peace negotiations., April, 1867
peace negotiations.
The allies have finally determined not to accept the mediation of the United States of America, as will be seen in the reply of the minister of foreign relations of the Argentine Republic, who declares that the terms of peace which were proposed are inadmissible.
We were the first to publish Mr. Berges’, the Paraguayan minister, note in the Siglo. He rejects all offers of reconciliation that, are not based on the stipulations of the treaty of alliance.
The men who thought they were carrying out a great policy by this war, have involved themselves inextricably in a labyrinth; and we must admit that we cannot see the good of our joining the empire, in the effort to extricate Paraguay from ignorance and oppression, to the great detriment of our own resources.
The Paraguayan minister is right when he says he cannot see why our government entered the alliance to make war on his country, since the contract gives every advantage to Brazil and none to Uruguay.
The Argentine Republic was right to arm in her own defence against an invading enemy, but the Oriental republic, just recovering from an internal revolution, should have attended to her own reconstruction instead of offering to aid Brazil in extending her territorial limits southward.
Some may say it is to pay the empire for helping us in our last revolution; but, admitting that, the destruction of Paysandu, one of our finest towns, has more than paid the debt by rivers of blood on that occasion.
It is very strange that the American minister does not mention us as one of the belligerents in this war with Paraguay, though our soldiers were the first to open the way to victory. This omission to mention the Oriental republic cannot be due to its insignificance, for the courage of her sons is known to Europe and America, and Paraguay has recently experiencd it to her cost.
The true reason why we are not recognized as belligerents is our anomalous situation, that does not give us due respectability abroad.
Peace is impossible now. Say that the dictator of Paraguay is humbled, what do we gain by the victory? The Oriental republic will have lost a few thousands of her men and a few millions of her money, and, what is far worse, will have helped Brazil to break down the powerful barrier to her territorial aggrandizement.
We would not tie false prophets, nor waste our energies in lamentations like Jeremiah, but, like Alexander, we would cut the Gordian knot at once, and not waste our time in endeavors to untie it.
The harm is done, but there remains a remedy: the Oriental government, now free from all obligations, must sunder the fetters that bind her, and declare her sovereignty and independence. She must not play a second part in this mean alliance. when there was a time for her to make an effort to elevate herself to the height of other nations, to pay a debt of gratitude, she did it; but now that the debt is paid, she must have the courage to withdraw prom the alliance and attend to the pressing necessity of home affairs.
We have often said that war should only be waged in the interest of the nation, and never prolonged beyond that time, especially when it enriches a neighbor that may become dangerous.
We do not mean that Paraguay will conquer in this struggle, but we do mean that we fear consequent complications from the cunning of President Lopez and his agents, who have combated us more terribly with their diplomacy than with their arms.
If peace were made to-morrow between Spain and the republics of the Pacific, they would certainly join against Brazil, for their enmity is too well known. And would we have to join an alliance against our sister republics?
The Argentine Republic has seen the consequences of an erroneous policy, and now feels intensely the evils of a reaction that it has not yet had the power to resist.
As she has had the courage to fight and conquer on the field of battle, she ought to have the magnanimity to break the chains that now bind her, for her present alliance, under Whatever light it may be considered, is completely destructive to the self-government of a neighboring nation.
The enemy will respect the valor of our soldiers, and we will show the world that, though We fought gloriously, we have no idea of taking advantage of the results of victory, for they were what we least expected at the time of the alliance.
Now, that the national honor is satisfied and our debt to Brazil is paid, our task is finished, and we must turn our attention to the good of our own country.