Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-04-30
NATIONAL TRAITS.

From the letters OF the Rev. Mr.. STEWART,
Chaplain of the frigate Congress- written from the
River Platte to the Commercial Advertiser
MosTEvIDEo, MARCH u, 1863.
The chief interest in public affairs in this part of the
world still centres in the civil at Buenos Ayres.
Within the last fortnight there have been hopes Of
early pacifcation This indeed may have taken place,
judging by the latest intelligence, within the fortyeght
hours past is devouty to be wished that such may
prove the fact
At the beginning of the passing month commission
from the General Congress of the Provinces in session in
the city of Santa Fe, with proposals of mediation from
Urquiza received by the Governmental or city party
and corresponding deputaon appointed by it, for con-
ference on neutral ground. With view to this
mstice OF eight days agreed upon and proclaimed
with the privilege OF free ngress and egress and from
the city for all unarmed persons of either party On the
very first day, however treacherous and atrocious
breach OF the truce occurred in the assassination OF
company Of young men and officers from the city who
had avaed themselves Of the opportunity thus afforded
of visiting the country They ten in number
of them belonging to the most distinguished families in
the place, two being adsdecamp the commander-n-
chief
The whole party put to death by having their
threats cut-the heads of being entirely severed
from their bodies. sore made day or two after
wards IN retaliation and hundred of the outside party
captured The expedition headed by popular and
leading officer who demanded from the Government the
defamation of the prisoners in expiration of the crime of
their party or the acceptance Of his resignation The
II at first feared that this frghtfu atrocity would
interrupt the deliberations of the and put
an end to the prospects of but thus far such has
not been the effect T-
1t was my intention when at Buenos Ayres some :; :
weeks ago. to give you of the mode in which
the Parricda and fratricdal existing he
tween the insiders and outsiders the besieged and the De-
siegers carried At the distance Of six thousand
miles, you in our happy land will scarce give credence
to truthful description Of the state of things on the
very spot can scarce believe what hseyes see much
what his ears hear of the wanton sacrifice of limb and
life daily occurring without object or an end except
apparently, the pleasure of shedding blood Every morn
ing and every evening" Sundays and week days alike an
hour or two is spent in skrmshes at various nonts along
the hnes by which the city is encirced except on the
river side not IN the hope expectation of bringing hos
hhtes to an earlier end, but in mere brayado
and sayageness Parties numbering from FIVE or six to
twenty or thirty EACH make their appearance one side
the other of the respective offences and challenge
fight If outsiders, they dash up on horseback in their
savage costume of red ponco and cap red cepa
DreeGh CLOTH looking as wild as the Indians of the praries
or the Arabs of the desert till within toerably safe
distance Of the barbados then planting the butts
their carbines upon the thigh fire at random and with
taunts and ribaldry dare the insiders to meet them
THESE, sayng forth as far cautious prudence ust
fes fire in return with like latitude of aim retorting at
the same time the opprobious epithes and scurrilty
Inc report OF the muskety rapidly brings accessons
TO each party; and after an hour two spent in the
amusement, during which there is great waste of gun
POWDER the spilng of blood and the loss of few
lives on both Sides each quietly retres with better APP
petite for the breakfast the supper the may be-
awaiting them at their quarters
One evening, when at Buenos Ayres while watching
the drill OF detachment Of the National Guard at the
parade ground Of the Retro in the western suburbs
guerrilla OF this kind was commenced the flats by the
river sde near by walked short distance to point
commanding partial view of the skirmsh: and with all
the knowledge have of the people, could not help be-
ing struck-with establishment almostat the perfect
GOODNESS and nonchdance with which and another of
the native soldiers lettering about the barracks some
sing and others in companies Of two and three picked
up their firearms, examined their readiness for use and
then walked or oped off, to take part in the fray chat
ting and laughing and testing with another much in
the manner of sportsmen at home at shooting match in
the country when about to try their skill at goose or
turkey,
few evenings before while some two or three hun
dred citizens including women and children quietly
seeing the drill on the ground party of the out
sders through the negligence Of the picket secretly made
their way through by-street to Of the open
square, and fired sx-pound directly across IT,
Providentiay in place Of dozens innocent and
able men and women, might have been the case a
horse only was killed and the leg Of poor
off by the ball
Once or twice week sortie is made in forage fol
grass for the horses of the cavalry On such occasions
the numbers amount to two three hundred or more
and the sacrifice of blood and life both sides is offer
considerable varying from five and six fifteen or
killed, with proportionate number of wounded On the
morning Of the 2st of January FIVE hundred of the
inside troops made detour of reconnaissance They were
very closely and very holly pursued their
to the city. Numbers were killed and wounded on both
sides Among the former were two aids-decam Of a
general ohcer and the himself was
slightly injured in the shoulder by spent musket ball.
company OF foreigners, principally Sardnians and
Basques amounting to two three hundred called the
Italian band, are enlisted in the service of the city
AT this sortie company Of the outsiders planned an
ambush for this band but with little success as to be
themselves entrapped by them in lane with high
walls on either side The captain of the Italians demand
ed the surrender by subatern sent to them but in
place ofcompyng the messenger was fred on when the
whole number, amounting to twenty seven were imme
diately put to the sword.
This same captain, Neapotan count implicated in
the republican movements in Naples in l848 and in exile
on that account, made narrow escape few mornings
before the incident just stated In forapinp excursion
he fell into an ambush and off from his command
In an attempt to reon it, he so closely pursued as 10
be seized by the skirts Of his coat and thus to become
nearly endorsed The CLOTH however gave way and re-
gaining his seat he had time draw revolver and to
fire his shoulder behind the third ball bringing his
pursuer to the ground As he reached his troop in safe
y those who had been chasing him shouted that il was
well for him that he had made his escape for had he
caught they would have served him as he had seen
them serve counryman Of his, taken by them few
days before And how do you think that was? By lay
ing him, with out-spread limbs on the ground-bndine
him firmly with thongs of green hide by the wrists and
ANGLES, to four horses and then starting them on the full
spring in as many directions, tearing him alive into quar-
tersi
Can this be believed having occurred in the middle
OF the nineteenth century within sight of Buenos Ayres
civilized and christian city Of 100 600 inhabitants Yet il
is unquestonaby true If credence can be given to the
declaration OF unpreudced eyewineses of responsibility
and official position. And il is but one Of hundred
atrocities of similar character If of the same savage
enormiy with which partisanshp is here chargeabe Let