subduing all fac
| tons. With regard to him, he had strongly inn
pressed the sentiment Of discipline among the gau-
ehos, who acknowledged him as chief, that, in a
country where plumber and assassination appeared
almost legal not thief nor an assassin were TO be
found amongst his troops"
But what is the case now under the government
Of Rosas, the dictator and tyrant ESQ caledl by his
enemies and uaducers' Let the same French letter
writer and traveller reply:
| "You may at present traverse the pampas, rest
yourself under the shade Of the ombre, whose 81
gantic branches can cover whole village, aud
the only protection which the traveller finds against
the sun and rain; you can penetrate three hun
dred leagues before you as far as the Andes;
ask for hospitality in the ehacras (farm houses,)
from the esiancieros spread over the plains after
their cattle; in fine, sleep travel in security,
without having to fear a single disagreeabe en-
counter"
"What is, then, the powerful prestige which pro-
tects you with its invioabiIity in space Of many
thousand square miles, where short time ago you
could not move without placing in peril your purse
| or YOUR ljfep IL = the sole name of Rosasn
General ,Rosas was born in the city of Buenos
Ayres; and at a very early age contributed to Its
defence in the two glorious victories obtained over
the English, which preceded the revolution OF lSlO
, He early perceived the evils which deyoured hls
: country, without thinking that he the one des
tined TO apply the remedy. What must have struck
him Instantly, was the Impotency and Incidence OF
the government Life and property remained with
out defence against the continual invasions OF the
> Indians who advanced even to the gates Of Buenos
Ayres, killing, robbing, and devastating. Piunder
was committed without secrecy, and assassination
were openly perpetrated. General Rosas is no
about ~ years Of age, and is still the most deXt'-
Gus and elegant rider of La Plata he is Of b.
stature, and of snewy and formidable constitution
In his private intercourse, as many Of the Officer
of our navy who have been at Buenos Ayres can
testify, as they have frequently enjoyed his hosp-
taity, he is of kind and open character; he takss
his amusements after many days of labor, and en-
joys them with all the ardor and abandonment of
school-boy. To this moment he has not obtained
from his high position any benefits for himself he
has no pomp to surround him, no culpahle capriees
to satisfy. He works regularly fourteen hours per
day. This rare devotion to work ought to astonish
a people so indolent and lazy all the popuk-
ton of South America; he passes half of his nights
in revising documents, in order to obtain knowl
edge of all the complaints and claims deposited by
order in his Office. He wishes that nothing should
take place in the republic of which he is not in
formed, to be able to face ALL and to do justice to
every one. ...
All what Rosas has commenced he has terminated
because he follows rule never to leave anything
behind and from his well known character for en-
ergy and perseverance, there is doubt but that he
will eventually bring the present war to successful
and honorable issue for his country.
General Rosas has been represented by the press
of Montevideo the only obstacle in opposition to
the prosperity of foreigners when in reality it is he
who has ever dispensed to them an efhcacious pro-
lection Only his powerful arm could have arrested
the current of popular irritation, during the difficult
trials to which foreign attacks had subjected the ma
tives of the Argentine Confederation, who are ever
jealous of their dignity and Independence. What
would have been the lot, let me ask, Of Frenchmen
during the former blockade, and what their lot now,
and that Of Englishmen at Buenos kyres, now that
> their countries waging unjust war against the
confederation, if General Rosas did not preside
the destinies of his country Only he, and no one
but he, has the power to preserve foreign residents
in the full enjoyment of their social guarantees and
that he has done SO, efecualy done SO, no one can
Q deny. 81. .'.
And of none of such guarantees are they deprived
D at Buenos Ayres. In many cities where the peo-
pie are yet subservient to ancient prejudces, the
sons Of the powerful and opulent Albion have not
been enabled to obtain to this moment what they
have realized at Buenos Ayres--readng rooms,
commercial-rooms, libraries, schools, temples, ceme-
- eriesn short, everything they desire in their
. own country, and without any intervention on the
part of the subaltern authorities. The three Eng
: sh TEMPLES that exist at Buenos Ayres have been
all erected under the auspices Of the federal govern
ment; and the ground which the first was built
is present, for which her Britannia Majestys sub
jects have to thank General Rosas. Another tenn
pile but few years ago inaugurated by the
Methodists, who, in the native land Of j. ]. Rous-
seau, not far from the place where the author OF
Emilius wrote his eloquent profession Of faith Of The
> Sapoyard Tcar, stoned and dispersed the first
time they dared to assemble in the suburbs of Ge-
neva .... .... .... D.. u. ...