No. 11.
Mr. Osborn
to Mr. Evarts.
Buenos Ayres, July 30, 1879. (Received September 16.)
Sir: General Roca, minister of war and marine, having returned from the military expedition—which proved successful—to the Rio Negro, referred to in my dispatch No. 220, was proclaimed a presidential candidate by his party on the 27th instant.
Dr. Charles Tejedor, governor of this province, had previously been formally proclaimed a candidate by the “party of reconciliation.”
The election for presidential electors takes place in the month of October next. The campaign is already hot and the partisan press bitter. Both parties accuse each other of the intention to resort to fraud and force, doubtless without grounds, to obtain a victory. Neither party has laid down any platform or declared for any line of policy, but the campaign is being made on the personal merits of their respective candidates.
General Roca is comparatively a young man; was educated in France, and is now not only minister of war and marine, but general of the Argentine army.
Dr. Tejedor is more advanced in years, a lawyer of considerable distinction, was minister of foreign affairs under the administration of President Sarmiento, and is now governor of this province.
Both candidates are respectable, talented, representative men, and either would be a good chief executive of the government. It is quite possible, however, that the campaign may become so sharp and bitter that both candidates will be withdrawn, and that Ex-President Sarmiento may become the compromise candidate, and the next President of the republic.
Ex-President Sarmiento, notwithstanding his advanced years, is still vigorous, active, and is now the editor of the daily paper El Nacional. Daring his administration he did much for the future of his country in inaugurating railroads and telegraph lines, and for the building up, true practical republicanism, by establishing on a firm basis our common and graded school system in this country. The corps of teachers, which he introduced from the United States now has charge of the graded schools in the different provinces, and the results which have already been accomplished are being felt and appreciated throughout the land.
I have, &c.,