Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1858-05-07
From the Philadelphia prs..

President to take such action as shall maintain the e
or of the nation in regard to the insult offered fo
flag by the State of Paraguay. We at all tiUoss
disposed to insist upon Justice as the first commara
requisite in all public negotiations and we desire Al
the rule of right should govern the action of nations
of individuaG Scrupulously careful to avoid ali az
pearance of injustice in our dealings with other Pow
our Government should, at the time, resent ny
slightest outrage upon national rights In the aS
Guilty which has arisen out of relations with Paro.
candid review of all the circumstances connected &
the case must convince the most Skeptica Judgment I
the right is clearly with the United States and 1
wrong unquestonably the side of the South ANU ue
Republic. To arrive at just view of the iaau0'
involved, here present brief outline of the facts
AS long ago as 1852, General Urquiza the Prpo;d,.
of the Argentine Republic with prophetic vision W
the advantages which enlarged commercial intercnn
with other countries to bring about issued
decree by which the river La Plata and all its trb
res declared open to flags of all nations In I0ss
under the sanction of our own Government an eynoS
ton was fitted out, commanded by Commander Pade :.
whom instructions were definitely given to make an ~
ploration of the river La Plata and to report genp
such information upon the resources of the adiao,
countries would tend to excite commercial enernr
and to create exchange of commodities between H.
United States and those regions By virtue of tbp ~
cree of General Urquiza, Paraguay was one oftheco
tries thus thrown open to foreign nations although o
was not member of the Argentine Confederate
flnn
to make international treaties with the Courts of BaD
z of the Argentine Confederacy and with Paramar
But on his arrival in the river La Plata he found tb
he had already been anticipated then Minister to
the Argentine Confederation had in conjunction with
the representatives of England, France, and SARDINIA
negotiated treaty of friendship and commerce with M
Government of Paraguay. By the terms of the inStm
ment the notifications were to be exchanged within e.
teen months Upon the presentation of the treaty IN
the Senate OF the United States it was discovered that
it contained some very slight verbal errors in regard
the title of our Government and it was therefore return
ed to Commander Page with instructions to have tb
errors amended and then to have the official ratification
made fnality. Commander Page wrote courteous
communication, proposing to exchange the treaties in
accordance with the directions given him by the United
States Government. The note was returned because
was written in Engsh-the foreign minister, who was
doubtless well read in Spanish, declining to notice any,
thing coming to him clothed in foreign tongue.
Notwithstanding this discourtesy, Commander PAGE
had number of interviews with the President Lone
and very friendly relations established In fact
there appeared every for believing that arpp
rnd lucrative trade would at once spring up from the
opening of those regions to American enterprise A
large and influential company was organized under the
title of the American and Paraguay Company and this
Company erected large and valuable works at the town
OF Asuncon-a cigar factory, saw mill, agricultural
establishments, &c. All went on very harmonioudy
until the unfortunate rupture between Gen. Lopez and
the agent of the American Company Making nation.
al ground of indignation out of what purely pr
vate quarrel Gen. Lopez at determined to wreak bis
ill-humor upon all Americans indiscriminately He
broke up the operations of the company destroyed the
mill, and drove the people away from the agricultural
establishment
These outrages called at once for CON- Pages inter
ference He, in respectful note protested against such
nracton of all national courtesy and procured final
y permit from President Lopez securing the Ameri
p+co fhoir afno+o
the country. Passports were granted, but on asking
for permit to pass their goods, the American residents
met with positive REFUSAL unless they would agree
to surrender to the Government the titedeeds of the
landed property, of which they were the legal owners
To this they would not consent, and Com. Page, in an
official note communicated this determination to the
Paraguay Government His communication was con-
temptuously returned because expressed in AngoSax
On, and thereupon Com. Page sent another note init
mating his intention to offer his own vessel to the Amer
residents of transport out of the country
This note was also returned.
Under this state of circumstances, he invited the A.
mericans on board of his vessel. This act Lopez de-
nounced as deliberate wrong, without shadow of JUS
tication and yet no other course consistent with pr.
dence and honor, left open to representative
Lopez, in his official organ declared that the Water
Witch had assumed threatening aspect because she
had put herself in readiness for defence. This was ab
utely necessary, as the Paraguay squadron lying
the river, all douby Manned and had the latter not fear
ed the consequences, they would have preciptated
attack upon the Water Witch. But, for the sake
prudence this attack reserved for occasion when
the Water Witch had lost large portion of her crew.
the captain and many of her officers having been separ
ted from her upon duty connected with their official
ploratiOns.
Without any other warning than the firing Of two
blank cartridges, the Water Witch was fired into one
of her crew killed on the spot and the vessel hued ten
times. To heighten the enormty of the act it will be
borne in mind that it transpred when the Water Witch
lay in neutral waters in that part of the river Paa
IA branch of the La Plata lying between the Argentine
Confederacy and Paraguay. In finding reason for
this extraordinary action it be traced only to the
fact that our national vessel removed citizens
from Asuncion without the permission of President
Lopez.
1t is to insist upon reparation for such breach
all comfy and justice that the Committee Forag
Relations have reported resolution to authorize the
President of the United States to take such measures
may be necessary The case certainly calls for some &C
ton which shall properly vindicate the rights of Amer
citizenship, and establish to the intelligence Of The
despotic ruler Of Paraguay that as nation we IG
ready to permit any outrages upon to go unrebuS
SHOCKING TRAGEDY-We are panied to learn that
within the past few days, most shocking tragedy was
enacted in the upper end Of Richmond county, n g.
The following the particulars far as we have been
able to obtain them: A negro man. belonging to BIT
tain Chapel, armed with axe, entered his masters
house, and killed his master and mistress and SO draG
fully manged two Of his children that they cannot sur
vive. Dr. j. Erwin was sent for and while attending
the manged children was attacked by the negro VIII
his axe. Fortunately, loaded gun was at hand, WIN
which the Doctor shot the negro, killing him almost
stanty. 1t is supposed the negro was insane;
Cheraw Gazette.
The SUNKEN SHIPS AT SEBAsToPoL.-Weu nderSUanu
on excellent authority that the report that the Seov
pol company has proved failure, and that the sunA
ships can never be raised, is an error Whatever
fcutes have been greatly exagerated-the Russian gov
chau he nuerc0me alu