Alexander S. Asboth to William H. Seward, March 25, 1867

Mr. Asboth to Mr. Seward

Sir: In connection with my reports Nos. 14 and 16, (current series,) I beg leave to inform you that I am still without any definite answer from the Argentine government to the propositions submitted by you on the part of the United States government to each of the belligerents in the Paraguay war, for the re-establishment of peace, and which were forwarded to the Argentine minister for foreign affairs on the 6th of February last in my note No. 5, a full copy of which I had the honor to lay before you in my report of the 8th ultimo, marked No. 12.

I have, however, had personal visits both from Señor Britto, the Brazilian minister plenipotentiary, and from Señor de Elizalde, the Argentine minister for foreign affairs, in which they have assured me of their anxiety that an early answer should be sent to the friendly offer of the United States, and that the delay is owing to the time required to procure the concurrence of all the allies.

I was moreover assured by Señor de Elizalde, five days ago, in presence of Minister Costa, that the answer prepared by the former had been approved by all the parties concerned and required only the formal signature of General Flores, for which purpose it had been sent to Montevideo.

Meanwhile the mass of the people is greatly preoccupied by the mediation question, and the leading papers are continually treating on the subject, as you will please find in enclosure A, the continuation of my daily memoranda of political events in the River Plate from the 12th to the 25th instant.

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The United States steamer Wasp, which left this on the 10th instant with despatches for our minister in Paraguay, has not yet returned; but Mr. Watson, secretary to the British legation here, arrived a few days ago from the allied camp, and informed me that he had met Mr. Washburn at the Marquis de Caxias’s headquarters, in good health and spirits. Mr. Watson handed me three official despatches for your department from Mr. Washburn, which I have the honor herewith to forward; also a letter from Mr. Washburn to myself, dated Paso Pucu, March 11th, continued and concluded at Tuyuti March 13th, in which he acknowledges receipt of my letter of 18th December last, with official despatches from your department, and complains of having received no further information, which is certainly through no fault or neglect of mine, as my several reports to your department referring to Paraguay will explain.

On the 16th February some official despatches from your department for Mr. Washburn were sent to me from our consulate. I at once made a request to Rear-Admiral Godon, off Montevideo, for a steamer to enable me to exchange despatches and communicate in person with our minister on the Paraguayan lines, a full copy of which request I had the honor to forward embodied in my report of 25th February, marked No. 14, but it was only on the 2d instant that the United States steamer Wasp, Lieutenant Commander Kirkland commanding, arrived at this port with special instructions from the admiral “only to carry despatches.” My report of the 12th instant, marked No. 16, explains that I neglected nothing in order to secure her speedy departure, and that she eventually sailed on the 10th instant up the river Plata towards Paraguay, carrying not only the despatches above alluded to, but also all others which arrived here during the month of January, and were forwarded without my knowledge from the consulate up to Corrientes, from whence, not having been allowed to pass the lines, they were returned to Buenos Ayres, and sent to me.

In my official letter to Mr. Washburn accompanying the above despatches from your department, I informed him about everything worthy of notice bearing on the pending question of mediation, and furnished him at the same time with full copies of my correspondence with the Argentine minister for foreign affairs relative to this subject, and I confidently hope that he will also in return give me by the Wasp all proper information on the matter.

From Mr. Washburn’s letter to me I beg to transcribe the two following quotations:

1st. When I communicated to the Paraguayan government the facts in regard to the mediation, it was not disposed to reject it, but unless the mediation was accepted on the other side it would avail nothing.

2d. I asked Marquis de Caxias if he had any news of your coming up or sending up to communicate with me. He said yes; he had received a letter from Buenos Ayres that you were coming, but that our admiral had not approved of it. I asked who our admiral now was, and he said Godon, and went and found the letter, from which he read to this effect: That the United States minister had expressed his desire to communicate with me and was coming himself on a war vessel, or at least desired to come, but that they (the authors of the letter) having had a confidential interview with the admiral, had arranged it so that you were not to come, but instead an ensign from the squadron was to be sent to communicate with me.

To these I may add that the authors of the above mentioned letter to Marquis de Caxias were the two ministers of Brazil in the river Plata.

I had the honor to lay before you my correspondence with Rear-Admiral Godon, in connection with my intended interview with our minister to Paraguay, in my reports Nos. 14 and 16, and beg now to enclose herewith for your information, marked C, a copy of my last letter to him on the subject, dated 23d instant.

In conclusion I venture again to repeat my conviction that Brazil, by still interposing delay to the United States’ offer of mediation, is only endeavoring to gain time to allow the Marquis de Caxias to strike a last and, as is hoped, decisive blow at Paraguay. The principal object of my intended interview with Mr. Washburn was to check, if possible, the further effusion of blood and prevent the additional complications of the already much distressed affairs in the La Plata and Parana republics, which must inevitably arise from the continuance of a war destructive of commerce and injurious and prejudical to republican institutions.

Without comment from myself I am thankful to leave to your judgment the consideration that the United States admiral commanding on this coast of South America should, under the present serious circumstances, have deemed it not inconsistent with his duty to hold such communication with the Brazilian ministers here as to afford ground for the report that he had so arranged with them that I should not hold the personal interview I desired with Mr. Washburn.

I have the honor to be, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

Daily memorandum of political events in the River Plata from the 12th to the 25th March, 1867.

March 12.—The state of the city of Cordova is described as most deplorable. There is perfect anarchy in all social and political circles. During carnival some parties got a Brazilian flag and dragged it in a most unbecoming manner through the streets, with the evident approbation of all beholders.

March 13.—The San José steam transport from Rio de Janeiro, with a contingent of 300 Brazilian soldiers for Paraguay, arrived yesterday in Montevideo.

Although the news received to-day from the interior state that the revolution makes no progress, every mail teems with accounts of the atrocities committed by the insurgents. Two inoffensive English gentlemen, while driving a troop of their own mules through the province of San Juan, were robbed of all they possessed and afterwards barbarously murdered. In the town of San Juan several houses of respectable citizens have been entered by bands of ruffians, who, after slaughtering the male inmates, violated the women and carried away all they could lay their hands on. The authorities seem to be neither willing nor able to restrain these disorders.

March 14.—On the evening of the 12th instant the English mail steamer Arno arrived at Montevideo. Among her passengers is Don Andres Lamas, oriental minister in Brazil, who is said to come on a special mission of peace.

The Proveedor arrived to-day from the seat of war. She brings news of another fierce bombardment of Curupaiti. The place, however, still holds out, though if the Brazilian ammunition does not fail it must eventually give in. Marquis de Caxias is said to be building a church and a theatre to celebrate the approaching great victory.

March 15.—In view of the prevalent abuses committed by enlisting agents, the provincial government of Buenos Ayres has issued a decree, dated the 13th instant, directing the inspection of militias not to admit as “personeros” (substitutes) foreigners who are not provided with a certificate from their respective consul testifying his knowledge of their being about to enlist. It would be very desirable that the national government should also adopt some measure to put a stop to the unjustifiable practices of recruiting agents, which give rise to endless complaints.

March 16.—The Talac, arrived from Rosario yesterday, brings news that there is considerable dissidence among the insurgents in the provinces of Cuyo. A Chilian contingent has mutinied and shot their leader. In Rosario the greatest enthusiasm prevails for peace, and the soldiers that have come from Paraguay declare that nothing will induce them to go back there.

March 17.—Dates from Rio de Janeiro of the 7th instant report an approaching ministerial crisis, owing to the impossibility of the present cabinet remaining in office with a chamber formed of the deputies lately elected. It is not known whether the present ministers will, on the assembling of the chambers in May, resign or dissolve them. The liberating of the blacks and mulattoes from slavery, under condition of serving in the army, still continues, and the number of soldiers offered is considerably increased since the government made it known that important services of this nature would be rewarded by grants of various honorary orders of the empire.

March 18.—Dictator Flores arrived here this morning on his way back from the Uruguay river. He landed and held a long conference with President Mitre. In the afternoon he re-embarked and left for Montevideo.

At Santa Candida, on the Uruguay, General Urquiza came on board the steamer that was conveying General Flores, and had an interview with him.

Baron de Bourgenay, the newly appointed French consul at Asuncion, will leave shortly for his destination in a French man-of-war, to replace Mr. Cochelet, who has been appointed French consul at Richmond, United States.

March 19. The Esmeralda, arrived during the night from the seat of war, brings news that Mr. Washburn, United States minister in Paraguay, appeared on the Brazilian lines on the 11th instant under a flag of truce, accompanied by Señor Berges, Paraguayan minister. Mr. Washburn was allowed to pass through to the tent of the Marquis de Caxias, with whom he held a lengthened interview. Mr. Washburn’s appearance in the allied camp gave rise to various conjectures, the most prevalent being that of an armistice, but on his withdrawing the Brazilians resumed their fire on the Paraguayan lines, which dissipated all idea of a prompt cessation of hostilities.

It is reported that Marshal Osorio, with 10,000 men, is approaching Candelaria.

A contingent of 200 recruits from the province of Salta, while on their way, in the national steamer Chacabuco, from Rosario to the army at Tuyuti, mutinied about three leagues above Goya, on the Chaco coast, and pillaging the steamer of all her arms and provisions, lowered her boats and escaped into the Chaco.

March 20.—Dates from Rio de Janeiro of the 12th instant report the sailing, on the 9th instant, of the transports Marquis de Caxias and Arino, with re-enforcements of 590 men to the Brazilian army invading Paraguay. There is great discontent in Rio de Janeiro at the long protraction of the war. The people in general, and some of the organs of the press, complain that troops are constantly going forward, war stores and large amounts of gold despatched to the Plata, but no results are forthcoming from the seat of war.

It is now said that Marquis de Caxias is going to make a complete change in his tactics, and that the great battle that is impending, and for which preparations have been making for some time past, is not to take place at Tuyuti, but somewhere else.

The Tribuna of to-day asserts, in a very positive manner, that a conference took place on the 18th instant, between General Flores, dictator of the Oriental Republic, General Mitre, president of the Argentine Republic, with his five ministers, and Messrs. Britto and Leal, Brazilian ministers, in which General Mitre and his ministers, seconded by General Flores, argued that the mediation offered by the United States ought to be accepted, omitting the conference of plenipotentiaries at Washington, who might meet instead here, on board an American man-of-war; but Mr. Britto insisted with tenacity upon the rejection of the mediation, and after a lengthened debate the opinion of the Brazilian minister prevailed.

March 21.—The Nation Argentina of to-day denies in toto the above assertion of yesterday’s Tribuna.

It is stated on good authority that at the hospital in the island of Curito, in the harbor of Montevideo, there are at present no less than 3,000 sick Brazilian soldiers, while at Itapieu there are about 2,000 on the sick list, making a total of 5,000 men in hospital. The Brazilians have at Curuzu 10,200 men, at Tuyuti 21,700, and 4,000 on board the squadron, making a grand total of more than 40,000 men.

The Tribuna, in a leading article in to-day’s number, commenting upon the mediation and its reception by the allies, believes that they have come to the resolution of postponing for fifteen or twenty days their answer, in order to give Marquis de Caxias time to realize the warlike operations announced from Rio de Janeiro, and from the allied camp. In fifteen days, more or less, the writer of the article in question thinks that the Marquis de Caxias can attempt a victory exclusively Brazilian, which would insure his being able to exact conditions that might appear now exaggerated and ridiculous. Although this does not imply the rejection of the mediation, its immediate acceptance, however, is insisted up onby the Tribuna without thereby entailing the suspension of active preparations, so that incase the mediation should fail to secure what is sought and what is just, the war may be carried on with vigor.

March 22.—The Cisne, arrived yesterday from the seat of war, brings news that Marshal Osorio had crossed the Uruguay on the 13th instant, and is now marching through the Missiones, which is at least a three-weeks road.

In the allied camp the night attacks continue, and Curupaiti goes on firing occasionally upon the allied lines, but no renewal of a general attack has been made.

March 23.—Advices from General Paunero are up to the 16th instant, at which date he was still in Rio Cuarto. The division of Colonel Conesa, consisting of four battalions, had incorporated itself with General Paunero’s army, and a council of war had been held, at which it was resolved that the main body of the army should begin its march to the insurgent provinces on the 19th of this month, leaving Colonel Conesa with his division in Rio Cuarto to protect the rear. Colonel Videla, the commander-in-chief of the rebel forces, was reported to be still in the town of San Juan with a force variously estimated from 1,000 to 2,000 men. The vanguard of the insurgent forces is said to be concentrating at a place called Mercedes, in the province of San Luis, under the leadership of Felipe Saa, the actual governor of that province; its exact strength is not known, but supposed to be about 1,000 men.

March 24.—The fete champetre at General Urquiza’s estancia of San José in Entre Rios, alluded to above, came off on the 19th instant, and lasted three days. An enormous concourse of visitors attended, and every day covers were laid for 800 guests at the general’s own table, while 2,000 more people were entertained in the adjacent camps. The days were occupied by national sports, racing. &c., and the evenings by dancing to a late hour. They say it had no political character whatever, and was only a grand social and convivial gathering on a scale unprecedented in this country. In returning thanks for his health, General Urquiza said:

“Gentlemen, the motto I have placed over my door is ‘Paz, union, fraternidad,’ and I earnestly hope that it may speedily become a reality in the other Argentine provinces, as it is, happily, now in Entre Rios. Instead of Argentines slaying their brethren, as at present, with lance and spear, may they soon offer to each other the olive-branch of peace.” [Long and enthusiastic applause.]

It is reported that the fete has cost the general not less than £20,000 sterling.

The accounts from the seat of war in Paraguay report no particular movement, but continue to show that great preparations are going on for a decisive blow by the Brazilians, in which either Lopez will be driven back and Humaita levelled, or the Brazilians repulsed, and then it is supposed peace will be made.

March 25.—The Espigador, arrived yesterday from Corrientes, brings news that although the Brazilian fleet remains anchored in the same place, the greatest bustle and motion reigns in the allied camp, owing to the Marquis de Caxias having ordered 5,000 picked troops to ascend the river Parana, land in Missiones, and await the arrival of Marshal Osorio, who is expected on the banks of the Upper Parana by the end of next week. The river was high, and the gunboats were taking the troops on board when the steamer left,