ARGENTINE REPUBLIC. 



23 



Scriptural character of our Church to distrust and 

 reproach. 



The conscientious scruples of men of godly conver- 

 sation and usefulness deserve the most respectful 

 and aifectionate consideration of their brethren. "We 

 hope they will be so regarded by the next General 

 Convention. We will not allow ourselves to doubt 

 that there will be found in that body such large- 

 heartedness, brotherly kindness, and fervent desire 

 to promote the peace and prosperity of our Church, 

 as will consent to the relief already indicated. 



In this confidence we address ourselves aifection- 

 ately and respectfully to our brother bishops, and 

 request their kind and fraternal cooperation in our 

 effort to accomplish the desired result, for the glory 

 of our blessed Lord, and the harmony of our beloved 

 Church. 



C. P. Mcllvaine. Alfred Lee, John Johns, John 

 Payne, G-. T. Bedell/William Bacon Stevens, Thom- 

 as H. Vail, Ozi W. Whitaker, Henry W. Lee. 



ARGENTINE REPUBLIC, a republic in 

 South America. President, from 1868 to 

 1874, Domingo F. Sarmiento. The area is es- 

 timated to be 826,828 English square miles; 

 the population, in 1864, was estimated by 

 F. C. Ford (La Eepublique Argentine, Paris, 

 1867) at 1,465,000; in 1868, in the work "Die 

 Argentinische Republik" (Berne, 1869), pub- 

 lished by the Ccfmmittee of Immigration in 

 Buenos Ayres, at 1,801,000. The confederation 

 is divided into the following fourteen States or 

 provinces : 



A new census was taken in 1869, and the re- 

 sults, as far as they have been published (De- 

 cember, 1869), show a large increase of the 

 population. Thus the province of Santa F6 

 has advanced from 45,000 inhabitants, in 1864, 

 to 90,000; that of Cordova from 140,000 to 

 200,000; that of the city of Buenos Ayres 

 from 120,000 to 200,000. 



The imports and exports in Buenos Ayres, 

 from 1865 to 1867, were as follows (value ex- 

 pressed in pesos fuertes ; one peso fuerte = 5 

 francs 10 centimes = 94 cents) : 



The movement of shipping in the port of 

 Buenos Ayres was as follows : 



* For the population of the several provinces in 1864 

 see ANNUAL AMEBICAN CYCLOPAEDIA for 1868. 



Among the vessels which entered there were, 

 in 1866, 437, and in 1867, 882 steamships. 



The administration of President Sarmiento 

 has, by the wisdom which has marked its 

 acts, won for itself an exalted place in the 

 opinion of the people. In spite of the efforts 

 put forth by the opposition to embarrass the 

 Government, the great majority of the popula- 

 tion, both native and foreign, fully appreciate 

 the eminent qualities which distinguish the 

 President, and the efforts he is making to pro- 

 mote the moral and material interests of the 

 country. It is felt that the republic has en- 

 tered upon a new career, full of brilliant prom- 

 ise. Peace and order have been reestablished 

 in the provinces which had been desolated by 

 civil war. 



President Sarmiento is making the utmost 

 exertions to promote immigration and educa- 

 tion. In fact, European immigration has given 

 a great impetus to the progress of the country 

 in the arts of industry within the last fifteen 

 years. During this period towns and villages 

 have sprung up, roads have been opened, rail- 

 ways and tramways have been built, canals 

 have been opened, and other improvements in 

 navigation adopted, and manufactories of all 

 kinds established. And all of this has been 

 accomplished in spite of the civil dissensions by 

 which the country has been agitated. These 

 improvements are especially noticeable in the 

 province of Buenos Ayres. Here there are 

 four lines of railway in active operation. 

 Streets are being opened, and new buildings 

 erected on every hand, in this great, wealthy, 

 and splendid city ; while, within a circuit of 

 from five to six leagues around the city, 

 several beautiful villages have appeared as 

 if by enchantment, besides the manufacturing 

 and commercial towns of Boca and Barraccas. 

 To give an idea of the importance of these two 

 towns, distant three miles from each other, 

 it may be stated that not only are they con- 

 nected with the capital by a railway to both, 

 but that a second line runs from Barraccas to 

 Buenos Ayres. The population of the two 

 towns is to-day nearly 40,000 souls. That of 

 Barraccas is largely Basque ; and, as the ac- 

 tivity of the Basques is powerful, it is no 

 wonder that this town thrives so remarkably, 

 or that the heads of its principal establish- 

 ments take the lead in the progressive move- 

 ment. In order to give new encouragement to 

 agriculture and immigration, Congress passed 

 a law appropriating $200,000 (gold) for the na- 

 tional exhibition at Cordova, set down for 

 April, 1870. 



Religious toleration is strictly maintained, 

 and no complaint, in this respect, is heard from 

 the numerous German and Swiss immigrants 



