Office of the Historian

No. 405.
Dr. Aceval to Mr. Evarts.

[Translation.]
Legation of the Republic of Paraguay,
Washington, March 27, 1878. (Received March 27.)

Sir: I have the honor to deliver to your excellency the memorandum and annexed documents relative to the rights of Paraguay over the territory submitted to the arbitration of His Excellency the President of the United States of America, begging you to be pleased to put them into the hands of His Excellency President Hayes, if it be possible, this very day.

I permit myself to make this request of you because to-morrow expires the term fixed by Article VIII of the treaty of limits between Paraguay and the Argentine Republic of the 3d of February, 1876, within which these documents must be presented, the discussion, according to the terms thereof, remaining definitely closed for the parties, whatever be the reason they may allege to the contrary.

At the same time I permit myself to deliver to your excellency for the same end the documents, books, maps, &c., the details of which appear from the adjoined list.

Although I do not present the translation of the memorandum into English, by reason, of its not yet being finished, I hope to be able to do so within a few days more.

It not being possible for me to duly oversee, the translation of the appendix and documentary exhibits, I only refer to the Spanish text, with which I hope it will be compared in case any difficulty shall arise through defectiveness of the version.

I deem it unnecessary to express to your excellency that I shall have satisfaction in giving explanations or throwing light upon any doubt which may arise in the study of this matter.

I avail myself of this occasion to express to your excellency the sentiments, &c.

BENJ. ACEVAL.
[Page 710]
[Inclosure.—Translation.]

List of the documents, books, maps, &c., delivered to the umpire in the territorial question between Paraguay and the Argentine Republic.

Legation of the Republic of Paraguay,
Washington, March 27, 1878.
1.
Certified copy of the treaty of limits between Paraguay and the Argentine Republic of February 3, 1876.
2.
Expediente (docket) designated as Exhibit C, containing 75 documents, copied from the originals in the archives of La Asuncion, compared by the minister of Italy near the Government of Paraguay, and duly authenticated.
3.
Report of the minister of foreign affairs of the Argentine Republic for 1874.
4.
Same for 1876.
5.
Same for 1877.
6.
Supplement to the report of the Brazilian minister of foreign affairs for 1875.
7.
Original expediente (docket) formed in 1782, wherein appear the declarations of 30 witnesses concerning the towns, block-houses (redoubts), &c., possessed by Paraguay at that epoch.
8.
Packet of papers, wherein are recorded the occurrences of the “Melodia “blockhouses, which existed where to-day stand La Villa Occidental, written by Father Amancio Gonzales Escobar, its founder and supporter.
9.
“El Paraguayo Independiente,” two volumes.
10.
The Rio de la Plata Review, vol. I.
11.
History of the Province of Paraguay, Rio de la Plata and Tecuman, by Father Pedro Lozano.
12.
History of Paraguay, by Don Feliz de Azára, two volumes.
13.
Voyages in South America, by Don Feliz de Azára, four volumes.
14.
Physical, Economical, and Political History of Paraguay, by Alfred Demersay, wo volumes.
15.
The Republic of Paraguay, by Alfred M. du Graty, with a map at the end.
16.
Modern Paraguay, by Benjamin Poucel.
17.
Vattel, “Le Droit des Gens,” three volumes.
18.
Bello, Principles of International Law.
19.
A pamphlet containing the decree which created the colony known as Nueva Bordeos (New Bordeaux), afterward Villa Occidental.
20.
A number of La Reforma, a daily paper published at La Asuncion, dated the 24th of November, 1877.
21.
Two maps, one by Monchez, the other by Du Graty.
Washington, March 27, 1878.