The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-10-17

struggle going on between the two systems Of
government existing in South America. I'm
perialism with tremendous advantages of geo.
graphical position, has been able to gain
ground in material prosperity, while boldly
adopted policy of stirring up civil strife in
some States and crushing the advancement Of
others by exclusivism has placed Brazil so far
in the van that intrigue now gives place to
war in carrying out any measure deemed of
interest to the empire, as witness the out
rageous assault upon Paraguay. But the Pa
raguay war brought one advantage to the
commerce Of the world for Brazil, to be con-
sistent, was forced to decree the opening of
the Amazon September 7, 1867. Previous to
this time the republics at the head waters OF
this river had been forced with their trade up
one slope of the Andes and down the other to
and from the Pacific Ocean, almost despairing
of national existence in the vain struggle to
pour their unrivalled wealth into the COM
mercial marts of the world through this I'M
natural channel. The whole of their importa-
tions have passed for centuries the very mouth
of the river which waters the greater part OF
/ tuCl tClIitOly uuu nave uOuuiCO OopC AAoAA ~
an immense loss of time and money to the
trade of the world
| We accuse Brazil of having stood in the way
of the development of half of the Western Con-
tinent. Not satisfied with having shut up the
great States on the Upper Amazon, she has
pushed to the southwest and threatens to
dominate the great valley Of the Rio de la
Plata. Uruguay lies torn and bleeding under
her feet The Argentine Republic, through
foul treaty of alliance, has almost committed
national suicide, and on the Plata valley there
only stands savage little Paraguay, imbued
from man to woman and babe with the know
ledge that they are fighting the battle of all
the negro hordes of Brazil.
When the empire could no longer, in the
face of civilization, hold the whole Amazon
valley in its grasp, could no longer force four
republics to shove their products up the vast
inclined plain of the Andes instead of allowing
them an egress downward to the sea, and de-
creed the opening of the great valley, it gave
immediate life to vast territory. Peru, on
the instant despatched large party of engi-
neers to map her whole eastern district Bo-
livia, with its entire population of two millions
of people, lying in the Amazon valley, looked
to the Orient. Her canoe fleets started
| down stream, and now deliver their freights at
the mouth of the Amazon, at the very doors of
the commercial world, at half the price per ton
via the Pacific. England, France and Holland
Immediately offered to put steapers on the
three thousand miles Of navigable Bolivian
waters. The two former nations, which have
heretofore absorbed nearly the whole Euro
pean trade of that country, were fully alive to
| the Importance of holding the key to the COM
merce of the whole Amazon valley. Bolivia,
however, despite all her European trade
| relations, has chosen to link her COM
mercial destinies to those Of the Great
Republic, The extraordinary concession for
this purpose, which we publish to-day,
throws into the hands of the United States
a new East Indies and opens vast field for
American enterprise. 1t gives us the CONNER
cial control of the head waters Of the mightiest
river in the world, and consequently the COM
mercial domination of its two million FIVE
hundred thousand square miles Of territory
of unsurpassed fertility, teeming with WON
derful productions. AS our correspondent re-
marks, s'the immediate rolling of forty thou
sand tons Of freight up the Amazon, and the
return of an equal if not greater amount, viii
give new life to that king Of valleys"
We warn Brazil that in our development of
this trade she must not stand in our way. We
| Il L. o,,k A.
northern half of our Continent; we may be
obliged to wipe out the one existing on the
southern half providing that the republics of
South America do not undertake the work
themselves as something absolutely necessary
to their national existence. Brazil never be-
longed to the Continent. It is thing of
Europe 1t is an Old World stumbling block
representing the ideas of the sixteenth century
side by side with those of the nineteenth, with
which 1t is constantly clashing. Give us a
republic in Brazil, and, as France said of her
pet Mexican empire, ''she will commence
glorious march to a brilliant future" The
Continent will then become more homogene-
GUS, and new laws in conformity with altered
circumstances will shape greater and better
destinies for South America. We have enough
of theoretical rule to the south of us. What
they want there Is the material civilization
which, in this age, forces nations, despite
themselves, into the track Of good government.
Bolivia is the first to enter upon this track by
appealing to the energy of the United States
to navigate her rivers and infnse activity into
her valleys. We listen to her appeal. and up the
Amazon we will extend our arms towards her.
A MYSTERIOUS DIsAPpEARANcE-That of
Barlow's ready reckoner. In ciphering Sey-
mour and Blair in he has ciphered himself out
THE ALABAMA CLArMs.-Our cable de-