AHOENTINK CONKEDEUATJON. 



ARGENT1NK O'NIT.I >r.l:.\TK>N. 



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Oaray built SouU FA, Tho town of Buenos Ayraa was founded by 

 Gamy in 1580. He built fort sufficiently strong to repel the attacks 

 of the Indian*. All the oountrien thus conquered were joined to the 

 vioeroyalty of Peru, of which they formed a portion until 1777, 

 whan Buenos Ayres was divided from it, and constituted a separate 

 rieeroyalty. In the 17th century the Jesuits entered the country 

 for the purpose of civilising the Indians and converting them to 

 Chrwtianitr. Their progress was at first slow, but after the year 

 1092, when they obtained more extensive privileges, the conversion 

 and civilisation of the GuaranU, who inhabited both banks of the 

 Parana 1 above the inland of Apipe', went on rapidly ; and about the 

 middle of the last oentnry it was stated and believed that the Jesuit* 

 had succeeded in forming a powerful state. On the suppression of 

 the Jesuits in 1708, it was found that the country was inhabited by 

 about 100,000 peaceful and industrious Quaranis. Since that time 

 the Husiones, as they are called, have rapidly decreased in popu- 

 lation. At present the number of the inhabitants is very small. 

 Though the attempts to convert the other tribes who inhabit the 

 northern provinces were not attended with great success, the Spaniards 

 had suffered less from their incursions than from the attacks of the 

 southern tribes, who, from the time that they had obtained horses, 

 adopted the habits of the Mongols and other nomadic nations of 

 Upper Asia, and by their unexpected incursions laid waste the 

 neighbouring Spanish settlements, and drove off their herds of 

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The Spaniards tried all means to bring about a pacification, and 

 they partly succeeded in 1740, when the course of the Rio Salado 

 of Buenos Ayres and the parallel of 35 S. lat. were agreed upon 

 as the boundary between the southern Indian* and the Spanish 

 v :,:,.,!..-. 



In 1805 the town of Buenos Ayres was taken by the British, but 

 they were soon expelled. In 1807 the city wag again unsuccessfully 

 attacked by a British force under General Whitelocke, who on his 

 return to England was tried by court-martial for incapacity, and 

 cashiered. The inhabitants of the Argentine Confederation, like those of 

 the other Spanish colonies, did not submit to the%uthority of Joseph 

 Bonaparte, and in 1810 they organised an independent government in 

 the name of king Ferdinand Til. The loyalty of the leading men 

 who had assumed power was however from the first of a doubtful 

 character. The form of government was frequently changed : Buenos 

 Ayres on the one hand endeavouring to secure its supremacy, while 

 the other provinces sought to obtain a national government with 

 equal rights for the several provinces. From 1813 to 1816 the 

 ' Sovereign Assembly ' had the chief power, and its meetings were 

 held at Tucuman which was the seat of government. On the disso- 

 lution of this body in April, 1816, a General Congress was called, 

 which, on July 9th, declared the independence of the 'United 

 Provinces of the Rio de la Plata.' General Puyerredon was named 

 ' Supreme Director,' an office which lasted till 1820. For the next 

 four yean the provinces remained in an isolated position, when 

 another General Congress was called, which after long discussions 

 promulgated in 1826 a constitution, the 7th article of which declared 

 that "the Argentine nation adopt* for its government the republican 

 representative form, consolidated in a unity of representation." This, 

 known ai the Unitarian Constitution, lasted a very short time. The 

 several provinces withheld their approval, civil war again raged, in 

 1827 the congress was dissolved, and the provinces returned to their 

 state of isolation. Meanwhile war had been declared between the 

 republic and Brazil, and Buenos Ayres was blockaded by a Brazilian 

 fleet from January 1826 to October 1828, when the blockade was put 

 an end to by British intervention. 



In January 1831, the provinces of Buenos Ayres, Entre Rios, 

 Corrientes, and Santa Fc, entered into a federal compact, to which 

 all the other provinces at subsequent periods became parties. The 

 union was a voluntary alliance. No general constitution was promul- 

 gated, end the adhesion of the several members was left to be 

 secured by the resources of the person who might obtain the direction 

 of affairs. This Argentine Confederation like the republic wlm-h it 

 had succeeded soon fell into a state of anarchy, and it was not till the 

 election of General Rosas as governor or captain-general, with almost 

 absolute power, in 1885, that even temporary quiet was secured. 

 By this arrangement the provincial government of Buenos Ayres was 

 invested with extraordinary powers, and temporarily charged with 

 the transaction of all matters appertaining to the common interests 

 of the confederation, and the carrying out of its business with foreign 

 nations. Roses had previously served as governor and captain-general 

 of Buenoe Ayres for the usual term of three yean, and had obtained 

 unrivalled influence in that province, chiefly through his military 

 powers, as displayed against the Indians. His decision and energy 

 scored for awhile internal peace, and the provinces began to recover 

 from the eflecU of the long prevalent anarchy. But cruelty and 

 deepotism marked hie sway at home, and his ambition, which con- 

 inually prompted him to endeavour to extend his power over the 

 whole country watered by the Plata and the Parana, led him into 

 dispute, with foreign powers : and these ultimately brought about 

 hw downfall His commercial policy had for iU object to secure to 

 Buenos Ayres the monopoly of the trade of the Plata, his political 

 policy to obtain a like territorial superiority. On the death of 



Francia, dictator of Paraguay, he refused to acknowledge the imli- 

 pendence of that power, insisting that it should join the Arp ' 

 Confederation, at the same time he refused to allow the nnvii 

 of the Parana by Teseoln bound to Paraguay. Lopez, the new dictator 

 of Paraguay, therefore entered into alliance with the Banda Oriental, 

 now called Uruguay, with which Rosas was at war. These powen 

 applied for assistance to Brazil. The war was prolonged until tin- 

 whole country on both sides of the Plata and the Parana was .in a 

 state of confusion. On the earnest appeal of the merchants and 

 others interested, Great Britain volunteered her mediation, but it 

 was rejected by Rosas who marched his troops within a few miles of 

 Monte Video, which his fleet at the same time blockaded. The 

 emperor of Brazil now interfered, and sent a special mission to n 

 the interposition of the courts of London and Paris. The I'.nti.-h 

 mil French governments in February 1845 decided on sending 

 plenipotentiaries to the Plata to offer their mediation, and to announce 

 their intention to enforce a cessation of hostilities if needful, by an 

 armed intervention. The offer was rejected by Rosas, but readily 

 accepted by his opponents. The united fleet of England and France 

 at once commenced operations by seizing the fleet of Rosas which was 

 blockading Monte Video, and the island of Martin Garcia which 

 commands the entrances of the Panuiii and the Uruguay. The 

 harbour of Buenos Ayres was at the same time declared under 

 blockade, and the combined fleet prepared to open the Parana and 

 convoy as far as Corrientes any merchant vessels that might desire to 

 ascend that river. Rosas on his part made hasty preparations to 

 intercept the fleet by planting batteries with parks of heavy artilU TV 

 at Point Obligado ; and placing three strong chains across the river, 

 supported by 24 vessels and 10 fire-ships. On the 19th of November 

 1845, the combined fleet consisting of eight sailing and three steam 

 vessels forced the passage with trifling loss to itself, but entirely 

 destroying the batteries, and considerably injuring the army of Rosas. 

 On the return of the fleet, with a convoy of 110 vessels, it was 

 encountered at San Lorenzo by a very powerful lottery which Rosas 

 had erected in an admirable position, in the full expectation of 

 destroying a large number of the merchant vessels, and of crippling 

 the naval force. The battery commanded the river, and was difficult 

 of attack by the steamer*, but it was speedily silenced by a rocket- 

 brigade, which had been the previous night secretly lauded on a small 

 island, in the river. The 'combined fleet escaped with trifling loss, 

 the rocket-brigade lost not a man ; but four of the merchant 

 vessels which, through unskilful pilotage, ran ashore, were burnt to 

 prevent them falling into the hands of Rosas. The loss to the 

 Argentine army was very great. Again plenipotentiaries were sent 

 out by the combined powers, but Rosas refused to yield ; and Kngland 

 withdrew from the blockade in July 1848. It was however continued 

 by France until January 1849. On the final withdrawal of the two 

 great powers in 1850, Brazil determined on active interference. The 

 power of Rosas, essentially despotic, and devoted to the maintenance 

 of the supremacy of Buenos Ayres, had moreover become intolerable 

 to the provinces which desired a federal and equal union. Accordingly 

 towards the close of 1850, Brazil, Uruguay, and Paraguay entered 

 into a treaty, to which Corrientes and Kutre Rios, as represented l.y 

 General Urquiza, became parties, by which they bound themselves to 

 continue hostilities until they had effected the deposition of Kosox, 

 " whose power and tyranny " they declared to be " incompatible with 

 the peace and happiness of this part of the world." Early in the 

 spring of 1851 a Brazilian fleet blockaded Buenos Ayrea, and soon 

 after an Argentine force commanded by Urquiza crossed the Uruguay. 

 The struggle was now virtually terminated. General Oribo who 

 commanded the army of Rosas in Monte Video made a show of 

 resistance, but it was merely to gain time in order to compl. ; 

 arrangements with Urquiza, and he soon after capitulated. His 

 soldiers for the most part joined the army of Urquiza, who at the 

 head of a force amounting it is said to 70,000 men, crossed into 

 Buenos Ayres. A general engagement was fought on the plains of 

 Moron, February 2, 1851, when the army of Rosas was entirely 

 defeated. Rosas, who had commanded in person, succeeded in 

 escaping from the field ; and, in the dress of a peasant, he reached 

 in safety the house of the British minister at Buenos Ayraa. From 

 thence, with his daughter, he proceeded on board H. M.'s steamer 

 Locust, and on the 10th of February sailed in the Conflict steamer 

 for England. 



But the fall of the tyrant did not bring peace to the unhappy 

 country. Urquisa, by the governors of the provinces assembled at 

 San Nicolas, was invested with the chief power, and appointed 

 Provisional Director of the Argentine Confederation. The Chamber 

 of Representatives of Buenos Ayres, however, declared against him, 

 and protested against the proceedings of the convention on the ground 

 of the superior privileges of Buenos Ayres being menaced. Urquiai 

 dissolved the Chamber, and insurrection broke out Civil war, with 

 all its aggravated evils, has since continued. In February 1853, 

 Buenos Ayres was in a state of siege : and there appears little prospect 

 but that this vast and rich tract of country will for many years to 

 come, remain, as it han remained for many years past, in a state of 

 anarchy. 



(i'.iwh' liuenot Ayra and the Province* of the Jtio de la Plata, 

 tccond edition, enlarged, 1852; McColm's Two Thousand Milu' Hide 



