Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1858-04-30

President Lopez to whom be stated in >.
ply to his apprehensions. that he had -.
the most distant idea of firing into the tow
as the Americans were all safely on bos,s''
that he could not be responsible for anv 49,
| sip 10 the contrary; and as to bis gun, hs,,,
! loaded, be should be delinquent in hi. dn,55
if he did not take warning from the nm.
| zlet te!d-plece, on q commanding ncs;,,,,
about three hundred yards If ar upd ub;oI
stood guns crew ready tor seton. ADD
to this. the Wster.Witch had TO na.. ~
Paraguay squadron, lower on the ri,s.
every vessel Of which was doubly mannsi
and, as President Lopez bosstineiy 49,
claimed to the people of Paraguay, readv ,,
fire. But the little Water.W itch, even y,,S
her boats howitzers, was too we'll pren.,.S
at that time. President Lopez concIuiad -
watch his opportunity, when her oficer. and
crew should be divided. This occurred an,
nontbs afterwards, when the Command.
and all the officers, save the first heureoor,
and engineers, together with eighteen Of tho
best men-of crew of iorty-ive-were on,
of her; and, worse than all, when she v,,
in neutral waters, 10 that part Of the PArar,
which is the common boundary he,o4s,
! Paraguay and the Argentine Confederate,
| Here, without other warning than the fire 4
TWO blank cartridges, she Was wautonIy s,sI
into, the man at the helm killed, the wbsa,.
rope cut away, and the vessel hulei ton
times. The FIRE was returned, and We b7ra
with some effect, from what subseouentIy
|
signed by President Lopez for tlis act q;
barbarity? That the Water-Wltch was in
private channel of the river belonging :,
Paraguay.
1t is not probable that the Water-Wteb
! in her then condition as to Ulcers men
and armament, would have invited at,,c.
| from well-constructed sto ne fort, and oos
known TO be fully garris ned and i; is ouIte
as imprOb able that she would have been
taken out Of the main channel into mi.
vate" one belonging to Paraguay, when the
object of her work was to trace out the
course of the former.
The true reason for firing into the steame,
ut this time is to be found only 10 the fact
! that she had removed from A-uncon, Amer.
lean citizens without permission OF presi.
dent Lopez; that is, he refused 10 allow them
permit for the shipment Of their effect.
until he ascertained that they were being re.
ceived on bogrd-untii he was made fully
aware that he could not detaIn them or bold
on to their movable property without losing
something of greater value to himself.
10 1856, after the return OF the " iter.
Witch to the Unitei States, commissioner
was despatched to Paraguay with ins,ruc.
tons to propose the exchange Of ratfcatJOOs
OF this same treaty. This was second at.
tempt on the part OF the UnIted 5 .ates u e..
tsblish friendly relations with that govern.
ment; and what was the result? Ga the pre-.
sentatlon of bis credentials, the comm..ila.
er is Informed by the minister, under date
of November s, 1856, that
1T is requisite tn ,reIore, that you should
be pleased 10 disclose the OtJac OF san spe.
cial commission 10 order that we may 10.
derstand the halt in the pending question.
in regard to the complaints ot this govern.
| ment against that Of the United States ior
the serious offences offered it By the sclnda.
lous hostilites of the commanding officer Of
the Water Witch, United States vessel u
war"
This little cunning, which demanded az
explanation in a matter Of her own wrong
is not altogether unfamiliar to diplomats
agents 10 South America It's eSprcsseioy
sailors as getting to windward,' as putting
yoor opponent on the wrong tack PfesI'
dent Lopez, 10 fault, could afford 70 become
a complainant.
We have no Other purpose than to bring
the main features of the affair of the Wa
ter-Witch before the cOuntry. IL ~
deniaDly true that it is lar more ihcuIt 10
conduct our relations with the small States
Of the southern continent, whose very weak
ness is species Of defence, than to man
tain them fairly with first-rate powers. lie
device of President Lopez of charging wrong
upon the Water.Witch, under tue clrcuu'
stances, cannot fail to excite smile WIZ
every person having any knowledge OF tue
tactics uf his race But it Is clearly due
the dignity Of this government, ana u 'n'
rights of American citizens, that the lu,
culties whose history We have given shgG4
be fully examined, and any iojurles lrH,el
upon our people, or iusu Is otfered to our 1ls
promptly punished - Wash. Union