530 



PLATA. 



rendered dangerous by its numerous sandbimks. 

 The ports on the Plata are Montevideo and Biu-nos 

 Ayres. It was first discovered by Solis, who gave 

 it the name ot La Plafa, but from whom it was often 

 also called the river of Solis. Sebastian Cabot, then 

 in the service of Spain, visited the river a few years 

 iii'.frwards (1586), and penetrated to the Paraguay. 



PLATA, UNITED PROVINCES OF THE (Provincias 

 1'iiidas del Rio de la Plata, or Republica Argentina); 

 a republic of South America, consisting of a part of 

 the former Spanish viceroyalty of the Rio de la 

 Plata, or Buenos Ayres. The republic of Bolivia, 

 the state of Paraguay, and the republic of the Banda 

 Oriental, which were comprised within the limits of 

 the viceroyalty, now form independent states. The 

 1'nited Provinces are bounded on the north by Bo- 

 livia; on the east by Paraguay, from which they are 

 separated by the river Paraguay, the Banda Oriental 

 (which the Uruguay separates from them), and the 

 Atlantic ocean ; south by Patagonia ; and west by 

 Chile and the Pacific ocean. The extreme length, 

 from lat. 20 to 40 10' S., is about 1400 miles; the 

 breadth varies from 500 to 800 miles. The vice- 

 royalty extended over an area of about 1,500,000 

 miles; the Argentine republic comprises about two- 

 thirds of this surface, with a population estimated at 

 2,000,000, of which 600,000' are Spanish Creoles, 

 600,000 mestizoes, 800,000 Indians, and 25,000 

 negroes. 



This part of the country was first discovered by 

 Juan Diaz de Solis, in 15 17, and was further explored 

 by Sebastian Cabot, then in the service of Spain, in 

 1526. In 1553, the first Spanish colony was founded 

 here by Don Pedro de Mendoza, who built Buenos 

 Ayres. The government was at first dependent 

 upon that of Peru, and, in consequence of the re- 

 strictions imposed on its commerce, had no other 

 communication with other parts of the world than 

 by the annual fleet from Spain. But as the popula- 

 tion multiplied, and the agricultural produce in- 

 creased, some relaxations in the monopoly system 

 took place, and finally, to put a stop to the smug- 

 gling, which had been carried on to a great extent, 

 register ships were allowed to sail, under a license 

 from the council of the Indies, at any time. The 

 annual flotilla sailed for the last time in 1748 ; in 

 1774, a free trade was allowed between several of 

 the American ports ; and, in 1778, several Spanish 

 ports were allowed an open trade to Buenos Ayres. 

 In the same year, the viceroyalty of Buenos Ayres 

 was constituted, and, as it included the rich pro- 

 vinces of Upper Peru, became not only important 

 as an agricultural colony, but for its valuable mines. 

 The commerce continued to increase in value until 

 the war between England and Spain (1797), after 

 which it never revived, and has been entirely anni- 

 hilated by the recent events. 



In 1806 and 1807, the inhabitants, having victo- 

 riously repelled the attacks of the British, under 

 generals Beresford and Whiteloeke, learned to know 

 their own strength, and, in 1810, the first insurrec- 

 tion against the mother country broke out at Buenos 

 Ayres. In none of the Spanish colonies were there 

 BO few blacks ; none had been so much neglected 

 by the mother country ; hence in none were shown 

 a greater unanimity of purpose, and firmness in re- 

 sistance. The inhabitants of this colony were also 

 superior to most of the colonists in cultivation and 

 character. Liniers, a French officer who had con- 

 ducted the successful resistance to the British, was 

 declared viceroy in the place of the Spanish gover- 

 nor. But as he favoured the cause of Joseph Napo- 

 leon, he was soon after deposed, and the junta of the 

 province of Buenos Ayres managed the government 

 under Cisneros, the new Spanish viceroy; the latter, 



however, was deposed by the junta, on account of 

 his attempts to revive the old Spanish policy and 

 sent home. The junta took upon itself the admin- 

 istration, in the name of Ferdinand VII. Chile 

 followed this example, and sent troops to the assist- 

 ance of Buenos Ayres. The insurgents likewise 

 took possession of Upper Peru, where an insurrec- 

 tion had already broken out at La Paz, A ugust 1 6, 

 1809. Liniers, who was supported by some of the 

 internal provinces, made an unsuccessful attempt 

 against Buenos Ayres ; he was deserted by his troops, 

 and, having been made prisoner with some of his 

 adherents, was shot. The other provinces joined 

 Buenos Ayres, and the Creoles were every where 

 victorious. In 1811, the junta was dissolved, in 

 consequence of the intrigues of its president ; and a 

 congress, assembled at Buenos Ayres, vested the 

 executive power in the hands of a triumvirate ; but 

 the progress of the Spanish arms in Peru led the 

 congress, in 1814, to name Pozadas, supreme direc- 

 tor of the republic, with a council of seven ; and the 

 government thus acquired more unity and vigour. 

 Monte Video was yet occupied by a Spanish garri- 

 son, but was soon after taken by the Buenos Ayrean 

 forces ; Artigas, the commander in the Banda Ori- 

 ental, then declared himself independent, defeated 

 the troops of Buenos Ayres, arid took possession of 

 Monte Video, which, in 1817, fell into the hands of 

 a Brazilian force. (See Artigas, and Banda Orien 

 tal.) At the same time, Paraguay, under doctor 

 Francia, declared itself independent. (See Para- 

 guay.) In 1816, a new congress met at Tucuman, 

 which named Pueyrredon director of the republic, 

 on July 19, declared the countries on the Plata inde- 

 pendent, and, having transferred its sessions to 

 Buenos Ayres, issued a declaration (Manifestation 

 historica y politica de la Revolution de la America, 

 Oct. 25), containing a list of twenty-eight griev 

 ances. 



The republic now assumed the title of United 

 Provinces of South America, and December 3, 1817, 

 proclaimed a reglamento provisorio as preliminary to 

 a constitution. The congress, chosen in compliance 

 with the reglamento, was opened in February, 1819, 

 and, on the 25th of May, the new constitution was 

 published. It was on the model of that of the 

 United Northern States, and secured personal free- 

 dom and equality, liberty of conscience, and of the 

 press, and the right of suffrage. Pueyrredon, who 

 declined re-election to the place of supreme director, 

 was succeeded in that post by general Rondeau. The 

 country still continued in a disturbed state, and, in 

 1820, colonel Rodriguez was placed at the head of 

 affairs by the federalists. The nomination of Riva- 

 davia, who had previously been plenipotentiary to 

 Paris and London, to the place of secretary of state 

 in 1821, contributed to restore order; the province 

 of Buenos Ayres yielded its claims to superiority 

 over the other provinces, which established separate 

 provincial governments, and sent deputies to a 

 general congress at Buenos Ayres, May 1, 1822. 

 The treaties of peace and amity, concluded with 

 Santa Fe, Entre Rios,and Corrientes, restored peace, 

 and general amnesty established domestic tranquillity. 

 The confederacy now consisted of the nine provinces 

 of Buenos Ayres, Tucuman, Cordova, Salta, Cujo, 

 Potosi, Cochabamba, La Paz, and Puno. The vigi- 

 lant and prudent policy of Rivadavia, who was also at 

 the head of the department of foreign affairs, changed 

 the condition of the country. The revenue of 1823 ex- 

 ceeded the expenditures ; the customs, in particular, 

 were much increased by the commercial prosperity. 

 In 1822, the congress of the United States, consider- 

 ing that the provinces of Buenos Ayres, after having, 

 from the year 1810, proceeded in their revolutionary 





