URUGUAY. 



811 



tics of Universalism in the several States of the 

 Federal Union and of British America:* 



The United States Universalist Convention 

 met at Middletown, Conn., on SeptembOT 19, 

 1865. John T. Gilman, Esq., of Maine, presided. 

 It was stated that during the last two years the 

 denomination have raised, for educational and 

 other purposes, over five hundred thousand dol- 

 lars. The Convention voted to appoint a board 

 of trustees to raise and use one hundred thou- 

 sand dollars during the present year for mis- 

 sionary purposes. A majority of the board was 

 selected from New York, and they were in- 

 structed to seek an act of incorporation. 



UKUGUAY. ("The Oriental Republic of 

 Uruguay "), a republic in South America. Pro- 

 visional President, November, 1865, Venancio 

 Flores. Its area is about 3,375 geographical 

 square miles. The population in 1860 was 

 about 240,965. In 1864 a circular from the 

 Minister of the Exterior, Dr. Juan Jose Her- 

 rera, stated that the population had risen to 

 350,000, among whom were 150,000 foreigners ; 

 that the value of real estate was 140,000,000, 

 and that of cattle 50,000,000 piasters. The 

 imports in 1862 were valued at 12,000,000, and 

 the exports at 10,000,000 piasters. 



The close of the year 1864 found the Gov- 

 ernment of Uruguay at war against the Brazil- 

 ians, who had invaded the territory of the re- 

 public, to aid the insurrection headed by Gen. 

 Yenancio Flores. From December 6th to 10th, 

 a fierce engagement took place at Paysandu, 

 which was besieged by Flores, while a Brazilian 

 squadron blockaded the port. The town was 

 reduced to a heap of ruins ; but the garrison, only 

 seven hundred strong, held out until January 2, 

 1865, when the insurgents and Brazilians (num- 

 bering about 8,000) succeeded in capturing it 

 by a treacherous stratagem. Gen. Gomez, the 

 commander of the garrison, was shot, and the 

 town for five days abandoned to pillage. From 

 Paysandu the combined force of insurgents and 

 Brazilians marched upon the capital of the re- 

 public, Montevideo. A blockade of this city 

 was declared on 'February 2d, and recognized 



* The above table embraces only the statistics which 

 were reported to the editor of the " Register." There are a 

 number of associations, societies, and ministers, from which 

 no report was received, and which therefore are not Included 

 in the list. 



by foreign ministers, seven days being granted 

 to those who wished to leave the place. On 

 February 9th the hostilities began. On the 

 same day, President Aguirre resigned his office, 

 and was succeeded by Senator Villalba, who 

 entered into negotiations with the enemy. 

 Plenipotentiaries appointed by him concluded 

 at La Union a treaty of peace with Flores, 

 which was approved by the envoy extraordi- 

 nary of Brazil. On February 22d Gen. Flores 

 made his entrance into Montevideo, at the 

 head of his troops and one Brazilian brigade. 

 In conformity with the treaty of peace, he as- 

 sumed the functions of Provisional President. 

 He at once declared the treaties with Brazil, 

 which on December 13, 1864, had been sus- 

 pended by Aguirre, to be reestablished. On 

 May 4th Flores formed a treaty of alliance, of- 

 fensive and defensive, with the Argentine re- 

 public and Brazil against Paraguay.* 



In November a serious difficulty arose be- 

 tween the Governments of Chili and Uruguay, 

 which led to a rupture of diplomatic relations. 

 The Government of Uruguay desired to observe 

 a strict neutrality in the war between Chili and 

 Spain. When, therefore, on November 2d, the 

 Chilian ambassador at Buenos Ayres, Seflor 

 Lastarria, being then in Montevideo, requested 

 permission from the Government for privateer* 

 to bring into that port and dispose of whatever 

 prizes they might make among Spanish mer- 

 chantmen to Uruguay, the Government replied, 

 on the 15th, emphatically prohibiting the sale 

 of any prizes in any of the ports of the repub- 

 lic. The Chilian minister then returned to 

 Buenos Ayres, and under date November 20th, 

 insisted, in a lengthy note, that the Government 

 would just as well maintain a strict neutrality 

 by allowing privateers to sell. Senor Castro re- 

 plied on the 2Yth. showing that it was no less 

 the right than the convenience of Montevideo to 

 refuse the demands of the Chilian agent ; and 

 Seflor Lastarria sent a second, more urgent 

 note, dated December 1st, to which the Gov- 

 ernment again replied on the 12th instant, 

 expressing much surprice at the language of 

 the Chilian minister. Hereupon Sefior Lastar- 

 ria on the 15th sent back the note of theMonte- 

 videan Government, requesting his Excellency 

 Sefior Castro to change some offensive phrases 

 which he could not admit. The Montevidean 

 Government then issued the following decree, 

 bearing date December 21st : 



Whereas, his Excellency Senor Lastarria, envoy 

 extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of Chili, 

 in his dealings with the Government respecting his 

 pretensions for the sale of such Spanish prizes as 

 may be taken by Chilian corsairs, has used language 

 both intemperate and unusual to diplomatic customs, 

 which cannot be defended on the ground of zeal for 

 the interests of his country, since he should never 

 fail in the respect due to a national authority; and 

 moreover that Senor Lastarria's note of tne 15th 

 instant, returning that of the Government, is a ne\v 

 and unusual presentation, which the dignity of the 

 Government cannot admit ; and finally, that the at- 



* For the progress of the war, see PARAGUAY. 



