Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1868-08-16

I banks.
THE LIFE OF THE PLAINS
The life of the plains is thus de-
seribed
Moreover, these outstretched plains
impart to the life of the interior certain
Asiatic eoloring, which we may even
call very decided. / have often me-
chanieally saluted the moon, as it rose
calmly aud brightly, with these words of
Volney in his description Of the Ruins
La pieine lune f0rient s'elevait sur
un fond bleuatre aux PLANES riyes de
fEuphrate. There is something in the
wilds Of the Argentine territory which
brings to mind the wilds of Asia the
Imagination discovers likeness between
the pampa aud the plains lying between
the Euphrates and the TigTis; some at
6nity between the lonely line of wagons
which crosses. our wastes, arriving at
Buenos "A yres after a journey lasting for
months, and the caravan of camels which
takes It's way toward Bagdad or Smyrna
The wagons which make such journeys
among as, constitute, so to speak, squad
rons of little barks, the crews Of which
have peculiar dress, dialect and set of
customs, which distinguish them from
their fellow w-countrymen, just as the sail
or differs from the landsmen. The head
of each party is military leader, like
the chief of an Asiatic caravan; this pO-
sition can be filled only by man of iron
will and daring, to the verge ofrashness,
that he may holdin check the audacity
and turbulence of the land pirates who
are to be directed and ruled by him alone,
for no help can be summoned in the des-
ert On the least symptom Of insubor-
dination, the captain raises his iron chi-
cote, and delivers upon the mutlneer
blows which make eontusions and
wounds if the resistance is prolonged,
before resorting to his pistols, the help
of which he generally scorns, he leaps
from his horse, grasps his formidable
knife, and quickly re-establishes his au-
thority by his superior skill in handling
it. If any one loses his life under such
discipline the leader is not answerable
for the assassination, which is regarded
as an exercise of legitimate authority.
g From these characteristics arises in
the life of the Argentine people the
reign of brute force, the supremacy of
the strongest, the absolute and irrespon-
sible authority of rulers, the administra-
ton of justice without formalities or dis
cussion.1
THE LIFE OF THE CITIES.
The life Of the cities affords a great
contrast
'' The Argentine cities, ike almost all
the cities of South America, have an APP
of regularity. Their streets are
laid out at right angles, and their popu-
lation scattered over wide surface, ex-
cept in COrdova, which occupies narrow
and confined position, and presents all
the appearance of a European city, the
being increased by the null
titudeof towers and domes attached to
its numerous and magnificent churches.
All civilization, whether native, Spanish,
or European, eenters in the cities, where
are to be found the manufactures, the
shops, the schools and the colleges, and
other characteristics of civilized nations.
Elegance of style, articles of luxury,
dress coats, and frock coats, with other
European garments, oecupy their appro- /
pirate place in these towns. [ mention
these small matters designodly. 1t is
sometimes the case that the only city of
a pastoral province is It's capitol, and oc-
easionally the land is cultivated up to
its very streets. The eneircling desert
besets such cities at greater or less dis
tauee, and bears heavily upon them, and
they are thus small GASES of civilization
surrounded by an untitled plain, hun
dreds of square miles in extent, the sur
face Of which is but rarely interrupted
by any settlement Of consequence"
SOCIETY or THE PLAINS,
There are no nomad tribes on the Ar
gentine plains. Says the author
"'The stock raiser is a proprietor, liy-
ing upon his own land but this condi- |
ion renders association impossible, and !
ends to scatter separate families over an
extent Of surface. Imagine an I
axpanse of two thousand square leagues, !
inhabited throughout, but where the /
dwellings, are usually four or even eight !
eagues apart, and two leagues, at least, I
separate the nearest neigbbors The
production of movable property is not
impossible, the enjoyments Ofluxury are
lot wholly Incompatible with. his-isola-
ion wealth can raise superb edifiee in
he desert. But the incentive is want
Dg no example is near the induce
neDts for making a great display which
.xist in city are not known in that iso-
alton and solitude. Inevitable priva-
ions justify natural Incidence a dearth
# all the amenities of life induces all
he externals of barbarism. Society has
iltogether disappeared There is but
he isolated selt-concentrated feudal fam
ly. Since there is no collected society,
10 government is possible; there is
leither municipal nor executive power,
nd civil justice has no means of reach
ng criminals. | doubt if the modern
world presents any other form of assooi-
ton SO mOnstrOus- as this. 1t is the
xact opposite of the Roman municipali-
y, where all the population were assem-
lied within an inclosed space, and went
rom it 10 cultivate the surrounding fields.
The consequence of this was a strong
ocial organization, the good results of
Thich have prepared the way for mod
IN civilization. The Argentine system
esembles the old Slayonic Sloboda, with
he difference that the latter was agri-
ultural, and therefore susceptible of
Overnment, while the dispersion of the
opulatlon was not SO great as in South
America.
.. THE cITIEs--BUREos AYREs.
To the cities Col Sarmiento attributes
rhatever advance has been made in civ
ization and good government. At
resent, he says, they are borne down to 1
be level of barbarism. OF Buenos
Ayres he says:
In 1896 the attention Of English
peculators was turned to South Ameri-
a, and especially attracted to Buenos
yres by its river and its probable fu-
nre. In 1910 Buenos Ayres was filed