No. 4.
Mr. Osborn
to Mr. Fish.
Buenos Ayres , June 13, 1874. (Received July 21.)
Sir: The presidential electors chosen at the late election by the people of the several provinces, met on yesterday for the purpose of casting their ballots for President and Vice-President of the Argentine Republic. In this province (Buenos Ayres) the most important and most populous, the votes of the electors were for General Bartolome Mitre for President and Senor Torrent for Vice-President. No dispatches have yet been received of the result in the other provinces, but it is generally conceded that Don Nicholas Avellaneda for President and Don Mariano Acosta for Vice-President, have obtained a large majority of the electoral vote [Page 6] and are elected. The friends of General Mitre claim that frauds of the most gigantic character were practiced by the party of the successful candidate, and some of his partisans and newspaper organs have been making suggestions of resistance and revolution if the result should be against him; but I do not think they will attempt to put their threats into execution. It is understood that the present administration (President Sarmiento) is favorable to the claims of Señor Avellaneda, and he would, of course, exercise the entire power of the government to put down any disorder which might arise. The papers this morning mention rumors of a popular disturbance in the province of “Entre Rios,” but it is not generally credited. It is not probable that General Mitre will do anything to aggravate or encourage the bad temper which may now exist; and as the President-elect does not assume the office until next October, all excitement will doubtless be subdued long before that time.
It has been suggested to me that General Mitre is favorable to a peaceful solution of the present diplomatic misunderstanding between Brazil and the Argentine Republic, and that Señor Avellaneda is the candidate of the war party, but I have not been able, thus far, to find any substantial foundation for the statement.
I have, &c.,