Mr. Washburn to Mr. Seward.
Sir: My despatch of February 8, dated at this place, was the latest I have had the honor to send you. By the first steamer that left for Buenos Ayres after that date I returned to that port, reaching there on the 15th ultimo. As our minister, Mr. Kirk, was absent from town, I went directly to see Señor Elizalde, the minister for foreign affairs, to learn what action the government would take on the matter of President Mitre’s letter, the subject of which I mentioned in my last despatch. He replied without hesitation that his government fully concurred with President Mitre that no obstacle should be put in the way of my going to my post in Paraguay; that he had held a consultation with the Brazilian minister, and he was of the same opinion; and so far from putting obstacles in my way, he would give me a Brazilian steamer to take me to Corrientes. Señor Elizalde also said I could have an Argentine war steamer to take me thus far if I preferred it, and that from here another steamer, under the Argentine flag, would take me to Humayta, or Asuncion, if I preferred. I told him I must decline the war steamer, whether Brazilian or Argentine, to Corrientes, for various reasons; one of which was, that if I accepted such favors it would cause great distrust of me in the mind of President Lopez. For this reason it would be better for me to go as far as I could in a regular merchant steamer. The minister then said that as all the steamers between Buenos Ayres and Corrientes were more or less under government orders, he would have reserved for me whatever space might be required for myself, wife, and servants, and for such freight as I thought it necessary to take with me to Paraguay. I hesitated about accepting even this favor, but thinking that it might seem suspicious and distrustful on my part to decline such an act of courtesy, I expressed my thanks, and when the steamer was ready went on board, and on the 6th instant left the port of Buenos Ayres. We were eight days coming up the river to this place. The steamer on which we left ran ashore the first night, and rather than remain on her till she could be got off, we took another steamer that came along the next day, though we were obliged to leave the most of our baggage, including all my correspondence, in the hold of the unfortunate vessel.
Señor Elizalde gave me an open letter to President Mitre, of which I will send you a copy as soon as I can get the original from the steamer on which I unfortunately embarked in Buenos Ayres. The substance of it is, that the government requests him to furnish me a vessel to take me to a point within the Paraguay lines. I am expecting every moment to hear of the arrival of this steamer. As soon as it comes I shall go out to President Mitre’s headquarters and present my letter, and then wait his pleasure for the, vessel that is to take me to Paraguay. I do not think I shall have long to wait.
Since the date of my last despatch nothing has been done by the allies except that the Brazilians have been constantly increasing their forces. One large iron-clad has arrived since then, and another is shortly expected. Troops are coming all the time. We passed several transports in the river covered with them. The conviction is getting stronger and stronger that Brazil means something more than Paraguay in sending such enormous forces into the Parana, and that no matter how soon Lopez succumbs, the day of peace is far distant.
I observed while in Buenos Ayres that there is great discontent in the public mind at the prolonged inaction of the allies, and especially at the sluggishness of the Brazilians. The Argentines are obliged to carry on war without money, or only with what the Brazilians are willing to lend them. They have tried to negotiate a loan in England for £5,000,000, but have failed; and the people of Buenos Ayres chafe very restlessly at the figure they make as vassals of a people whom they profess to and heartily do despise. In the mean while the newspapers of Buenos Ayres and of Rio de Janeiro have fallen to abusing each other, [Page 565] finding fault with the alliance. An article published in a Rio paper, and which is said to have a semi-official importance, and which has made a great sensation in Buenos Ayes, alleges that Brazil was dragged into this war by the government of President Mitre; that it was at the instigation of President Mitre that Brazil was induced to invade the republic of Uruguay in order to assist the rebel invader Flores to overthrow the established government of his country, and that this war with Paraguay is but the natural sequence of that act. The criminations and recriminations that the allies are now making against each other in regard to the origin of the war entirely confirm the statements of my despatches of a year and a half and two years ago on the same subject; that selfishness and a false neutrality were at the foundation of it I think no one will now deny, though there is much dispute as to where the blame lay.
These discussions and disputes portend serious troubles and dissensions in the allied armies unless they soon move against the enemy. But the army can-not move until the fleet does, and when that will be ready no one seems to know. Every day it is confidently asserted it will start to-morrow or next day. But it Still lies idle off this city; and the Paraguayans cross over in small detachments, doing all sorts of saucy things, as if defying them to an attack. Of the condition of the Paraguayans very little is known here. Occasionally a pretended deserter comes into the Argentine camp with a piteous tale of suffering, destitution, and death among the forces of President Lopez. But such characters are generally missing within a few days, from which it is inferred that they came as spies, and having learned all they could of the affairs of their enemies, return to report to Lopez what they had discovered.
The result of my observation is that I have no reason to think that any general movement of the allies will take place for several weeks. But it may do so within three days. I shall write again, however, after I have had another interview with President Mitre, and before crossing over into Paraguay. I hope by that time to have some information of a more definite character.
I have the honor to be your most obedient and humble servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.