Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-01-03
FROM SOUTH AMERICA.
Correspondence of the Ohio statesman.1
VALPARAISO, Dec


The affair of the advance made to the
firm of Arman has continued to attract
public attention during the fortnight which
has elapsed, both for the personal incidents
to which it has given rise, and the political
gravity of the subject itself. In the session
OF November Goth, the Senate took into
consideration a motion of Sr. Coucha, to
present a note to the President of the Re-
public, informing him of the threats of
death which have been addressed to Sr.
OValle, in chastisement of the question he
had put to the Ministry as to the Arman
contract. The Senate came to a unani-
nous resolution, conceived more or less in
the following terms: THAT it should be
brought to the knowledge of his Excellen-
cy, the President of the Republic, that the
Senator Sr. Ovalle, in the session of the
18th, current in formulating an enterpella-
tion requesting explanations from the Cab
met as to the contract celebrated by the
Government with the firm OF Arman,
stated that. should he keep silence upon the
subject of the Interpolation, it might be
construed by some as a cowardly intimida-
tion by the menaces of death which had
oSSh MAUI W ulu, duu tudt CltCutlSIduCCSs
united to the strict discharge OF his duty,
induced him to insist upon the ex-
PLANTATION he had requested. -
The Minister of War, who is
likewise, a Senator happened to be present,
and gave his vote to the resolution. In this
he did well, because the person who has
threatened Senior Ovalle was the champion
of the Ministry. We think, on the contrary,
shat this Incl lent has been stroke of ill
4 luck for the Government, and that the lat
ter must have been the foremost in lament
ing the turn the affair has taken, which now
belongs to tribunals of justice. AS to the
Interpolation, the Senate resolved to con-
slider it in secret session, in Difference to the
request of the Government but nothing
i was finally determined. AS to the accusa-
ton made against the Government, of hay-
ing made cash advances without guarantee,
is public; and the defense of the Cabinet is
kept secret; the position of Ministers is
very difficult. Under these circumstances
it is impossible to pronounce well founded
and impartial judgment. We shall abstain
| from attempting to do so, until the matter
has emerged from its mysterious darkness.
| Besides the discussion we have alluded to,
the tasks of Congress are reduced to the
debates on the budget, which are becoming
tiresome and lengthy. The majority of the
Chamber of Deputies, desirous of cutting
short as much as possible the discussions OF
the ministerial policy, committed the inn
prudence of voting that the discussion
of the budget should be both general and
particular. The consequence is that in the
discussion of each item the deputies of the
opposition pass judgment on the general
policy of Government. In this regard the
question of the Chilian legations in Europe
has been resuscitated. The radicals main
tain that such legations are useless as a
means of making known our respectable
ty and procuring US consideration, because
these countries are much despised by the
Great Powers. They propose that instead
of Ministers resident, the Republic should
merely have Consuls in Europe. The Gov
ernnent has combated this doctrine sue
cessfully, and the Chamber has granted the
necessary funds for the above mentioned
legations. With respect to foreign politics,
a mere casualty has occurred to call the at
tention of the public to the Anglo-French
mediation. A deputy demanded that the
documents relating to the diplomatic trans
actions in the war with Spain should be
laid before the Chamber. Among these
documents was found a note addressed by
the Chilian Government in the name of our
allies as well as its own, to the diplomatic
agents in England and France. That note
contains refusal of the proposal of an in
definite truce made by the mediators. How
was it, then, that the Ministers stated in Con-
gress that the proposal of a truce was still
under consideration? The note in question,
answered the Cabinetwas merely sketch,
and in reality it was not transmitted to the
representatives of England and France.
The inference derivable from this state
ment is, that there are negotiations pend
ing, the nature of which it is impossible
to describe with certainty. 'a
On the other hand, the Government finds
itself theoretically at peace, but actually
at war, with the Araucanians. The occu-
patton of the Araucanian territory is being
carried on successfully. Up to the present
moment not single fight has been neces-
sary. Col. Suavedra, in command of the
expedition, trusts more to diplomacy than
the employment of force. On the 18th ult.
he reported to the Government having
celebrated Parliament or Peace Congress
with the tribe of the Huilliches, who
showed themselves disposed to admit the
occupation.
On the 23d of November the steamer
Pera arrived at Valparaiso from Liverpool,
after voyage of thirty-six days. By her
we have received important news regard
ing the war in Paraguay, which have no
doubt reached you before this. A dispatch
from the Marquis of Caxias, dated Novem-
ber 81, reports several thousands of Para
guayans killed and wounded.
Such is the version of the allies. In the
absense of official documents we can only
say that there exists private correspon-
dence, which declares that the Paraguayans
only retired when there were no more al
lies to kill or stores to burn. To form an
opinion in these circumstances 1t is nee
essary to bear in mind what the Marquis
of Caxias told his Government that the
enemy he had to deal with was very
"astute."
Neither should we forget the opinion of
Poliden, that the forces which the triple
alliance would bring to bear on Lopez were
insufficient.
The statement of the former is in our
opinion so much the more valuable that
we are now seeing the fulfilment OF his
representations. One of these was
prophecy OF the situation in which the
shut up between Curupaite and Humaite,