Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-05-03

We find in the Evening Post the following letter
from Com. Page, addressed to gentleman Of New
York:
WArER-WIrcH, BuESos AYREs
February IL, 1865.
Mr. DEAR Sin. With this send you the " Brit
ish Packet Of the 10th, in which you viii find
short account of most dastardly attack upon the
Water Witch, by a fort Of Paraguay, mounting six
guns, some Of them 24-pounders. The Water
Witch was In the act of exploring the river Para
ma, when she was fired into.
This niver ia, mind you, the common boundary
between the Argentine Confederation and Para
quay and such thing as Paraguay even making
| an objection to the Water itch's ascending this
river, never entered my head. And even had she
objected, this would have been no reason for my
not exploring the river, when was invited TO do
so by the Argentine government, and especially
by the province Of Corrientes the bordering State.
The Water Witch was ascending the river, there
fore, under the right from the Argentine govern
mcnt. more fragrant outrage upon national
right was never perpetrated.
/ had left the Water Witch taking with me all
OF the working officers, save the first lieutenant
and eighteen Of the best men, for the purpose of
ascending the river Sslado, which trayerses the
province of Santa Re. This work | had expected
to do, possible, HI two Of our boats and, as the
work there was supposed to be most arduous, the
most exposed, &c, j had taken the above officers
and crew. The condition Of the Water-Witch,
her diminished number Of officers and crew, was
well known TO the government Of Paraguay and
especially to the commander Of the fort Had the
officers all been on board, believe, unequal as
would have been the contest--the Water-Witch's
small bowitzer boats guns against 24pounders
mounted on a fort--the dastsrdly savages would
have been entirely driven from their guns
am here now, hoping most anxiously for the
arrival Of the commodore. hive, much to my
regret, found not one single man-ofwar in this
river, place that never should be left without one
/ had hoped to have met here with the German
town, Captain Lynch, from whom should have
gotten two Of his 64-pounders, aud have returned
to Paraguay in less than one month. With this
force, would have asked nothing more, and would
have taken upon myself the responsibility, after
this outrage, OF knocking down every Paraguay
fort, and capturing their whole nayy--onc steamer
and sixteen small craft This Is no boasting-
Ever since that difficulty (betwecn Lopez and
Hopkins) President Lopez's conduct towards the
Water Witch has been most childish He Is pre-
voked with me, personally, because protected the
Americans and removed them from under his tyr
rm,ical hand; and he has gone far out Of his terri
tory TO annoy and interrupt her progress in this
work, precisely as IL Ii were private affair Of
mine, In which the government Of the United
States has no interest And yet he Is all the time
protesting, IN bis correspondence with the govern
ment at home the most earnest desire for The most
amicable relations. take il for granted that the
United States will send some instructions to the
commander 10 punish this outrageous insult. IL L
can get the guns and ammunition that fort win
never fire another gun after have done with IT,
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