The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-01-13

rivers, the Paraguay and Upper Parana,
which form the main arms OF the Rio de In
Plata. had remained in uudisputcd posses
sion Of Buonos Avres until 1914, when il was
seized by LORE the parguayan dictator.
II constitutes precisely the coi~n Of van
tage which Brazil has long coveted IN This
quarter. aud w .ch in violation " treaties
and good faith she now seems determined
to keep.
Not long after the death OF Lorrz
and the nominal reinstatement of uvil
authority n country whicn was litcrplly
% desert, Dom PEDuOs repr, sentative. in
the ab.cuce of the Argentine envoy, and
without his knowledge concluded srpa-
rate treaty, which practically constituted
n Brazilian Thotcctorato over the con-
qucrcd territory. Bucnos Ayrcs WINS not,
however, ina position to resent this anront,
and the eNPustulatiOus and negotiations
which followed cXtortcd nothing beyonda
rccognition-wliich IT would have been
prcpostcrous to rcfu~e-of her equal right
90 arrange an independent settlement. and
an agreement uu the part OF Brazil, which
proved dclusory, TO cvacunte the island Of
Cerrito within three months after the Ar
pcntine treaty with Paraguay should be
signed.
From that moment il became the inter
est of Brazil 10 thwart every attempt ut
accommodation between her ally and the
defeated state, and il was mainly owing
TO the intrigues OF her Minister and the
pressure cXcrted BY her military occupa-
ton, that the equitable terms offered by
Gen. MlrRC at Assumption were, after
prolonged parley, rejected. Tie last act
of the diplomatic farce was the converting
of plcnipotcntiarias from both powers Mt
Rio Jaueiro. where il was naturally sup
posed Brazilian influence would prcdomi-
nate Nevertheless, the ENJOYS OF Para
quay and l}uenos Ayrcs came presently
TO a perfect understanding, ana actually
signed treaty, in which, among other
things, the retrOcesiion to tire Argentine
Confederation Of the island OF Ccrrifo was
expressly accorded In presence of this
dilemma the Brazilian Cabinet did not
hesitate to stop in the mails the dispatches
Of the Parnguayan Minister, and to pro-
cure, through an agent piiviiv sent to A.
sumption, the summary reputation OF ;he
treaty.
This remarkable achievement of state
4
cdsuS loili had not Duouos Ayr,s been mali
ifcstly unable 10 cope nj this time with her
formidable neighbor. II would oven seem
10 he the intention Of Brazil TO ageravate
the reasonable evaporation OF her late
ally, and to procipitate Il war which would
probably turn out to her al, vantage. She
has recently had the assurance 20 place
agents in the port OF Buenos Ayres. foi The
purpose OF divcring that stream Of cnigra-
ton which the Argentine Government has
SO scdulously encouraged. Moreover an
intimation has been gwen that "a further
enforcement Of the quarantine against vcs-
sels clearing from Rio ,aneno viii lie coI-
sidored tantnmouut - q declaration Of
war. Altogether The situation OF the weak
cr power is fast becoming quite intoleisi-
bic.
The prcdicament I'm wh'ch IL pcrnGious
diplomacy ami insoleut atGuude OF her
former ally has placed the Argentine r.
public. is complicated by the Chinanqurs-
ton. Tie prcpOs;crou, claim OF Ciii t.
the whole iatagoulin peninsula was never
formulated. much less veh,mentiy urged,
until the relations OF Buenos Avros with
Brazil we're seen TO be or delicate char
N'l'I. Iuf rtiOlh NtIflf 81 II Y tilNtl u
ton, as wei as numerous official doou-
meuis, corclusivcly ,stablish the Andes ns
her eastern boundary; nevertheless, Ciili
now seems ready TO maintain by arms her
title TO the vast tract lying east - the
mountains and south Of the thirty. eighth
parallel, including broad strip # terri
tory which has formed, since the epoch Of
tie oouqucrCrs, an integral part The Ar
gentiuo frontier.
In spite OF the preponderance OF Brazil
in respect of military resource, II j. diit-
cult to see where she could strike "A de-
cisive blow. II would be impossible fcr
iroi clad frigatos to approach the ely a
Buenos Ayes within distance OF ten
mile, while TO blockade the mouth of ~
Plata liver, breadth of some hundred
miles. would be hardly prac ticab.e for the
entire Brazilian navy
In the event of war provoked by the
incidents we have mentioned. there cam be
no question where our sympathios would
range themselves, and we should !, mem
Der with satisfaction that'thc Argentine
Republic in 1877, when lcr relative weak
ness was far greater than now subjected
her opponent 10 lumiliatng defcats, and
was able 10 dictate the coudit ons of peace.