Mr. Asboth to Mr. Seward
Sir : In my report No. 7, of the 27th ultimo, containing a copy of my second note to the Argentine minister for foreign affairs, relative to the willingness of the United States government to give its good offices, if asked for, towards the termination of the ravages of the Paraguayan war, I expressed my belief that the article, hostile to the United States mediation, which appeared on the 25th ultimo in the Montevideo Tribuna, a Brazilian organ, might have been published in order to pave the way somewhat for an evasive answer from the Argentine government. This anticipation has proved correct, as is borne out by the note of Señor Dr. Don Rufino de Elizalde, of the 29th ultimo, a translation of which I have the honor to give, as follows :
No. 3.]
Foreign Office, Buenos Ayres, January 29, 1887.
M. LE. MINISTRE: The well-known sympathy of the Argentine people and government for the people and government of the United States of America give great value to the sentiments manifested by your excellency by order of your government in your note of the first instant, as well as in that of the 26th of the same, which I had the honor duly to receive.
The Argentine government is very sincerely grateful for this friendly step taken by the government of the United States of America, and should the occasion arrive it would be happy to avail itself of such benevolent dispositions.
I have to beg that your excellency, while transmitting to your government this reply of the Argentine government, will be pleased to offer the expression of its most sincere gratitude and the assurance that the Argentine republic, faithful to its traditions, shall never attempt, in the vindication of its honor and of its most vital rights and interests, to violate, in however small a degree, those great principles which free peoples cannot ignore without grave consequences.
I avail myself of this opportunity to renew to your excellency the expression of my highest consideration and regard.
RUFINO DE ELIZALDE.
His excellency General Alexander Asboth, Minister Resident of the United States of America.
I beg to enclose a full copy, marked A, of the Spanish original, which, I can have no doubt, was written under the influence of the Brazilian minister, Octavaino, who was here at the time, and who, as I am informed, was the bearer to the Argentine government of a copy of the reply of the imperial cabinet of Rio de Janeiro on the same subject to General Webb, the United States minister to Brazil.
The delay in the answer, as well as its evasive character and the circumstances connected with its issue, can but strengthen my former impression that the present government of the Argentine Confederation sees its policy in deferring entirely to Brazilian direction rather than in seeking, by the friendly mediation of the United States, to save from monarchical grasp the already imperilled republican institutions of the country, and I would respectfully request further instructions for my guidance. Meanwhile I have deemed it [Page 130] proper to address this day, in acknowledgment, a note to Señor de Elizalde, the full contents of which I have the honor to append, viz :
No. 4.]
Legation of the United States Buenos Ayres, February 2,1867.
Sir : I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the note of the 29th ultimo which your excellency has been pleased to address to me, in answer to my notes of the 1st and 26th ultimo, wherein I expressed the belief of the United States government that by its friendly mediation the ravages of the war between the allies and Paraguay might be brought to a pacific and honorable termination.
I shall have the satisfaction of forwarding to my government by the next mail a full copy of your excellency’s note. Your excellency’s warm confirmation, however, of the undoubted sympathy and friendly sentiments of the Argentine people and government for the people and government of the United States, will enable you to conceive how greatly that satisfaction would have been enhanced had the anticipation derived from the delay in your excellency’s replying to my New-Year’s day’s note been realized, viz: that it would be my pleasing duty to report to my government that the Argentine government was willing to avail itself at once of the good offices of the United States government towards a restoration of peace, with all its blessings and future promises of increased prosperity for the peoples of the La Plata and Parana regions. And while duly appreciating the earnest assurances so eloquently expressed by your excellency in support of free principles and institutions, the United States government will but regret the apparently indefinite postponement of a pacific and safe consolidation of those very institutions in South America.
Meantime I can assure your excellency that the Argentine Republic may always and under all emergencies, continue to rely upon the sincere sympathy of the United States, and upon their ever regarding with sisterly affection the interests of the Argentine nation.
I have the honor to be, sir, with distinguished consideration, your obedient servant,
A. ASBOTH.
His Excellency Señor Don Rufino de Elizalde, Minister for Foreign Affairs.
The Brazilians are continuing to settle themselves down at Montevideo. By decree 3,773 the fiscal department of the ministry of marine, at present established here, is also to be transferred to Montevideo. Besides portions of their army and navy, with generals and admirals, they have in Montevideo permanently stationed a minister plenipotentiary, a chargé d’affaires, a consul general, a vice consul, a superintendent general, a superintendent of the navy, a fiscal, and many other high functionaries of the empire, which is thus graciously evincing its paternal care for the protection of the distressed republic. Meanwhile no efforts are spared for the speedy civilization of Paraguay. Two hundred more convicts have received pardons remitting the remainder of their sentences, in order to swell the army in Paraguay. The offering of freedom to a few imperial black slaves, on condition of their entering the army, is also magnanimously continued with the humane view to enslave thousands of republican whites in Paraguay. Notwithstanding, however, these Christian efforts, the Emperor cannot raise quickly enough the 50,000 additional troops required (as his advisers believe) to crush Lopez at once. The total number of recruits sent down by Brazil since the memorable battle of the 22d September last is not more than 7,000 ; and General Osorio, although most actively engaged in recruiting, “by force,” in Rio Grande, cannot organize the 3d corps of the Brazilian army intended to manœuvre in rear of the Paraguay intrenched camps.
President Mitre has been obliged to send several thousands of the Argentine troops down the river to Rosario, in order to re-enforce General Paunero against the reactionary provinces, three of which, Mendoza, San Juan, and San Luis, are already in open rebellion, while three others, Cordova, Rioja, and Santiago del Estero, are very lukewarm in their support of the national government. The allied army being thus not strong enough to risk at present a renewed attack upon Lopez’s well-strengthened position, the Marquis de Caxias is attempting to reduce Curupaiti with his squadron, the strength of which is as follows :
Steamers, 21 ; guns, 134 ; horse power, 1,945 ; officers, 350 ; men, 1,918.
Iron clads, 9 ; guns, 47 ; horse power, 1,780 ; officers, 169 ; men, 1,179.
Gunboats, 2 ; guns, 6 ; horse power, 120 ; officers, 18 ; men, 77.
[Page 131]Sailing ships, 3; guns, 27; horse power,—; officers, 39; men, 197.
Despatch steamboats, 5; guns, 6; horse power, 1,300; officers, 95; men, 412.
Total: vessels, 40; guns, 220; horse power, 5,145; officers, 671; men, 3,783.
When a few months ago General Flores withdrew from the allied army and returned to Montevideo to wield in person his dictatorship over the Uruguay republic, he left a few hundred Orientials behind as a show for the continuation of the triple alliance. President Mitre, obliged, as above stated, to send several thousands of the Argentine soldiers against the insurrectionary provinces, will, I have little doubt, find it imperative to accompany them and take command in person of the national forces against the rebels. In doing so he will probably follow the example of General Flores, and have a few hundred Argentines at Tuyuti to represent the Argentine republic as an ally in the Paraguay war. Thus de facto Brazil will remain alone to continue the contest and endeavor to subdue Paraguay, if not at once by force of arms, at all events ere long by exhaustion, in this way securing for herself all the achievements of the long-protracted struggle, with not only a master’s control over the La Plata and Parana republics, but also, through her command of the La Plata and Parana navigation, over the whole interior commerce of South America. Such a result would, I venture respectfully to intimate, be the death-blow to republican institutions in South America. And I may add that if the rumor that Chili and Bolivia are supporting the Mendoza reaction, which is hostile to Brazil, be confirmed, while there might be some excuse for this in the coquetting of the Triple Alliance with Spain, the deadly assailant of the Pacific republics, it would unmistakably indicate the anxiety of those republics in view of the possibility of Brazilian domination in the sister republics of the South Atlantic.
I cannot conceal from you the painful impression which is growing upon me that the gold of Brazil, with her aristocratic titles and flimsy decorations, seems to tempt some of the high officials of the La Plata republics to court imperial splendor and tinsel honors. Notwithstanding, the great mass of the South American people is truly democratic, and would hail with joy any more decisive steps of the United States to save their republics from monarchical intrusion.
The arrests and suppression of newspapers still continue, both here and in the interior; these acts, however, do not intimidate the people from openly advocating peace and an immediate acceptance of the United States mediation.
* * * * * * * *
General Urquiza is the only man here whose preponderating weight can determine on which side the scale is to turn, whether for peace or for the continuance of the war, but as yet he has given no sign.
In conclusion I have only further to add for your information that, since I had last the honor of addressing you, I have received no communication from either Mr. Washburn or General Webb.
I have the honor to be, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward Secretary, of State, Washington, D. C.