LXXV
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.