Thomas O. Osborn to Evarts, February 16, 1880

No. 11. Mr. Osborn to Mr. Evarts.

Sir: The situation has become extremely critical. The city is under arms; the governors of some of the other provinces are sending all the provincial troops they can spare to this city, at the call of the President; business is almost entirely suspended, and civil war unless the counsel of the peace men prevails, is at hand.

On the 13th instant the President issued a proclamation and decree ordering the governors of the provinces to disarm the volunteers, “Tiradores Nacionales,” corps, copies of which I have the honor to inclose herewith (marked A).

To this proclamation Governor Tejedor has made no formal reply, but it is understood that he will refuse to disarm the volunteers of this province. On the evening of the 14th instant Governor Tejedor addressed a letter to some of his political friends, declining to be considered any longer a presidential candidate, on the grounds of patriotism, and the desire to give all his time to the defense of the rights of his province, and at the same time orders the “Tiradores Nacionales” to parade the next day—Sunday—in the streets of the city.

The “Tiradores Nacionales” did parade the streets and took possession of important points in the city, one of which commands the capitol building. At the same time some six regiments arrived from the other provinces, in response to the call of the President.

Intense excitement prevails thoughout the city. The President and his ministers spent last night in the office of the minister of war, and before morning all the troops and guns from the encampment were brought into the city.

It was expected that the President would to-day issue a proclamation placing this province under martial law, and I understand that he would have done so had not the peace committee, composed of some of the leading men of the city, waited on him and begged him to use moderation and give them time to procure the withdrawal of Roca as a candidate and thereby procure the peaceable settlement of the questions which disturb the public mind.

General Roca, now in the province of Córdoba, has been telegraphed to for his resignation, but as yet no answer has been received. Many declare that the resignation of Roca will not be enough, but demand that the President himself must resign; while on the other hand the partisan press of Roca demands that the President shall at once place the province of Buenos Ayres under martial law and maintain the dignity of the nation, or that he should retire from his exalted post as President of the Republic.

Unless some understanding or compromise is arrived at within the next forty-eight hours, through the medium of the peace committee, I see no other course left to the President but to put the province under martial law, in which event Ex-President Sarmiento (now a brigadier-general in the army) will be placed in command of this city.

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I have, &c.,