The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-03-23
presented

H'Tis far CRY to Loeb Wv u was the Ola
Scottish taunt when their enemies threatened to
harass them in their mountain Businesses, and so,
apparently thought his Excellency Don CARLOS
ANTONIO LOPEZ, when he was menaced with the
wrath of the UNITED STATES for firing into the
Steamer Water WITCH and for certain spollahons
alleged to have been committed upon the property
of American citizens, engaged in business In Para
quay. 1t is not, indeed much cause for surprise,
that the ruler of petty State in the interior Ct
South America, far remote from the ordinary
track of commerce-and only to be reached by
long and tortuous river navigation-should have
considered himself perfectly secure from any act
of retaliation on the part of the nation whose nag
he had insulted and whose citizens he had
wronged. Nor is it altogether certain, from the
tenor of the last advices from our squadron, that
we shall be able to exact of him the reparatlon
which Mr.. Commissioner BowLIN has been in
struced to demand. 1t must be remembered
that this squadron consists of two frgates; two
sloops-of-Nar; three briggs; twelve armed
steamers, and two armed storeshps. Of
these only one soop; three briggs, and the steamers,
are sufficiently light of draught to ascend the river
to Asuncion, the Capital of Paraguay. On the
9Th of January last, the three briggs, and the
steamers Fulton, Water Witch, and Harriet Lane,
had entered the Parana their way to Corrientes,
six hundred and ninety miles above the mouth OF
the river and the appointed rendezvous OF the
squadron. No tdings whatever had then been
received of the auxiliary steamers, and as the latter
formed the chief portion of the force that was
capable of ascending the Paraguay, the length of
time which the vessels in advance would be de-
tanned at the rendezvous was rendered altogether
uncertain. From this it will be perceived that,
what with Cyclones, and breakage of machinery,
slow steamers, and various other mishaps and mis-
adventures the prospects for the success OF the
expedition-if a resort to arms should finally be
found necessary-are not very cheering. Indeed,
the success of the enterprise is mainly dependent
upon the prompt arrival of the absent steamers
at the rendezvous at Corrientes. The distance
from the latter port to the confluence OF the
rivers Paraguay and Parana is but ten miles, and
but thirty miles from the range of defences which
President LOPEZ has caused to be constructed for
the purpose of commanding the navigation of the
Paraguay river. Those defences are reported to
be of a somewhat formidable character. They con-
sist of succession of earth-works mounting from
one hundred, to one hundred and fifty guns some
of which are said to be of very large calibre-
These batteries are established upon the left hand
bank of the river where it forms sudden curve,
and they follow the course of the channel-whch
at that point is unusually narrow-for nearly mile
and half The number of troops encamped upon
the open ground in the rear of this important posi-
ton has been estimated at from twelve to fourteen
thousand men. The general impression, how
ever, is that the courage of the Paraguay
ans will not be put to the test Brazil,
Montevideo, Buenos Ayres, and the members o.
the Argentine Confederation generally, are alike
anxious to avert hostilities between the UNITEI
STATES and Paraguay, and will, doubtless, ust
their best efforts to promote pacific adjustment
of the dispute. 1t has already become evident
that the presence of our vessels of war in thu
waters of the Plata is looked upon with jealous
eye, by the riparian States, and that the vague
apprehensions which they appear to entertain o
danger to themselves, can only be quoted by al
early settlement of the quarrel with LOPEZ, ant
the consequent withdrawal of the squadron
Perhaps under the circumstances, it is quite a
well for us that these apprehensions exist, mas
much as they may possibly be made the means Q
inducing LOPEZ to concede those demands, which
from the tenor of recent letters it would appea
that we are scarcely in a condition TO enforce
A correspondent of the Journal Of Commerce
writing from on board the steamer Fulton, el
presses the opinion that if LOPEZ resolves ST
rous resistance, the vessels composing the squad
ron will be constrained to confine themselves to
blockade of the river, which may last until ne1
October, when the periodical rise of the river wi
enable them to be reinforced in sufficient strengt
to enter upon active operations. ITO attack,
SAYS the writer-"wth our present force, woul
ssbe more indiscreet than the charge of the Ligl
ttBrieade' at Balaklava." nine months block
ade of the mouth of the Paraguay, joined to Il
necessity for reinforcements at the end of tn,
time, is by no means pleasant prospect to col
template; but we can scarcely imagine that Il
squadron which has long since reached Corriente
will be subjected to any such ordeal. Near
ninety days would elapse from the date of the la
advices before the vessels would be precluded by Il
sbalowness of the river from advancing towar
Asnncion, and long before that time has expired t
auxiliary steamers may have arrived at the appon
ed rendezvous From the fact also, that Brazil w
actively exerting herself to bring about peacel
settlement of the quarrel, there still remains a re
sonable hope that LOPEZ may be finally induced
receive our Commissioner and to concede all tn
in strict Justice we have right to demand.