The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-03-01

FoREsHADowNa OF THE SETTLEMENT OF THE
River Plate, which we published yesterday, af-
ford very strong indications that our pending
questions with Paraguay Will be settled without
resort to guupowder
1t ID evident that th weak and treacherous
rulers of the republics in that quarter are very
much alarmed at the preparations made by the
United States 10 bring matters to point; but
the most frightened man of all of them is Presi-
dent Lopez himself This is indicated in several
ways. There is no doubt he has made - extern
sive preparations for defence as bis means and
his avarice would permit; but these are mag
nfed by The most pompous Dragging, in which
his resources are set down at an Incredible
figure, and the presence and advice Of English
and French engineers are constantly paraded.
Next, after so many years of insult and con-
tumely to bis neighbors-B Brazil. Montevideo,
Buenos Ayres and the Argentine Contedera-
ton-he is now imploring their mediation,
or, in case of the failure of pacific measures,
their cooperation. Then, all of these rulers
arc evidently suspicious that we are
going to take possession Of and annex them, or,
as one of their papers terms it, found a new Cali
fornia; but the most instructive evidence, to any
one acquainted with the Spanish American cha
racter, of the abect fear that holds possession of
President Lopez, is the personal abuse which be
lavishes, through his weekly newspaper, on
President Buchanan and the Senate Committee
on Foreign Relations.
We published some weeks since several of
these articles, which wound up, however, with
most lame peroration. 1t was to the effect that
the Americans made the most extraordinary in
nevations on the established etiquette of dplo-
matte intercourse, and if the American Commits
sioner insisted on these being consented to, his
communications would not be received; but if he
gave up these unusual innovations, then an
arrangement would not be difficult. These inno-
vations were: that we always sent our communi-
cations in English, when the whole world had
adopted French as the language of diplomacy
As for the story of such tremendous English and
French engineers, who can whip the Yankees as
easily as say "Jack Robinson" being in the en-
ploy of President Lopez, it is all fudge. We
have seen good many Of these highly scientific
and capable engineers in the service of the
Spanish-American republics, and, as general
thing their only ground for the title of engineer
was that they knew how to start and stop an
engine, or had had six months experience as
draughtsman for a railroad company. That
President Lopez has nything better than many
of his brother Presidents we see no good ground
for believing.
We should not be at all surprised if The whole
Paraguay squadron is on its way home again at
this very moment, without having had chance
to fire gun, except in the way of exercising the
men. At all events, they will soon be back, and
afford the President the means Of sending
number Of small vessels with large guns to the
Mexican and Central American ports, with
orders to put our foreign relations there on
stable footing Spain, England and France
have done this In Venezuela and Mexico without
firing gum But it is necessary to show to
those irresponsible and ephemeral rulers that we
are ready to fire our guns in order to make them
preserve the peace. Had we done this years
ago, we never should have had the Central Anne
rican imbroglio, the Cass- Yrisarri treaty would
not now be laid on the shelf, nor would our
Minister have been driven with insult from
Mexico and our citizens resident there plum.
dered of their hard earnings to feed remorse-
less civil war.