Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-04-27
'".-~n,.Y v ,..rps, Of c,rmsrce.i
PENDING BETWEEN PARA
CII.y TIE r.. STATES AND BRAZIL.

ia elumDtr. WIN te utetl u ZIG h'S'"'N
Frsncis, ii was supposed that a new era Was lnn"eu.
for Eel Paraguay" but subsequent events nave
only shown that one depot has been succeeded oy
another, aud perhaps a more dangerous one for the
w.' ,are ot iha. half civilized "R-pubic"
President Lopez, who wormed himself into power
i, a man Of no mean ability. His profession OF I'D
yoca,e, il ia said. WAS exercised with zeal, tnpartian
~ and Observation-Disclosures, until Francia ceutereh I'D
himself all power. Lopez at that time retired IN Ola
gust to hs iarm, 100 miles from Assumption, ana
there gave himself up to books and agriculture until
called 10 The poet If Consul at the death OF Franc'a
Outrages upon Brazil and Corrientes which occur
red at tnat period, had TO he passed ny without COT
r.ctiou or satisfaction, as The troubles at the mourn a.
the river Platte were hurrying affairs to that crisis
which resulted in the raising Of the siege OF Monte
yideo, and the complete overthrow Of the tvrant no
sas. The Emperor of Brazil, Don Pedro H., avail
inc himself Of the fact that Rosas had prohibited the
free navigation of the Parana and Paraguay, ana naa
thereby prevented the development Of the "Repno
lie" of Sr. Lopez. hat.ered the fat old President (who
remarkably resembles George ~ by comforting upon
him the grand cross of the "Oroer of Christ" and ny
making bis son Genn Lopez, commander 10 me same
Order. Brazil had two objects in view. Let, to keep
from forming an alliance WIN hosas, or
from invading the Argentine Province OF C0rrlentes;
and Cd. to obtain an uninterrupted river naV'esIon
70 the rich Brazilian Province OF Mattn 9roeso Wb,ch
ia North Of Paraguay. Brazil succeeded In forming
an alliance with Paraguay for sI years, and then the
former united her we'll disciplined regulars with the
Guachos Of UrquiSa. and soon after, Rosa power
so long the terror of South America, Vanished forever.
The overthrow Of Rosss created an active movement
among the Diplomats, whose governments had been
waiting until that de.ired event 1.-THE downfall OF no
sas) to form treaties With all the river States. Eng
land, France, the United States. and Sardinia, not
only had their regular representatives, out speciaii
commissioners we're ready with naval rmameDts and
ANAL steamars, to make aInicsble aud commercial
alliances at Montevideo, Buenos Ayres, and even at
distant Assumption. There was also aswarm OF ira
ders from ,hese various countries, all expecting a
. ~N1 tlaEn nm mon una
a Mr.. Hopkins. who represented the "Unifed States
and Paraguay Navigation Company" a joint stork
concern, formed in the State Of Rhode Island me
ostensible object Of which was to Introduce steam
navigation on the Paraguay, cell American manuisc
lures, and export immense quantities OF cigars. But
! tbs nob.est enterprise of all, was that under the DOM
msnd of 1t. TT Page. which had for Its end the
scientific exploration Of those vast afhuents OF me 10
Plata which water the undaVe!opeo ana ter!iie nsioe
of Southern Brazil, Paraguay, and the BANDA oIien.
fail. It was a work Of humanity aud science, In when
the snyans of the civilized world took the deepast
interest The little water Witch" steamed IN 1893
( ron Norfolk, Virginia, and her explorations, ss well
az her treatment by President Lopez, are a part OF
history.
But to return In July. 1852. the Argentine COME
dsrstlon acknowledged the Independence Of Para
quay, and the latter country declared that her soufh.
| s.r boundary should be the Psrana thus giving up
as the "Miaeic2es." On the 22d of December. 1852
Sir Charles Hethan, he British Envoy, arrived at
Assumption 10 the war stenasT Locust, and was soon
followed by the French Envoy, VI u. !Georges'l In
the stasnerF ianbard These gentlemen weie Srcom.
| panied by the diplomatic representative OF the Unifea
Ststea, Mr. Pendleton. Feto.s three months NAG
| elapsed, These three governments, GnSe represented
made treaties of anity, ann nsp'saIoh'
with Paraguay. The treaty with the United statee
aeemed a very fair one for both partins, and was rail-
fed by the United States Senate In 1864. and no other
alterations were made except a few verbal ones, whifh
were corrections Of blunders in the title OF our com
! tn, ITO be attributed (.nv5 Mr.. Fitzpatrick In nls let
ter appended to President Buchanan. last neesage)
entirely 70 the carelessness Of the Representative
If the United States of America fhe titles
Limited Stsfes of Nort; kmsr'ca" and the North
American Union were considered most Justly
as DOT belonging to car country. Sut, !" a9d be
hold, no sooner did an Envoy, aud that Envoy Lieut..
\ Ihoe. ]. Page, present the treaty for ratification In
1884, than che Q%uibblpg President through h' score
tary replied, sitacat the usual marks OF common cour,
tesy, that the COMMUNICATION we're N Eueilsn, ano
therefore would not be received. iris insulting treat
mont cIossd the diplomacy of Lieut.. fsRa. Two years
afterwards, Mr.. Richard Fitz patrick presented himself
at Assumption a. the Special COMMISSIONS OF lac
President of the United States, and in unHisfakaole
Castillian respectfully requested the ratification at me
treaty. made nj AsaIr aption on the 18th ut March, 1903
The reply 10 this request usE, a letter from the Para
guavan Government asking foraxp'anation, ana enitr
ing IN complaints against the awe alter Witch"-whIch
vnila in its ouiet and peaceful work in that pofitSn O.
the Parsos not under the Jurisdiction Of the Republic,
l W ~ oN' ut't ~
and which President Lopez had the impudence 70 de
nource as serious off-pcs' on the part ofihe Uosted
States. offered "by the scandS'oss host'ilties OF Inc
commanding officer Of the Water Witch. a y ): ves.e|
OF war; And ~ Paraguay demanded %hetnef Ea
United States you'd sustain the 'claina Of HOPKINS
who had been appointed Consul of the United STATES
but such, alleged the Secretary, were his "unheard oil
in.olences'' aud 'exoesses," that at last theJ called tor
the "supreme decree Tavoking his eKsqua,or asp.G
Consul. 1t must be admitted that Mr. Hopkins waa
turned out of the country ana IL It bad not been lot
the presence OF Lieut.. Page, DO doubt the u s.Consul
Would have suffered severely. 1t ia to be regretted
! that The Water Witch" became necessarily involved
in ,bis afFal, of Hopkins, yet the United States owes
/, TO itself to sustain its own dignity, even II II is some
times wanting in its Consular representation. 1T ls
al.o due to the respectable nien Of Rhode leland who
compose the "Unit,d States ann Paraguay Naviga.
ton Company that their own monetary sTsirs ana
their alleged Losses be investigated.
Lnplz, finding that the United States Special Com.
missioner wonid not Join Issue on The complaints
against the "Warer Witch and Hopkins, made his
tool. Vasqnez. reply that he. Lopez. had fully done
hs part towards ~ratifying the treaty IN 'S,S, and WAS
moi going TO sign a nav document containing Thirty
two amendments made by the Senate Of The United
States" Miserable apecial ~pleader! The amend
nents were the corractions. thirty.two times. OF the
terma North American Union and limited States
| of North Americas" MIR. Fitzpatriok, With dignity
and with pluck, replied that the treaty made IN
March, 1853, 'is not uritten in the terms which are
employed in other treaties between the United States
OF America and ioreign nations with whom It
has treated. North American Bnion,' &c are not
fonud in those treaties; that Of the 'Unired States OF
America only Is uaed, add the Senate Of the United
States of America will assurediy amend the language
Of every treat! with any nation or power previous to
its ratification"
His Excellency the President OF tbe Republic
could not by any decent means get around the reply
OF Mr.. Fitzpatrick, but with the greatest composure
reiterated the same nonsense about the alterations Of
the treaty ans closed the correspondence
Our difficulties with Paraguay can be easily sum
med up in Ilst) ipsnlts to a United States Consul and
to citizen. of III. United States at Assumption, t2l
murdsrously and with malice aforethoueht firing Into
a United States vessel de'ached from the lists of war
like ships and engaged In a peaceful enterprise which
was "intended," as Mr.. Buchanan says, "tor the ad'
vantage Of mme States generality" land be IL
the Water Witch" was actually, when
the Paraguay fort made it's attack and killed one
man and wounded Others, in waters belonging to
Corrienre';l t3ral in refusing to ratify a fais treaty
onos acknowledged by the President of the Republic
but now discarded on the ground Of verbal altera-
tious. The first and third difficulty might he easily
settled; but the second lie OF grave Importance, and
demands redress. The people of Paraguay ere not
TO blame, bur IL is that piece of onrpulent tyranny
embodied in President Lopez and hs family
how shall these difficulties be aettled 10 the easiest
and s~peediest manner possible 1t is understood that
there 10 a uuanimous sentiment in the proper Con
gressionsl committee on that portion of President
Buohanan's message referring to Paraguay. Now, i
the President Il empowered &c send two steam vessels
of war and q Special Envoy to accompany the Bra.
zillian feet to Assumption. the whole matter can be
more easily settled at this ~iunoture than at any other
conceivable time. Brazil has her fertile Matto Crosse
accessible by steamer through the Paraguay. Lieut..
Page demonstrated hi. in 1858. Brazil had difficult.
ties with Paraguay In 1854, and smoothed them over.
But In 1856 she FORMED a treaty Of commerce and
navigation. eettled boundary lines, and agreed that
the great river should he free TO the vessels OF all ma
tions. Brazil opened by proclamation. albuquerque,
more than 2,000 miles from the Atlantic, as a port of
entry to the shipping of the wcrld. 1t is Of the ut
most importance TO Brazil and Bolivia. that the river
he kept open. Both are dependent upon this outlet
for the commerce. Of their adjacent provinces, and |
both are entitled to the free navigation of the Para.
quay ny a spscial treaty. But Lopez, f~sncyine that
he may levy tribute, like an old Dey Of Algiers, has
imposed such restrictions and fees on passports. ves-
oareoes &C.. &C., that the treaty is rendered null
and void. Furthermore, Paraguay hss inaolently en-.