The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1846-08-08
Affairs Of La Plata.
BUKNos AYREs, May s, 1886


Affairs OF LIN Plata
, No. /.
BuRNos AYREs, May s, 1886.
To the Edito~ of the ". Y. Herald =
Sir:-You have manifested desire to keep
your readers informed of the affairs of the Rio de
la Plata. For that reason have determined occa-
sionally to give you the progress of events.
The origin of the present difficulties seems to
be pretty well understood in the United States !;
but will briefly recapitulate, in order to connect
some errors have seen in various papers Of the
Union. In 1928, Brazil and the Argentine Con-
federation entered into treaty, agreeing to res
pect and guarantee the independence of the Ban.
da Oriental. This treaty was made at the insti-
CATION of England; but she, through Lord POI t.
sonby, her minister at Brazil, expressly refused to
guarantee it. lt..
In 1888 France bocksdsd Dusnos Ayres; Oribe
was the legal President Of the Banda Oriental,
consttutionally elected. The French wanted to
take their prizes TO Montevideo for adjudication
and condemnation; Oribe objected, because ii
might involve him in difficulty with Rosas, with
whom he entertained the most friendly relations
Rivera, who had previously been President, was
then at the head oil party opposed to Orbe. The
French gave hun countenance and aid, and en-.
abied him 50 to besiege Montevideo that Oribe
was forced TO resign He fled to Buenos Ayres
am made his protest. Rivera was, by some
means declared Governor, not constitutional.
ly elected. He not only permitted the French
to condemn their prizes IN Montevideo, but he
joined them i'll their war, or rather declared war
himself against the Argentine Confederation.
thinking, doubtless he never would have ano-
Their so good an opportunity TO crafty his reysage
Rios, but had IA Ektle success. In 1910, France
made a t;eaty with Rosas, taking care OF herself,
and leaving her ally Rivera to fight out his own
battles. Rosas then could devote his whole at
,euton to Rivera He placed Orbe at the head
Of his army with the double purpose of resentng
the attack on the Argentine Confederation, and
enabling Oribe te regain the Presidency. In De-
ce mber l342, Oribe obtained a most complete
and decided victory over Rivera at Arroys Grand.
on the borders of Entire Rios. Rivera escaped
with lew hundred followers, and Oribe might
have gone into Montevideo, but he was datory,
stopping some five six weeks at Durasnos on the
route, and thus permitting Rivera to get there rst
Rivera took all the money he could raise and sal
lied into. the country, and rallied his forces.
Oribe came to the city alter h. had gone, and
might have entered, but there was some opposi-
ton, and he gave as an excuse that he did not
wish to destroy property, much of which belong
ed to persons in his army; and besides it is very
difficult to take Spanish city by storm, be-
cause the houses all fiat rooted, and each
house is a fort, where the inhabitants can fire
and send missiles from the tops in perfect Sc.
curity, unless the invaders have bombs, and can
batter down the houses as they advance. Abou,
this time the English interfered; and encouraged
the besieged to hold out, by promising them aid
from England. Commodore Purvis ut Monte
video. and Mr.. Vaudeville, the English Charge
at Buenos AYres, both induced the Montevide-
ans to believe that their government would inter.
iere in their behalf. Oribe determined 10 besiegs,
and Rosas to blockade, Montevideo. Oribe fulfil
led his part but the French and English refused
to acknowledge the blockade upon various frivo-
Ious pretexts, and thus continued the war. Ia
1916 UrquiZa, acting in concert with Oribe, OBJ
tanned another decided victory over Rivera at In
dia Muerta, in the Banda Oriental, and Rivera
was compelled to fly to Brazil, almost alone Still
the city Of Montevdeo, populated Chiefly by ltal-
ans, Vasques, French, and negroes, freed by
Rivera on condition they. would enter the a .
my held out, encouraged by the English and
French. An incident occurred in 1915,
which shows the character OF Onbe, and the in
gratitude of the English. The English steam
er Gorgon, in severe gale, was blown ashore
at M0ntevideo, very near Oribe's lines. Orbe,
in all kindness, made an arrangement with
the Captain, Holman, TO permit him to work al
his vessel to get her off, and during nine months
she was there, furnished him with everything the
country produced for himself and men, notwith.
standing Commodore Purvis was continually OPP
posing him in his efforts to enter Montevideo.
called home, and Admiral Inglefield and Minister
Ouseley sent in their places. II was imagined
there would be change of English policy, but in
stead of this, Ingletield persisted in refusing to
acknowledge the blockade, and Ouseley declared
that he had been sent out in conjunction with
the French Minister, Defandis, to mediate
between the contendng parties, and to estab-
lsh peace in the countries OF La Plata. This
interference and mediation was brought about
in part by the earnest solicitations OF Brazil,
through her special agent, sent to both England
and France. England at first listened the more
readily because she had been told by many OF
her merchants, living both at Buenos Ayres and
Montevideo, that Rosas was cod-blooded sa-
wage tyrant, in the habit Of wantonly cutting the
throats OF his own people, and perpetrating many
outrages on foreigners. These merchants were
led on to thess representations by man by the
name OF Lafone, an Englishman, living in Monte
vdeo, who had formerly lived in Buenos Ayres,
where he was once imprisoned short time for
some infraetion OF tho laws. When he LEFT
Buenos Ayres he vowed Vengeance against Ro-
sas In Montevideo he was successful in bu-
siness; and by his great professions of piety
and industry he acquired large credit al
home, which he Used in aiding the party OPP.
posing. Oribe. He lent them money as they
needed il, and either bought or got mortgages upon
the whole Of the public properly in the CITY, and
a grant OF an immense tract OF land IN the coun-
try The value of his titles, of course, depends
OH the success OF the so called government in the
city. The other English merchants were not
backward in following his lead, because they
knew he had the power to aid them, and to ad.
vance their credit mt home; and besides, they had
all found that Rosas was about the first man In
this part OF the world, who had strictly enforced
his revenue laws. They had found that the old
saying, /" that the eyes of a Spanish custom
house officer could always be closed with one,
or at most two gold ounces" had no appli-.
cation to his officers. The representations and
petitions of this body of merchants Il must say,
there were some honorable exceptions among
them) and the glowing descriptions OF the value
oil the interior provinces of the Argentine confdera-
ton, Paraguay, Corrientes, Tucumsn, Santa Fe,
&c., as market for English fabrics; and
above all, their great fertility i'll cotton excited the
humanity of England to snch degree, that she
determined to mediate. France, too, had her rea-
for lending ready ear to the solicitations Of
Brazil. First, she had made her peace in lS40
with Rosas, without having gained any laureis, or
advantage IN the country. She had disreputab'y
lett her ally Rivera; involved in war, TO winch
French subjects in Montevideo and the surround
ing country, that it was almost viewed as a French
colony and besides, the Prince de Joinvile had
recently married the sister of the Emperor of
Brazil, and advantage might accrue to the French
by compliance with the request Of that Govern