The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-03-27 00:00:00

UNFORTUNATE PARAGUAY!

The latest accounts from Paraguay represent that at
the time Lops z fled from Angostura it was with very
few follhwers, and that he even left behind him his five
children, who subsequently escaped. About 6,000
wounded and other invalids of his former army were
located, howeeer, on the hills about eighty miles dis-
tant. and with such of these as were able to move lie
still sought to defend himself. Such few of the popu-
lation as remained in other parts of the district were
f, reed to join him, those who refused being massacred.
The previous murder of various members of his family
and other impiirtant persons, including several
foreigners, is confirmed, and is stated to have been in
most cases with the view of possessing himself of their
n ttttt ey. On his flight he took the Englbhmen who
had been in Ids service, and the number that were aith
him in the Cordillera at the last date is thought to have
been about twenty-five, besides women lied children.
Among then, were Messrs. Valpy and cull
engineers, and a Mr. Tvrite, a mining engieeer; also
a Doctor Skinner, an army surgeon. A NI r. Thomp-
son, who had held an artillery command at Angostura,
escaped, and is now in England. As the telegrams by
the Guienne announce that Lopez was hiding iii the
mountains with but a few adherents, it mhy be in-
ferred that the main boiy of his camp has broken
up from starvation or suffering. 'rue present
ailvices state that there were no rinks whence to
estimate the remaining population of Paraguay, but
that some persons actually believe it may have
been reduced to much below 100.1100, the country
having been entirely wasted, and women, children,
and aged men havisig been indiscriminately forced
into the war. The explanation of the extraordinary
obedience manifested to Lopez is said to consist in
the extent to which the people have been enslaved
for generations, and especially since the rule of terror
of the Diciator Franeia, cii that at last t.,ey hai1,,,,.'
to obey "as a horse obeys his masts r." Naturally they
are admitted by all to be a fine race, while at the oune
time their country, which the perseverance of the allies
has now opened up to commerce, is nine of the most
agreeable and productive in the world. Up to the
present time tobacco and yeba have been almost the
sole articles of exportation, and it was from the latter
as a G Nernment monopoly that Lopez chiefly derivol
his revenue. The territory, it is affirmed, could pro-
duce aln ost anything. The climate is a little too hot
for wheat and barley, although these are grown, bot
Indian corn could he raised to any amount, indigo and
cochineal are indigenous, and the specimens of Par -
guayan cotton are said to be unsurpassed. Coffee also
grows well, but no plantations have ever been made
except by individuals as an occaxiiiiial experiment. The
midtile of the country has never been explored, but an
impression prevails that the Cordillera is riet in miner.
Lopez is believed still to have Lave sums of money
secreted, but the posboility of his personal escape is
doubted, his only retreat, according to the present
accounts, bring into the woods, where there arehostile
Indians. Bees the Englishmen held in his power at
the last dates there were understood to be only two
foreigners, one Spaniard and one Italian.