The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-05-09

INK ID EKALD, THUkSUA
TIE ssrusuie Ter Territory In ssuth Ansrsca.
For more than two years the war for terri
torial aggrandisement on the La Plata river
has been waging, and as yet ell parties
appear to be further removed from the
objects for which they entered the con-
test than they were at the beginning. On
the part Of Brazil the war i but the result
Of long announced and steadily pursued
policy Of the imperial family. The Parana
and Paraguay rivers must be the boundary Of
the empire. Ats6rst glance the map would APP
pear to show that Brazil should be contented
with her territorial area; but whom IL is con-
sidered that the valley Of the Amazon is naught
but vast jungle. that Of the $4,000 square
miles Humboldt's measurement) there is
scarcely one-ffth available for settlement by
man, that the only really valuable part lies
south of The fifteenth degree Of south latitude,
and that Brazil has never ceased her efforts to
extend her territory to the south and west, we
shall see that this grasping for more remote
boundary line is natural So steadily has this
policy been carried out in Uruguay that to-day
the port Of Mcntevide0 mny be considered
Brazilian city. Even before the date Of Spanish
American independence this effort to overrun
Uruguay, Paraguay and the strip Of Argentine
territory lying between them. called Misiones
was the cause Of long and bloody warfare.
From the founding Of Montevideo, in 1726; the
Portuguese commenced their struggle for the
extension Of Brazil Uruguay has always been
the principal battle ground; for whoever holds
the northern bank of the La Plata dominates
the whole Of its immense and magnificent
valley, even to the heart of Bolivia.
The Judgment which the Portuguese effected
on the La Plata early in the eighteenth century
gave rise in 1776 to the most formidable mill
tary expedition which up to that time Spain
had fitted ont to the New World. The Pertu-
guese settlement was laid in ruins, and the
attempt of the Portuguese to hold point on
the great river was signally defeated. Brazil
has, however, staked her future on this desired
boundary and as she has already waged
nearly a century Of war 10 accomplish her pur-
pose. it is not to be supposed that she will now
desist When the present war opened the little
dictatorship Of Paraguay, with seventy thou
sand square miles and five hundred thousand
inhabitants, was scarcely less ambitious than
its more colossal neighbors. The country
having been at peace for more than half q
century, and during that time rapidly de-
veloping its wonderful natural resources, be-
gan to feel the wants that every nation
feels as it unrolls its resources-a commercial
outlet on the ocean and territorial extension.
Both could be obtained in one direction, and
Paraguay looked southwark to the richest and
most beautiful Of the Argentine States, Cor !
rientes and Entire Rios--the latter with ! fine
contact with the great estuary 81 the La Plsta, I
aud both provinces bounded BY rivers navi9a-
Bile for largo class Of seagcing vessels.
Already powerful in an impregnable position,
hanging like shadow over the great Bra
lillian province of Matto Groso, preventing the
settlement Of southeastern Bolivia and the
Gran Chaco, she threatened to shove, wedge
like, between the two great sdversaries, Brazil
and the Argentine republic, and control the
whole vast interior Of . valley which, for
natural productions, fertility Of soil, and
wealth, both mineral and vegetable, has no
equal in connected area on the surface Of the
globe.
But the objects OF the Argentine republic
in this strange territorial contest were not dis
similar from its neighbors. Under the Vice
rcys Paraguay was dependency Of Buenos
Ayres; but in 1911, when the viceroyalty was
overthrow and provisional government es-
tablishsd, Paraguay refused to recognize what
1t called central usurped authority, and i'm
mediately declared its independence Of Spain.
The effort ofthe Buenos Ayreans to restore her to
the viceroyalty was unsuccessful; but the Argen-
tine republic has always chung to the hope that
her old province would some time return to
her either peaceably or by force Of arms;
and this Notwithstanding the recognition
of Paraguayan Independence in the treaty
made between the two countries in 1852
The great prize, it will thus be seen, for
which the combatants are striving, is the con-
troll Of the La Plata Valley. The prize is mag
nificent; but the Allies, In an alliance unna.u-
raj and equally unfortunate, are paying very
heavily for the attempt to remove one of the
three contending parties and narrow the con-
test down to two. Paraguay was the first TO
invade one of the provinces which she coveted,
but attacked by her powerful opponents, she
has, like an armadillo, rolled herself in her
shell and laughed at all their attempts to
penetrate even her outworks. 1t is probable
that the close of the war will find Paraguay
ming; while the Allies, exhausted of men and
money, will require long time to recuperate
and reopen the great contest
Boat Licenses.