BUENOS AYRES, _Feb. 1, 1852_.
My first impressions on approaching this city were highly favorable,
the line of shore appearing fresh and verdant in comparison with Monte
Video after its long and devastating siege. The city, built upon the
banks of the river, some thirty feet high, with its forts, and public
and private buildings and temples, as seen in approaching from the
outer roadstead, looked quite imposing. The outer anchorage is five
or six miles from the shore, and only vessels of a light draught of
water can get to the inner anchorage, half a mile from town, where
small boats carry you towards the shore, and you take large carts,
drawn by a pair of mules, nearly up to their backs in water, from the
many obstructions in the river. At the landing the son of General
Mansilla and myself were met by the captain of the post and several
other officers, dressed in the Rosas, or sanguinary costume, which
every native is obliged to wear, viz. a red vest, a ribbon of the same
color around the hat, and one at the button-hole, with the inscription,
“_Viva la Confederacion! Mueren los salvages unitarios!_” (Long
life to the Confederacion! Death to the savage Unitarians.) The
offices of the Government, I noticed, were painted red, and everything
indicated that I was in the country of a despot. The misnamed republic
of Buenos Ayres extends along the Atlantic from the Rio Negro south to
the Rio de la Plata, along the shores of its estuary to the southern
bank of Parana, near to Santa Fè. Its soil is fertile, and affords the
finest of pasturage for cattle. Millions of horned cattle and horses
run upon the pampas, or plains, and its exports in hides, horns, jerked
beef, and tallow, are immense. Its climate is most agreeable; we are
now in midsummer, and the thermometer seldom goes higher than 85°;
every variety of fruit found in warmer latitudes may be produced here;
but the energies of the people are blunted from the excessive abuses
of the tyrant Rosas, who has been for twenty years the governor, so
styled, but really the modern Nero of the world. I had heard of his
many acts of atrocity while at Montevideo and Rio, but was unprepared
to believe the thousand charges alleged against him, until I learned
from those who had passed through the reign of terror, and who are
protected by their consuls, whereby they can express their minds,
although not loudly, that half the wholesale butcheries which have
occurred here for opinion’s sake, cannot be portrayed. I came here with
the intention of crossing over the pampas and the Cordillera mountains
to the west coast at Valparaiso, which is about twenty days’ travel on
horseback; but I find that I cannot proceed ten leagues from the city
without the strongest probability of being assassinated by stragglers
or deserters from both camps; so I shall have to abandon my intention,
and proceed to Rio Janeiro, retracing my steps twelve hundred miles in
order to procure passage by a British steamer going through the Straits
of Magellan to take her position on the west coast line from Chili to
Panama. The most intense excitement prevails in the city. Levies are
made of all the native forces, from boys of ten years of age up to old
men of eighty, who are called out daily at three p.m. by bands of music
for the purpose of drilling until sunset; all places of business are
closed, and the poor people, who have no means of support, must work at
night to keep from starving. Husbands and brothers are dragged off to
the army, often leaving their families entirely destitute.
The residence of the dictator, called Palermos, a beautiful drive about
three miles from town, where millions of dollars have been spent in
reclaiming a marshy country near the river bank, is intersected by
canals and lined with avenues of willows which grow in great profusion
and afford a fine shade, as do also oranges and other fruit trees. The
drives through the country are beautiful, and the whole arrangement is
of a princely character. The review of the troops, whose barracks are
within the inclosures, was an interesting spectacle; they were dressed
in red cloth-caps, with coats of the same color; gaucho pantaloons
of white, with heavy fringe at bottom, and as a finale the whole
regiment, say three thousand strong, responded to the cry of “Viva la
confederacion!” “Death to the fool and traitor Urquizas!” “Death to the
savage Unitarians!” All of which I listened to with horror and disgust,
and thought, “It will not be long before your tunes are changed,” and
I have just had the satisfaction of seeing them flying to the city for
safety, as an engagement has taken place several leagues from the city,
in which two thousand of Urquizas’ cavalry put to flight some thousands
of their opponents, who made good their escape as fast as their horses
would carry them, throwing away all their accoutrements of war, even to
their blankets.
It is an exciting time, and the issue will soon be known. Rosas is
leaving the country. To prevent the approach of the enemy, all the
supplies of hay and provender are embargoed for the use of the troops,
and prices have been advanced from two to three hundred per cent. The
currency of the country is all paper, and the dictator has supreme
control of the bank of issue. Ounces of gold command three hundred and
five dollars of paper. He has gone to the camp, as he must make a stand
at the head of his army to encourage his people, who secretly wish
his reign of tyranny over; his daughter, Manuelita, whose political
character is quite established, has left Palermos. It is surprising
that the combined nations of the earth should have so long sustained
such an infamous government, but the facts are that the world has not
been enlightened on the subject; foreigners have been protected by
the policy of this chief, and the wily arts of the second in command,
his talented daughter, who has many good traits of character, have
inveigled Chargés and Consuls, who have received such high favor at
court, that they have been infatuated and blinded to the monstrosities
of the father, while the governments that they have represented have
remained in ignorance of the true state of things. Our former Minister,
Mr. H----, on his departure, wrote one of the most fulsome and
disgusting of letters, very flattering to the vanity of these persons;
but our present Minister conducts himself as an American should, with
proper sentiments for suffering humanity. The government is seizing
private horses for the use of the army; the crisis is approaching, and
in a few days we shall know the result.